I will be the first to admit that I am a bit of a barbecue snob. When you are raised in Memphis, home of the world’s best barbecue, it is hard to move other places and enjoy their barbecue. Different areas of the country have very different ideas on what exactly to barbecue (pork or beef) and how to barbecue it.
I’ve been disappointed with barbecue I’ve had everywhere outside of Memphis with the exception of North Carolina. It is pork (which is important to me – Memphis barbecue is always pork).
For this recipe, you will need a pork butt roast (around 8 pounds), mild paprika, light brown sugar, celery salt, garlic salt, hot paprika, dry mustard, ground black pepper, onion powder, cider vinegar, ketchup, packed brown sugar, red pepper flakes, ground white pepper, and 2 pounds of hickory wood chips (soaked).
Mix 1 tablespoon of mild paprika, 2 teaspoons of light brown sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons of hot paprika, 1/2 teaspoon of celery salt, 1/2 teaspoon of garlic salt, 1/2 teaspoon of dry mustard, 1/2 teaspoon of ground black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon of onion powder, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt in a small bowl. Take this mixture (known as a rub) and rub it all over the roast. Wrap the roast in plastic and let it sit at least 8 hours (overnight preferably) in the refrigerator.
Put coals in your grill as you normally would then toss a handful of the soaked hickory chips over the coals. Remove the plastic from the roast and place it on the grate (over a drip pan if you have one). Cover the grill and let the roast cook for at least 6 hours. The internal temperature should reach 195 degrees. Add new coals and hickory chips as needed.
Once the roast is done, remove it from the grill. Allow it to cool for at least 15 minutes then place on a cutting board and pull sections away with a fork.
To make the final sauce, whisk 2 cups of cider vinegar, 1 1/3 cups of water, 5/8 cup of ketchup, 1/4 cup of firmly packed brown sugar, 5 teaspoons of salt, 4 teaspoons of red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon of ground black pepper, and 1 teaspoon of ground white pepper in a small bowl. Whisk until the sugar is dissolved.
Place the shredded pork in a large roasting pan then pour the sauce over and stir to mix well before serving. This is great served with slaw, baked beans, and here in North Carolina, they serve hushpuppies with it.
Another delicious barbecue recipe is Barbecue Beef Brisket.