North Carolina Pulled Pork

By calypan

Ingredients

• Spice Rub
• 4 tablespoons paprika
• 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons table salt
• Pork
• 3 smoked ham hocks
• 1 boneless pork butt (Boston butt), 5 to 6 pounds, prepared as shown in photos 1 and 2
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken brothSauce
• 1 cup cider vinegar
• 3/4 cup ketchup
• 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons hickory or mesquite liquid smoke Salt and pepper
• Tabasco sauce for serving

Preparation

Step 1

For the spice rub:

1. In small bowl, combine paprika, brown sugar, chili powder, cumin, pepper, and salt.

For the pork:

2. Place ham hocks in bottom of slow-cooker insert. Set aside. Following photo 3 on page 10, thoroughly coat pork butt with spice rub. Following photo 4, reshape pork butt and place on top of ham hocks, tucking meat down into slow cooker as far as possible. Cover insert with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

3. The next morning, discard plastic wrap and set insert into slow-cooker base. Pour chicken broth over pork, cover with lid, and cook on low until pork is very tender, 8 to 10 hours.

4. Using 2 large spoons, carefully transfer pork butt and ham hocks to rimmed baking sheet. Using two forks, separate pork butt into large chunks. Set aside to cool slightly. When cool enough to handle, shred pork butt and ham hocks, discarding excess fat from both as well as small bones from ham hocks.

For the sauce:

5. While pork is cooling, pour cooking liquid through strainer into medium saucepan. (You should have 5 to 6 cups.) Using large spoon, skim excess fat from surface. Bring to boil over medium-high heat and cook until liquid is reduced to 1 cup, 30 to 40 minutes. Whisk in vinegar, ketchup, and brown sugar, and simmer for 1 minute. Off heat, stir in liquid smoke. (You will have about 3 cups.)

6. Pour 1 1/2 cups sauce over meat, tossing to combine, and let stand until meat has absorbed most of sauce, 10 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve, passing remaining sauce and Tabasco separately.

If you’re worried about getting home in time to check on your slow cooker, start the pulled pork before going to bed. In the morning (if the intoxicating barbecue aroma doesn’t wake you earlier), transfer the meat and liquid to a large bowl and refrigerate until ready to proceed (up to three days). To finish the recipe, remove the solidified fat on top of the cooking liquid, transfer the defatted liquid and pork to a Dutch oven, and cook over medium-low heat until warmed through. Proceed with the recipe from step 4.