Instead of limiting this recipe to the ‘southeastern corner of Western North Carolina,’ we have made a universal Carolina sandwich that you can sauce up with two or three styles of Carolina BBQ sauce.
Ingredients
Boston Butt pork roast, kaiser rolls, coleslaw, cabbage, green bell pepper, slaw dressing
Instructions
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Carolina Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Coleslaw
Photo by Jeff Tucker and Kevin Hossler
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Notice that we have not limited this recipe to the “southeastern corner of Western North Carolina,” but rather have made a universal Carolina recipe that you can sauce up with two or three styles of Carolina BBQ sauces. Even the coleslaw can go north or south. There is a minor debate about whether or not to use a rub, with purists generally preferring to salt the pork roast–a practice most smoking chefs don’t approve of. If you wish to use a rub, use the Memphis Rib Rub, p.00, which is quite similar to Carolina rubs.
Pulled Pork Sandwiches
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3 to 4 pound Boston Butt pork roast
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6 to 8 Kaiser rolls
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Carolina Cole Slaw
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3 cups shredded cabbage
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1 small green bell pepper, thinly sliced
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1/4 cup thinly sliced onion
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Slaw Dressing
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4 teaspoons sugar
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1 tablespoon vegetable oil
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3 tablespoons cider vinegar
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1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
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½ teaspoon celery seeds
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Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Sauce Choices
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North Carolina Barbecue Sauce, recipe below
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South Carolina Mustard Sauce, recipe below
If using a rub, sprinkle it thickly over the roast and allow to sit, covered, at room temperature, for 3 hours. Start a fire and place the roast in the smoker on a rack. Place a drip pan beneath the grill as this roast will drip a lot of fat. Smoke the roast with 200 degree F. smoke for 4 or more hours, or until it is falling off the bone, or until the internal temperature reaches 170 degrees F.
Mix together the ingredients for the salad in a bowl. Combine all the ingredients for the dressing in another bowl. Pour the dressing over the salad and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Remove the roast from the smoker, transfer to a cutting board, and allow to sit for 20 minutes. With your fingers, remove any skin and fat from the roast. Pull the pork into thin pieces about an inch and a half long. This is slippery work and
tedious, so if you get frustrated, take out a knife and chop the pork into ½ inch pieces. Then change the name of this recipe to Carolina Chopped Pork Sandwiches.
To serve, place the pork on the buns, spread the sauce of choice over the pork, and then add coleslaw to taste.
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Heat Scale: Mild