I come from North Carolina, a state with more pigs than people. As far as we’re concerned, if we don’t eat them, they’ll take over. Perhaps that is why we have developed two different styles of pulled pork to fight over. When a restaurant advertises North Carolina-style barbeque, we have to ask, “Which one? Eastern North Carolina style, or Lexington style?”
Before I talk about the differences between those, there is another distinction I must point out about BBQ in North Carolina: it is a noun, not a verb. We do not “barbeque” chicken, hamburgers, or hot dogs: we grill them. And when we cook those items on a grill, we call it a “cook-out.”
Barbeque refers to pulled pork, which is served on a soft bun with coleslaw and a couple of hush puppies on the side. You can eat it without the bun in a BBQ “tray,” which is generally an oval-shaped ceramic dish in which the pulled pork and coleslaw are nestled side-by-side, again, with hush puppies on the side. If you order a BBQ “plate,” you’ll get the pulled pork and slaw piled next to each other on a flat plate with french fries and, of course, hush puppies.
Both styles of barbeque are hickory-smoked, which means they are slow-cooked in a pit-style cooker over hickory wood. Both styles are also basted in a vinegar-based “sauce,” which we call “dip.” It is much thinner than the thick barbeque sauces you’re used to seeing, and it is generally applied with a mop-like utensil throughout the smoking phase. But that is where the similarities end and the fighting begins, over which style is best.
Eastern North Carolina BBQ is generally made from a whole pig, and the dip is made with vinegar and pepper. It is served with a mayo-based coleslaw, and the hush puppies are bite-sized and a little bit sweet – kind of like deep-fried corn bread batter.
Lexington-style BBQ is made from the shoulder (or butt) of the pig, and tomatoes are used in both the dip and the coleslaw, in the form of ketchup. So, Lexington-style coleslaw is red instead of white. The savory hush puppies are the size and shape of a golf ball and often served with Tartar sauce as a condiment.
My family’s neck of the woods is known as the “Piedmont” area of North Carolina, which includes the town of Lexington. So, now you know where my loyalties lie. This is why the recipe I’m sharing is for Lexington-style barbeque, which is clearly superior to Eastern North Carolina style, and every other style. Obviously.
This recipe has three main parts: the pork, the dip, and the coleslaw. Ideally, you would cook the pork in a smoker, but since I don’t have one of those, this recipe calls for the use of a Crock Pot or other slow cooker This is the recipe I follow for our annual Pork of July celebration, and no one has ever complained – or even noticed – that the pork is not smoked.
Pro Tips:
- Give yourself two days to make this. On the morning of Day 1, start brining the pork. During the day, make the coleslaw and dip, and refrigerate them (the coleslaw needs at least a few hours to marinate and meld).
- If possible, cook the dip outside, as the smell of boiling vinegar can be overwhelming. Go ahead and make a double batch of dip, as it keeps for a very long time and you may use more than expected.
Lexington-style BBQ Dip
(From Serious Eats)
You will need:
- 1 ½ cups cider vinegar
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup ketchup
- 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoons black pepper
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1 teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper flakes
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove from heat, allow to cool to room temperature. Pour into a jar and store in the refrigerator.
Note: If the dip seems very vinegary and too hot, you’ve done it right. It’s not particularly tasty all by itself, but it is the perfect complement to the fatty pork.
Lexington-style Red Slaw
(From Saveur)
You will need:
- 2⁄3 cup ketchup
- 1⁄2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1⁄2 cup sugar
- 2 tsp. mild hot sauce (ie – Tabasco or Texas Pete)
- 2 tsp. kosher salt
- 2 tsp. ground black pepper
- 1 medium head white cabbage, cored and finely chopped
Directions:
In a large bowl, whisk together ketchup, vinegar, sugar, hot sauce, salt, and pepper; add cabbage and toss* to combine. Let sit, tossing occasionally, for 20 minutes. Chill.
*I actually prefer to mix it by hand, squeezing the cabbage and dressing in my fists to “bruise” the cabbage for better permeability. This may be overkill, but it’s great for stress relief!
Pulled Pork
(From memory)
You will need:
- 4-6 lb. boneless pork butt or shoulder (may be called Boston Butt)
- Salt
- Water
- 1 large onion
Directions:
Step 1: Brine the pork
Dissolve ~¾ cup salt in ~10 cups water in a big stock pot. I usually put the salt in the pot, add some hot tap water, stir until the salt is dissolved, then add cold water. Once the brine is all mixed up, place the pork shoulder into it and put the whole thing in the fridge, covered, for several hours or overnight. If you’re short on time you can skip this step.
Step 2: Cook the pork
Slice the onion in thick rounds and lay those in the bottom of your crock pot. (It’s okay if they don’t all fit – these are really just used to keep the meat from sticking to the bottom of the pot and add a little flavor.) Remove the pork from the brine and pat it dry with paper towels. If you didn’t brine it, rub it down with a generous amount of salt. Place it in the pot on top of the onions. If it’s too big or bulky, cut it into a few pieces. Add water to cover the pork and place the lid on your pot. Set it to low for 8 hours and ignore it. (I like to cook it overnight.) Or, set it to high for 4-5 hours and ignore it. Test for doneness by poking a fork into it and twisting. If the meat falls apart easily, it’s done. If it resists, cook it longer.
Step 3: Pull the pork
Separate the pork from the juice/onion mixture. It should be falling apart at this point. I usually pull out what I can with tongs and place it on a plate, then strain everything through a big colander to access the rest of the pork. Wash the Crock Pot and put the pork back into it. “Pull” the pork apart with two forks. I like to leave some bite-sized-or-bigger chunks in mine, but you can shred yours as fine as you like. Set Crock Pot to warm and pour enough dip over the meat to keep it wet, but not enough that it pools in the pot. Cover and set aside.
Serving instructions:
Taste the pork – if it’s not tangy/tart, add more dip.
Break out the cheap buns. Don’t bother with fancy kaiser rolls or seeded buns. Plain white bread hamburger buns are your friend. If you want to make BBQ sliders, buy cheap dinner rolls.
Open a bun and put a mound of pulled pork on the bottom half. Splash a bit of dip on it. Put a roughly equal amount of slaw on top of the pulled pork, and smash it all down a little bit with the top half of the bun.
If it gets soggy, you’re not eating it fast enough, or maybe you need to turn it upside down. Bits of BBQ and slaw will fall out of your sandwich, so use a plate.