football grub: pulled pork tacos (eastern north carolina barbecue)

prior to moving to nc, the only barbecue sauce i knew was the thick, ketchupy, sometimes mesquite/smoky variety... like what comes in those kc masterpiece bottles. upon moving here, i learned that eastern north carolina barbecue is:
    -a thin, liquidy sauce, not a thick sauce (more like a marinade than a basting sauce)
    -vinegar-based, with no tomato or ketchup whatsoever
    -tangy, sweet and hot, not smoky or molassesy
    -not the same as western north carolina barbecue sauce
    -especially delicious with coleslaw.


last sunday, we fired up the crock-pot and made some pulled pork. it was easy-peasy to make and turned out deliciously moist and tender. we opted to do an eastern north carolina barbecue sauce and topped it with a quick and easy coleslaw. we offered both hamburger buns for folks who wanted a more traditional pulled pork sandwich, and taco shells for those who wanted some extra crunch.


equipment
slow cooker (we have a 5 quart one)

ingredients
eastern north carolina bbq sauce (adapted from this recipe on allrecipes.com)

• 1 1/2 cups white vinegar
• 1 1/2 cups cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup water
• dash worcestershire sauce
• 1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce (e.g. texas pete's)
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

slow cooker pulled pork (original recipe from allrecipes.com)

• 3 lb pork butt
• 1 (12 ounce) bottle root beer

quick cole slaw

• 1 (16 ounce) bag of coleslaw cut cabbage and carrots
• 1/2 cup poppy seed dressing (we used brianna's)

6 hamburger buns or 12 corn taco shells (prepared according to directions)

directions

eastern north carolina bbq sauce (prepare 1-2 days ahead of time)

1. combine all ingredients in an airtight bottle or jar. shake to mix. refrigerate for at least a day before using to allow flavors to meld.
2. give the jar a shake every now and then.

it will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.

quick cole slaw

1. dump cole slaw cut cabbage and carrots into a large bowl. add the poppy seed dressing and toss to evenly distribute. this can be made a few hours ahead of time. 
2. store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

slow cooker pulled pork

1. spray the slow cooker stoneware with cooking spray.
2. place the pork butt in the stoneware. pour root beer over the pork.
3. cover and cook on low for 6 hours (time may vary depending on your slow cooker)
4. about 20 minutes before the meat is done, warm the bbq sauce over low-medium heat.
5. after the pork is cooked, remove meat and shred.
6. drain the liquid from the slow cooker (carefully, as the stoneware will be hot!)
7. return the shredded pork to the slow cooker and add 1.5 to 2 cups of the barbeque sauce (more if everyone is an eastern nc bbq sauce fan, this amount if folks are meeting this sauce for the first time)
8. cover and cook on low for 30 minutes. after 30 minutes, set the slow cooker to warm if you plan to serve from it, or turn it off and transfer the pulled pork to a serving dish.

assemble sandwiches or tacos (pork on the bottom, coleslaw on the top) and serve with hot sauce and extra bbq sauce as condiments.

serves 6 (1 sandwich per person or 2 tacos per person).

notes:

• you can replace the coleslaw with your own favorite recipe (or store bought).
• if for some strange reason, you're not a eastern carolina bbq fan, replace with your favorite sauce.