Carolina Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Coleslaw

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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

Carolina Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Coleslaw

Carolina Pulled Pork
Sandwiches with Coleslaw

Photo by Jeff Tucker and Kevin Hossler

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

  • 3 to 4 pound Boston Butt pork roast

  • 6 to 8 Kaiser rolls

  • Carolina Cole Slaw

  • 3 cups shredded cabbage

  • 1 small green bell pepper, thinly sliced

  • 1/4 cup thinly sliced onion

  • Slaw Dressing

  • 4 teaspoons sugar

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

  • 3 tablespoons cider vinegar

  • 1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard

  • ½ teaspoon celery seeds

  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Sauce Choices

  • North Carolina Barbecue Sauce, recipe below

  • 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

North Carolina Barbecue Sauce

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This is the thin, vinegar sauce in the tradition of Eastern North Carolina. For a rough idea of the Western sauce, add 1 cup catsup, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, and ½ teaspoon of cinnamon to this recipe. This is served over smoked pork in any form–sliced or pulled.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups cider vinegar

  • 1/4 cup brown sugar

  • 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper

  • 3 teaspoons salt

  • 1 ½ teaspoons ground cayenne chile

  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 teaspoon ground white pepper

Instructions

Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl, mix well, and let stand for a couple hours to blend the flavors.

South Carolina Mustard Sauce

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In South Carolina, barbecue is flavored with mustard as a dominant ingredient rather than just an incidental spice. Vinegar makes an appearance here as well.

Ingredients

Yellow Mustard, Cider Vinegar, Sugar, Margarine, Worcestershire Sauce, Louisiana-style Hot Sauce

Instructions

In South Carolina, barbecue is flavored with mustard as a dominant ingredient rather than just an incidental spice. But vinegar makes its appearance here as well, plus some hot sauce. As in North Carolina, the sauce is primarily used over smoked pork. But you could serve this over grilled pork chops.

  • 3/4 cup yellow “ballpark” mustard

  • 3/4 cup cider vinegar

  • ½ cup sugar

  • 1 ½ tablespoons margarine

  • 2 teaspoons salt

  • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

  • 1 1/4 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

  • 2 teaspoons Louisana-style hot sauce, or more to taste

Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan, stirring to blend, and simmer over a low heat for 30 minutes. Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour before using.

Yield: 1 3/4 cups

Heat Scale: Mild

Ancho Chile Dry Rub

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Here’s a great rub to use on meats which will be smoked or grilled.

Ingredients

Ancho Chiles, Peppercorns, Celery Seed, Cumin Seed, Annato Seeds

Instructions

Here’s a great rub to use on meats that will be smoked or grilled. Since anchos are sold in fairly pliable condition, place them in the oven on low heat until they are brittle.

  • 4 ancho chiles, stems removed and seeded, dried in the oven

  • 2 teaspoons whole white peppercorns

  • 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

  • 1/2 teaspoon celery seed

  • 3 and 1/2 teaspoons cumin seed

  • 1 teaspoon thyme

  • 1 small bay leaf

  • 1 teaspoon annato seeds

  • 1 and 1/2 teaspoons salt

Blend together all the ingredients in a spice mill or blender. Pack in a glass jar after using.

Yield: About ½ cup

Heat Scale: Mild

Gator Sauce

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Charlie Butcher serves this sauce with fried alligator tail at Schooner’s Seafood House.

Ingredients

  • 1 /2 cups (12 tablespoons) Minorcan Datil Mustard

  • 1 1 /2 cups (12 ounces) white vinegar

  • 1 1 /2 cups (12 ounces) honey

  • 3/4 cup (6 ounces) lemon juice

  • 1 1 /2 cups (12 ounces) apricot jelly

Instructions

In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix well. Store in the refrigerator in glass jars.