In the realm of barbecue, few regions can claim a legacy as rich and distinctive as North Carolina. With its eastern and western styles, the state offers a diverse tapestry of smoky, tangy, and vinegar-based sauces, each with its unique flavor profile. Embark on a culinary journey through North Carolina's barbecue traditions, discovering the secrets behind the perfect pulled pork sandwich and tantalizing sauces that elevate any backyard barbecue to legendary status. Whether you prefer the bold, spicy flavors of the eastern style or the sweet, tangy embrace of the western style, this article has something to satisfy every palate. We present a collection of carefully curated recipes that capture the essence of North Carolina's barbecue heritage. From the classic vinegar-based sauce to the smoky, tomato-based Lexington dip, these recipes provide a roadmap to barbecue bliss. So, gather your ingredients, fire up your grill, and prepare to immerse yourself in the delectable world of North Carolina barbecue.
Here are our top 11 tried and tested recipes!
NORTH CAROLINA PULLED-PORK BARBECUE
This classic pulled pork is the ultimate holiday weekend grilling project.
Provided by Ruth Cousineau
Categories Backyard BBQ Summer Grill Grill/Barbecue Gourmet Graduation
Yield Makes 8 servings
Number Of Ingredients 4
Steps:
- Bring vinegar to a boil with sugar, red-pepper flakes, 2 tsp salt, and 1 Tbsp pepper in a small nonreactive saucepan, stirring until sugar has dissolved, then cool. Set aside 2 cups vinegar sauce to serve with sandwiches.
- While sauce cools, score pork skin in a crosshatch pattern with a sharp knife (forming 1-inch diamonds), cutting through skin and fat but not into meat. Pat meat dry and rub all over with 1 Tbsp each of salt and pepper. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before grilling.
- Prepare grill for indirect-heat cooking over low heat, leaving space in middle for disposable roasting pan.
- When coals have cooled to about 300°F (45 minutes to 1 hour; when most coals will have burned out), put disposable roasting pan on bottom rack of grill between the 2 remaining mounds of coals, then fill pan halfway with water. Add a couple of handfuls of unlit charcoal to each charcoal mound, then put grill rack on so hinges are over coals.
- Oil grill rack, then put pork, skin side up, on rack above roasting pan. Grill pork, with lid ajar (for air, so coals remain lit), basting meat with sauce and turning over every 30 minutes (to maintain a temperature of 250 to 275°F, add a couple of handfuls of coals to each side about every 30 minutes), until fork-tender (a meat fork should insert easily) and an instant-read thermometer inserted 2 inches into center of meat (avoid bone) registers 190°F, 7 to 8 hours total.
- Transfer pork to a cutting board. If skin is not crisp, cut it off with at least 1/4 inch fat attached (cut any large pieces into bite-size ones) and roast, fat side down, in a 4-sided sheet pan in a 350°F oven until crisp, 15 to 20 minutes.
- When meat is cool enough to handle, shred it using 2 forks. Transfer to a bowl.
- Serve pork, cracklings, and coleslaw together on buns. Serve reserved vinegar sauce on the side.
NORTH CAROLINA EASY CHOPPED BARBECUE
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Wrap pork in aluminum foil and place in a broiler pan. Cook for 7 hours, about 1 hour per pound. Remove from oven and let stand for 1 hour.
- Wearing heavy rubber gloves, pull skin from the meat and discard. Remove most of the fat and all of the bone. Cut meat into 8-ounce chunks and place in large pan.
- Place meat on a charcoal fire and cook, covered, for another 30 to 45 minutes, until well smoked, turning meat over every 10 to 15 minutes. Pour barbecue sauce over meat during the last 10 to 15 minutes of cooking.
- Remove meat from the grill and chop into bite size pieces. Serve with additional barbecue sauce if desired.
- Mix all ingredients in a 6-quart stainless steel pot. Bring to a boil, then simmer, about 15 minutes. Turn off heat and let stand, about 30 minutes. Sauce can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.
HOMEMADE CAROLINA BBQ SAUCE RECIPE
Steps:
- Combine all ingredients in a medium sized sauce pan. Whisk well to combine.
- Place the pan over medium heat and bring to a rapid simmer. Reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook, whisking occasionally, until the sauce is glossy and thickened, about 15-18 minutes.
- Remove from heat. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper.
- Allow to cool to room temperature before using. Or, allow to cool to room temperature, transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Enjoy with pork, chicken, ribs, on sandwiches - whatever!
Nutrition Facts : Calories 81 kcal, Carbohydrate 18 g, Sodium 743 mg, Sugar 15 g, ServingSize 1 serving
NORTH CAROLINA-STYLE BBQ PULLED-PORK SANDWICHES
Provided by Food Network Kitchen
Categories main-dish
Time 15h30m
Yield 8 to 10 servings, with leftovers
Number Of Ingredients 21
Steps:
- Make small holes all over the pork shoulder with a thin sharp knife and stuff in garlic cloves. Rub the meat all over with the Memphis Shake; cover and refrigerate overnight.
- Prepare an outdoor grill with an indirect medium-hot fire with a mix of briquettes and hardwood charcoal in half of the grill. Set grate over coals. Place pork, skin side up, in an aluminum pan with about 1 1/2 cups water on the cooler side of the grate. Toss 1 cup of the soaked and drained wood chips onto the coals and cover the grill, making sure the lid's vents are directly over pork.
- When the coals cool to medium-low heat, preheat a chimney-full of hot briquettes and hardwood charcoal. Whenever smoke stops coming out of the vents, about every hour, add more hot coals and 1 cup of soaked and drained wood chips to the fire. The goal is to maintain a medium-heat, smoky fire (but don't worry if it is hotter when the coals are added and cooler while preheating the coals). Rotate the pork when you add coals so it cooks evenly. Cook the meat until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the pork registers 180 degrees F, about 6 hours.
- Set aside 1 quart of the North Carolina-Style Vinegar BBQ Sauce. Once the pork reaches 180 degrees F, begin mopping the entire surface of the meat every 20 minutes with some of the remaining sauce and the pan drippings. Continue to cook the pork, covering the grill between mopping, until an instant-read thermometer registers 200 degrees F, about 1 to 2 hours more.
- Transfer the pork to a cutting board and let rest for at least 15 minutes. Remove the outer skin and discard. Cut large chunks from the bone and shred, using 2 forks or your fingers, (when cool enough to touch) or chop. Toss with about 1 cup of the reserved barbecue sauce for every 3 cups of meat. Tuck the pork into the soft rolls and serve with pickles.
- Whisk paprika, brown sugar, oregano, garlic, ancho powder, salt, and celery salt in a small bowl. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to 2 months.
- Heat the vinegar and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Off the heat, stir in the ketchup, honey, salt, red pepper, and black pepper.
NORTH CAROLINA-STYLE VINEGAR BARBECUE SAUCE
Provided by Food Network Kitchen
Time 40m
Yield about 1 quart
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Combine the bacon, beef stock, cider vinegar, white vinegar, brown sugar, ketchup, red pepper flakes, chile powder and 1 tablespoon salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until the bacon renders its fat, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat; set aside to let the flavors develop, 20 minutes. Remove the bacon. Reheat the sauce before serving.
VINEGAR BASED CAROLINA BBQ SAUCE RECIPE
This simple-to-make tasty vinegar-based Carolina-Style BBQ Sauce has the perfect combination of tangy, sweet, and spicy for your BBQ.
Provided by Chef Billy Parisi
Categories sauce
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Add the vinegar, brown sugar, and salt to a medium-size pot and bring to a boil.
- Add in all the other ingredients and simmer on low heat for 15 minutes.
- Cool and serve.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 127 kcal, Carbohydrate 23 g, Protein 1 g, Fat 1 g, SaturatedFat 1 g, Sodium 1418 mg, Fiber 1 g, Sugar 19 g, UnsaturatedFat 2 g, ServingSize 1 serving
EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA BARBECUE
Provided by Food Network
Categories main-dish
Time 10h50m
Yield 6 large servings
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Add hickory, oak, and maple chunks or chips to your smoker. Refer to the directions for your smoker to determine the correct amount of chips for the meat and for lighting instructions. When the chips are ready, add the pork and smoke it for 2 to 2 1/2 hours at 250 degrees F. Remove the pork and wrap it in heavy-duty aluminum foil.
- Preheat the oven to 225 degrees F.
- Cook the pork for 6 to 8 hours or until the meat is tender and falls apart when the bone is removed. Chop the pork coarsely and mix in salt and barbecue sauce, to taste. Serve with more barbecue sauce on the side.
- In a medium saucepan, combine the vinegar, red pepper, garlic, and salt over high heat. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium-high. Boil for 15 to 20 minutes and then remove from the heat. Let cool then add the black pepper.
EASY NORTH CAROLINA BARBEQUE
I just love vinegar-based barbeque. I looked high and low for an easy recipe for North Carolina barbeque; this is it! Be warned; your friends will want the recipe. Eat it with a fork or on rolls with coleslaw.
Provided by Phil
Categories Meat and Poultry Recipes Pork Pork Shoulder Recipes
Time 9h10m
Yield 10
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Trim the fat from the roast; place in slow cooker and cook on Low overnight, at least 8 hours.
- To make the sauce, whisk together the vinegar, melted butter, salt, lemon juice, crushed red pepper, hot sauce, black pepper, and sugar in a bowl.
- Carefully remove the roast to a cutting board. Pull the meat from the bone with a fork. Return the pork to the slow cooker. Pour the sauce over the pulled pork. Simmer for 1 hour more.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 448.6 calories, Carbohydrate 4.2 g, Cholesterol 134.1 mg, Fat 37.5 g, Fiber 0.7 g, Protein 23.4 g, SaturatedFat 18.6 g, Sodium 1630.3 mg, Sugar 2.8 g
EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA BARBEQUE SAUCE
This piquant and spicy vinegar-based sauce, popular in Eastern North Carolina, is not for lightweights! It's great for all meats, but best on pork.
Provided by Lori
Categories Side Dish Sauces and Condiments Recipes Sauce Recipes BBQ Sauce Recipes
Time 3h10m
Yield 64
Number Of Ingredients 6
Steps:
- In a large bowl, mix together cider vinegar, salt, cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, light brown sugar, and hot pepper sauce. Stir until salt and brown sugar have dissolved. Cover, and let stand at least 3 hours before using as a basting sauce or serving on meat.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 16.8 calories, Carbohydrate 2.8 g, Fat 0.1 g, Fiber 0.2 g, Protein 0.1 g, Sodium 8.1 mg, Sugar 2.4 g
NORTH CAROLINA-STYLE BBQ SAUCE
Blending two vinegars helps re-create the BBQ sauce we love from my mother's North Carolina roots. - Gloria McKinley, Lakeland, Florida
Provided by Taste of Home
Time 25m
Yield 1-2/3 cups.
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- In a small saucepan, combine all ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 15-20 minutes or until flavors are blended.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 26 calories, Fat 0 fat (0 saturated fat), Cholesterol 0 cholesterol, Sodium 179mg sodium, Carbohydrate 6g carbohydrate (6g sugars, Fiber 0 fiber), Protein 0 protein. Diabetic Exchanges
EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA BBQ SAUCE
I have tried a lot of recipes of Eastern North Carolina BBQ Sauce. This is the closest to what you will find in any of the BBQ Restaurants here in North Carolina. It is on the hot side, so you may wish to adjust the cayenne pepper and Tabasco™ sauce for milder flavor.
Provided by RODEO3829
Categories Side Dish Sauces and Condiments Recipes Sauce Recipes BBQ Sauce Recipes
Yield 32
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- Combine the white vinegar, cider vinegar, brown sugar, cayenne pepper, hot pepper sauce, salt and pepper in a jar or bottle with a tight-fitting lid. Refrigerate for 1 to 2 days before using so that the flavors will blend. Shake occasionally, and store for up to 2 months in the refrigerator.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 4.1 calories, Carbohydrate 0.6 g, Fiber 0.1 g, Sodium 76 mg, Sugar 0.5 g
Tips for Making the Best North Carolina Barbecue Sandwich Sauce:
- Use a variety of vinegar. A combination of apple cider vinegar and white vinegar gives the sauce a well-rounded flavor, but you can also use all apple cider vinegar or all white vinegar if you prefer.
- Brown the meat. Browning the meat adds a depth of flavor to the sauce. You can brown the meat in a skillet over medium heat or in a slow cooker on low heat for 8-10 hours.
- Use a variety of spices. The spices in this recipe are paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, celery salt, and black pepper. You can also add other spices that you like, such as cayenne pepper, chili powder, or cumin.
- Simmer the sauce for at least 30 minutes. This allows the flavors to meld together and develop.
- Taste the sauce and adjust the seasonings as needed. You may want to add more salt, pepper, or vinegar depending on your personal taste.
Conclusion:
This North Carolina barbecue sandwich sauce is a delicious and easy-to-make sauce that is perfect for any occasion. It is tangy, smoky, and flavorful, and it will make your barbecue sandwiches taste amazing. So next time you are grilling or smoking some pork, be sure to try this sauce. You won't be disappointed!
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