Empowering your palate: North Carolina-style pulled pork

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Kevin Wallace
  • 100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
RAF MILDENHALL, England --  An anonymous writer e-mailed his favorite North Carolina-style spicy pulled pork recipe to help empower your palate.

To be fair, the 100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs Office never specified that submitters would have to identify themselves - we just want you to diversify us by sharing your favourite recipe.

That being said, thank you for teaching our website readers the proper way to make a spicy dish of N.C.-style pulled pork.

Continuing in the initiative to periodically share cuisine recipes with readers, 100th ARW PA hopes to continue receiving your e-mails. Keep 'em coming friends!

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 3.5 hours
Portions: 10

Ingredients:
1 pork shoulder blade roast (about 4 lbs. - or 1.8 Kg.)
2 tbsp. canola oil (28 grams or 60 ml)
10 to 12 hamburger buns

For the rub:
2 tbsp. brown sugar
2 tbsp. paprika
2 tbsp. chili powder
1 tbsp. ground cumin (14 grams or ½ oz.)
1 tbsp. kosher salt
1 tbsp. coarsely ground black pepper
2 tsp. garlic powder (20 ml)
2 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. celery seed
1/2 tsp. ground mace (5 ml)

For the sauce:
3/4 cup white vinegar (176 ml)
3/4 cup cider vinegar
1 tbsp. brown sugar
1 tbsp. Louisiana hot red pepper sauce
1 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. kosher salt


Instructions:
1. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (or about 165 deg. Celsius). Position the oven rack to the center.
2. Mix all of the rub ingredients together in a bowl.
3. Cut off excess fat from the meat, and then coat it with plenty of rub, making certain you rub into all areas of the meat.
4. Wrap the meat in a double layer of foil, then refrigerate it for at least an hour.
5. Mix up all the sauce ingredients and place them in a covered container, and then refrigerate it for an hour.
6. Heat the vegetable oil on stove over medium heat. Add the meat and brown on all sides.
7. Transfer the meat and oil to an oven proof pot or dish, then cover it tightly with either a lid or aluminum foil and place it in oven to bake for about 3.5 hours, or until you can easily shred the meat with a fork.
8. Remove the meat from oven and allow it to cool (covered) for about 10 minutes.
9. Combine the pan juices with the refrigerated sauce and whisk it together.
10. With a fork, shred the meat into strings, then stir the sauce over the meat, and it's ready to serve.

Editor's note: No federal endorsement intended or implied.