North Carolina-Style Pulled Pork My Way
North Carolina-style pulled pork is a favorite for its rich, tangy, vinegary, and smoky flavor. I’ve reimagined this barbecue classic by enhancing the smokiness and boosting the umami. Perfect for meal prep—make a big batch and serve it on soft white sandwich bread for the ultimate pulled pork sandwich!
- Yield: 8
Ingredients
2/3 cup [150 g] packed ground jaggery or dark brown sugar
3 Tbsp ground smoked sweet paprika
2 Tbsp Kashmiri chilli powder
1 Tbsp hot chilli powder like cayenne or habanero
1 1/2 Tbsp ground toasted cumin
One 6 lb [2.7 kg] boneless pork butt, fat trimmed and discarded
Three (total weight 12 oz [340 g]) smoked ham hocks
2 cups [480 ml] low-sodium chicken stock
2 tsp fish sauce
1 cup [240 ml] apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup [260 g] ketchup, unsweetened preferably (See The Cook’s Notes)
2 tsp liquid smoke
Instructions
- Mix the jaggery, paprika, Kashmiri chilli powder, chilli powder, cumin, 2 tsp salt, and 1 Tbsp pepper in a medium bowl. Rub the spice mixture all over the pork butt and place it in a slow cooker. Add the ham hocks. Add the chicken stock and fish sauce, cover with a lid, and cook over low heat setting for 12 hours. The pork will be very tender.
- Remove the pork and ham hocks with a pair of kitchen tongs to a large plate or cutting board; be careful, it will be delicate and fall apart at the slightest pressure. When cool enough to handle, shred the meat, discard the fat and bones. Cover and keep warm.
- Strain the liquid from the slow cooker using a fine mesh strainer held over a large bowl. Discard the solids in the strainer. Skim and discard the fat from the surface of the liquid or use a liquid fat separator. Another option is to chill the liquid and scoop the hardened fat from the surface. Reserve the defatted liquid.
- Transfer the liquid to a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the volume reaches about 1 cup [240 ml]. Remove from the heat. Whisk in the ketchup, vinegar, and liquid smoke. Pour the sauce over the pork, taste, and season with salt, pepper, and vinegar if needed.
- Serve with buns or white sliced bread. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the refrigerator or frozen for up to 1 month.
2 Responses
Thanks Nik for another stellar recipe. I’m calling this ‘Pucker Up Pulled Pork’ given the wonderful acidic kick of the sauce. My husband loves pulled pork and this recipe was a home run for him. Being from Pittsburgh, there was only one choice for ketchup 😉. I could not find ham hocks so I look forward to making this recipe again to see how that addition changes the outcome.
I made this in the instant and it was fantastic. Will definitely make again.