North Carolina BBQ
intro
Tangy, vinegar-sauced pulled pork slow-smoked over hickory, the iconic Eastern North Carolina BBQ staple ideal for casual outdoor gatherings.
Ingredients
Steps
Prep pork and dry rub
Pat the 2.2kg bone-in pork shoulder completely dry with paper towels. In a small bowl, mix 1 tablespoon (18g) kosher salt, 1 tablespoon (6g) black pepper, 1 teaspoon (2g) smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon (3g) garlic powder, and 1 teaspoon (3g) onion powder to form a uniform dry rub. Rub the entire surface of the pork evenly with the spice mix, pressing gently to help the rub adhere. Let the seasoned pork rest at room temperature for 45 minutes while you prepare the smoker.
Preheat the smoker
Fill your smoker's firebox with hardwood charcoal, light it, and adjust vents to bring the internal smoker temperature to a steady 110°C (225°F). Once coals are coated in light gray ash, add 225g (2 handfuls) of pre-soaked hickory wood chips to the coals. Keep the top vent adjusted to 1/4 open to maintain consistent heat, avoiding temperature spikes above 120°C (250°F).
Smoke pork low and slow
Place the seasoned pork shoulder fat-side up on the smoker's cooking grate, positioned away from direct coals for indirect heat. Close the smoker lid and cook for 7 total hours, adding 110g (1/2 cup) fresh charcoal and 115g (1/4 lb) hickory chips every 90 minutes to maintain steady temperature and consistent smoke output. Avoid unnecessary lid openings, as each open drops the internal smoker temperature by 10-15°C and extends cook time.
Make vinegar BBQ sauce
While the pork smokes, whisk 475ml apple cider vinegar, remaining 1 tablespoon (18g) kosher salt, 2 tablespoons (28g) light brown sugar, 1 tablespoon (6g) crushed red pepper flakes, and remaining 1 tablespoon (6g) black pepper in a 750ml glass mason jar until sugar and salt fully dissolve. Seal the jar and let it rest at room temperature to meld flavors, shaking vigorously for 10 seconds once every hour until the pork is ready.
Rest the cooked pork
After 7 hours of smoking, insert a digital meat probe into the thickest part of the pork (avoiding contact with the bone) to check for a final internal temperature of 93°C (200°F), the point where connective tissue fully breaks down for tender pulled pork. Once at temperature, carefully transfer the pork to a large wooden cutting board, tent loosely with aluminum foil, and let rest for 30 minutes to allow juices to redistribute through the meat.
Pull and sauce the pork
After resting, trim away and discard the thick top fat cap and any tough, heavily charred exterior bits. Use two clean forks or stainless steel meat claws to pull the entire pork shoulder into thin, bite-sized shreds, removing and discarding the shoulder bone as you work. Pour 3/4 of the prepared vinegar sauce over the shredded pork, tossing gently to coat every shred evenly, reserving the remaining sauce for guests to add extra tang to their portions.
Tips
2.Authentic Eastern North Carolina BBQ sauce contains no tomato products—skip ketchup, tomato paste, or tomato-based BBQ sauce to keep the signature bright, tangy, sharp flavor true to the region.
3.If you do not have a dedicated smoker, you can replicate this recipe on a standard charcoal grill by banking coals to one side for indirect heat, maintaining the same 110°C (225°F) temperature and adding hickory chips as directed.
Y’all. I grew up outside Greenville eating this exact style of pulled pork at every church potluck and family cookout, and I swear this recipe tastes just like my granddaddy’s. The vinegar sauce has just the right kick of red pepper flakes, no weird sugary ketchup overload like all those western NC impostor recipes. Cooked it low and slow on my offset smoker for 8.5 hours exactly, pulled it when the internal temp hit 203°F, and it was fall-apart tender. Served it with creamy coleslaw and crispy hushpuppies for our Labor Day gathering, every single person asked for the recipe before they left. Absolute game changer for anyone who misses real eastern NC BBQ living out of state!
Made this for Sunday dinner last week and my kids went back for thirds! I was worried the vinegar sauce would be too tangy for their picky palates, but I cut the red pepper a tiny bit and they ate it on buns with pickles for two nights straight. Even used the leftovers for BBQ loaded baked potatoes for my husband’s work lunch prep. So easy to throw in the oven when I don’t feel like firing up the smoker, too. Will absolutely be making this on repeat all fall!
I’m a Texas brisket guy through and through, so I went into this fully expecting to not love a vinegar-based BBQ. Color me shocked at how good this was! The sauce cuts through the rich pork so well, it doesn’t feel heavy at all. Took it to my neighborhood block party and half the people thought I ordered it from a fancy BBQ joint. Only note: I added a tiny splash of hot sauce to my personal serving for extra heat, but the base recipe is chef’s kiss as written.
Uh, total newbie here—this was my first ever long smoke on my new pellet grill, and I was so nervous I’d mess it up. Followed the temp directions exactly, let it rest for a full hour before pulling, and it came out perfect! My roommate said it’s better than the BBQ we got at that spot we drove 2 hours to last month. Only thing I messed up was I forgot to buy hamburger buns, so we ate it straight off the tray with forks lmao. Still incredible.
OMG I’ve been chasing the perfect eastern NC pulled pork ever since I had it on a road trip to the Outer Banks 3 years ago. Every recipe I’ve tried before this was too sweet, too tomato-y, or just bland. THIS IS IT! The balance of tang, salt, and subtle heat is exactly what I remembered. Made it in my slow cooker because I don’t have outdoor space for a grill in my apartment, and it still came out juicy and full of flavor. Brought a batch to my office potluck and it was gone in 10 minutes flat.
I make BBQ for every single family reunion, and this recipe has officially dethroned my old go-to that I’ve been using for 12 years. The sauce is so bright, it doesn’t leave you feeling sluggish like the thick, sweet BBQ sauce recipes usually do. I doubled the batch because we had 25 people coming, and there was barely a cup left over. Already got three texts from cousins asking when I’m making it again for Thanksgiving. 10/10, no notes.
Y’all I burn toast 90% of the time, so I was shocked when this turned out edible, let alone delicious? I followed the directions word for word, used my oven like the recipe said, and even my super judgmental brother-in-law said it was great. The only thing I did wrong was I didn’t let it rest long enough, so some of the juice ran out when I pulled it, but it was still super moist. Definitely adding this to my very short list of recipes I don’t mess up.
Grew up on vinegar based BBQ, so I’m super picky about my pulled pork. This recipe is solid! I did add a little extra apple cider vinegar and a pinch of brown sugar to the sauce to match how my mom makes it, but the base is spot on. Cooked mine on a charcoal grill with hickory chips for smoke, and the whole neighborhood smelled amazing for hours. My husband ate three sandwiches before I even got all the sides on the table lmao.
Made a big batch of this on Sunday for meal prep for the week, and it held up perfectly! Portioned it out with roasted sweet potatoes and green beans, and it tasted just as good on Thursday as it did fresh on Sunday. The sauce doesn’t get soggy or weird when you reheat it, which is a huge win for meal prep. Will be making this at least once a month going forward, it’s so low effort once you get it on the heat.
I wanted to love this, but I think I messed up the rub ratios? Mine came out way too salty, even after I tossed it with extra vinegar sauce to try to cut it. I used table salt instead of kosher salt, do y’all think that’s the issue? I want to try it again because the flavor profile was exactly what I was looking for, but the salt level was unbearable for my whole family.
Made this for our college football tailgate last weekend, and people were lined up for seconds before the national anthem even finished. Cooked two 8lb shoulders overnight on my pellet smoker, tossed em with the sauce, and kept them warm in crockpots for the tailgate. We had people from the neighboring tailgates coming over to ask for samples because it smelled so good. Only regret is I didn’t make three shoulders, we ran out halfway through the second quarter.
I don’t eat pork, but I made this for my partner and his hunting buddies last weekend when they were in town for a fishing trip, and they RAVED about it. Said it was better than the BBQ they get at their favorite spot back home. I followed the recipe exactly, even made the sauce from scratch, and they ate the whole 7lb shoulder in one sitting. Guess I know what I’m making for all their future trips now lmao.
I’ve been making my own eastern NC sauce for 20 years, so I was skeptical this would measure up. It’s really good! I did tweak it a little to add a splash of Worcestershire and a pinch of celery seed like my own recipe uses, but the base ratios are perfect for anyone who doesn’t want to mess with experimenting. The cook time was spot on too, my shoulder hit temp exactly at 8 hours 20 minutes, so that 8.5 hour estimate is super accurate.
I’ve always hated coleslaw on my BBQ, but I saw all the comments saying to serve it on top of the pulled pork sandwich so I gave it a shot. WHO KNEW. The tang of the vinegar slaw pairs so perfectly with the savory pork, I’m a convert. Made this for my kid’s birthday cookout, and even the other parents who said they don’t like vinegar BBQ were going back for seconds. So glad I stepped out of my comfort zone with this one!
Cooked this for my grandson’s high school graduation party over the weekend, and it was a home run. Did a 9lb shoulder on my old charcoal grill, kept the temp steady at 225 the whole time, mopped it with the sauce every hour like the recipe says. Had folks from 3 generations at the party, and even the oldest cousin who swears only his mom makes “real” NC BBQ said it was top tier. Served it with boiled potatoes, coleslaw, and sweet tea, just like we did back home.
I run a small BBQ food truck outside of Denver, and I tested this recipe last week as a special for our NC BBQ week. It was our best selling special all month! People were leaving reviews specifically mentioning the pulled pork, asking if we’d add it to the permanent menu. The sauce is so consistent, it’s easy to scale up for big batches, and it holds up great during a 6 hour service rush. Absolute home run of a recipe.
So excited this recipe is naturally gluten free! I have celiac, so I always have to modify BBQ recipes because the sauce has soy sauce or weird fillers with wheat, but this one is perfect as written. I made sure to use gluten free apple cider vinegar (just to be safe!) and served it on gluten free buns for my whole family, no one even noticed a difference. Finally, a BBQ recipe I don’t have to rewrite half of to make it safe for me to eat!
Made this over the weekend when we got 10 inches of snow and couldn’t leave the house. Had a pork shoulder in the freezer, all the sauce ingredients in the pantry, so I threw it in the Dutch oven and let it cook low and slow all afternoon. The house smelled incredible, it was the perfect cozy winter meal even though BBQ feels like a summer food. Paired it with mac and cheese and collards, and my roommate said it was the best snow day meal we’ve ever made.