North Carolina Pulled Pork

Cooking Instructions

Sprinkle the pork shoulder on all sides with the rub, patting it onto the meat with your fingers. Grill right away or let stand in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 24 hours. The longer you cure it, the richer the flavor will be.

Set up the grill for indirect grilling, and preheat to medium-low. If using charcoal, place a large drip pan in the center. If using a gas grill, place all the wood chips in the smoker box or in a smoker pouch and preheat to high until you see smoke, then reduce heat to medium-low.

Combine all the ingredients for the mop sauce with 1/2 cup water in a nonreactive bowl and stir until the salt and brown sugar dissolve. When ready to cook, if using charcoal, toss 1 cup wood chips on the coals. Place the pork, fat-side up, in teh center of the hot grate, away from the heat. Cover the grill and cook the pork until very tender, 4 to 6 hours (about 195 degrees Fahrenheit on an instant-read meat thermometer). If using charcoal, add 12 fresh coals and 1/2 cup wood chips per side every hour. After 1 hour, baste the pork with the mop sauce; repeat every hour.

Transfer the cooked pork to a cutting board, cover loosely with aluminum foil, and let rest for 15 minutes. When ready to serve, wearing rubber gloves pull off the skin and fat. Finely chop the crisp skin with a cleaver to add to the pulled pork or discard. Discard the fat. Pull the pork into shreds about 2 inches long, going along the grain, or chop it with a cleaver. Transfer the shredded pork to a roasting pan and stir in 1 to 1 1/2 cups of the vinegar sauce, enough to keep the pork moist. Cover with aluminum foil and keep warm.

To serve, mound the pork on hamburger buns and top with coleslaw. Serve any remaining vinegar sauce on the side.