Homemade NC BBQ
Homemade NC BBQ
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 8
North Carolina is famous for its eastern style BBQ. I lived in the southwest for 6 years after college. When I traveled home, the first stop I made was for a BBQ sandwich. This recipe is very easy and the ingredients should be easy to find. The secret to this is cooking over indirect heat for 4-5 hours. I use a gas grill but you can use charcoal if you can keep the heat regulated. I hope you enjoy. Most sandwiches are served on a plain hamburger bun with coleslaw made with sweet pickles. The combination of the slightly acidic pork with sweet coleslaw is amazing.
Ingredients
- 1 Pork Boston Butt, ask the butcher to cut it in half
- 3 tbsp salt
- 1 quart of warm water
- Vinegar Sauce
- 1 cup of white vinegar
- 1 cup of apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp crushed dried cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp brown sugar (light or dark)
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
- At least 2 days before grilling, make the vinegar sauce. Combine all ingredients.
- Cover with a tight lid and shake until ingredients are dissolved.
- Shake occasionally and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- Preheat your grill to 325 degrees F and maintain that temperature while cooking.
- Place both pieces of pork butt in the center of your grill. The heat should be to the sides. If this configuration doesn't work for your grill, place the pork anywhere on the grill where the flame is NOT under the pork.
- Mix 1 quart of 1 warm water with 3 tbsp of salt until the salt is dissolved.
- Turn the butts over after 1 hour.
- Sprinkle the salt water on the pork each time you turn it. Use a knife or long pronged fork to prick the meat so the salt water can season the meat all the way to the bone.
- Turn the butts every hour for 4 hours. The bone in the butts should be loose when the meat is almost done. Depending on the size of the butts, you made need to cook for 1 more hour. The bone will pull out clean when the meat is done. See photo.
- Take the butts off the grill and let them cool until the meat can be pulled apart by hand. If you want the meat more uniform, you can chop it up with a meat cleaver for smaller pieces. Finish the meat by sprinkling with the vinegar sauce.