Authentic Carolina Pork Barbeque

This is Carolina barbecue done the only way that counts: a whole pork shoulder cooked low and slow over a real hickory wood fire. No gas grill, no oven, no liquid smoke. The recipe is emphatic about that. The meat needs sustained low heat and real wood smoke for the hours it takes to break down tough shoulder into tender, pull-apart barbecue.

The basting sauce is pure Eastern Carolina style: a full gallon of apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, chili sauce, and crushed red pepper flakes. No tomato, no ketchup, no sugar. Just acid, heat, and savory depth that gets mopped onto the shoulder throughout the cook, cutting through the pork fat and infusing the bark with a tangy, spicy crust.

At about 1 ½ hours per pound, a whole shoulder is a commitment. But there’s no substitute for the flavor that comes from real wood smoke and that much time at low temperature.

Pro Tips

• Maintain a steady, low fire temperature throughout the cook. Wild temperature swings dry out the meat
• Baste frequently with the vinegar sauce. Each coat adds flavor and keeps the surface moist
• Use hickory wood if possible. It’s the traditional Carolina smoking wood and gives the strongest, sweetest smoke
• Pull the pork when the internal temperature reaches 150-160°F (65-71°C) and the meat pulls apart easily

Variations

• Chop or pull the cooked pork and toss with extra sauce for pulled pork sandwiches
• Add a tablespoon of brown sugar to the sauce for a slightly sweeter Lexington-style variation
• Serve on white bread or cornbread with coleslaw on top for the classic Carolina plate