Pulled Pork Recipe

DJ,

With the right rub or mop, used before or when smoking - sauce on the pulled pork would be heresy. If you use a sauce, use it in a side dish for dipping and make it HOT. The heat will make them appreciate your effort in making the best pulled pork they have ever eaten and they will forget the sauce.

smokemullet

This is about as good as it gets..

Smokin' Okie's Pork Butt 101

The archives will give you a lot,but it really comes down to what you and the family enjoy.

DJ,

I have my own sauce I use for pulled pork. It is a combo tomato and vinegar sauce. It is on the vinegary side. There are times I will mix a little in with the pork after pulling (just enough to lightly coat the meat), and sometimes I just have it on the side. I also have a mustard sauce I use, but I only serve that on the side.

Sauces vary so much depending on who you talk to or where you live. Some people use nothing but some vinegar with some spices, some use sauce like you would find in the store (sort of sweet) and others use sauces like mine which is a hybrid. I personally don't like the sweet sauces. I like the taste and bite of the vinegar. I also don't care for sauces that are hot. I think it takes too much away from the taste of the meat. I don't know if I have helped any. Like Tom said, it basically comes down to what you like.

Good luck!

Mike

We kinda touch on this over in a recipe post:

Favorite Pork Rub

I'm kinda traditional. I don't sauce my pork that much. Most the times I just do a little basting then a season it after I pull it apart. To me the key is when you take it out. I like the variations on Carolina sauces (see the post for Pork Basting & Serving Sauce). I also think, after pulling you might want to sprinkle some of the rub on at this time. Besides mixing in the bark, adding a little rub helps flavor the pork.

If you're going to sauce it, I'd skip the rub as any sauce will hide the rub flavor. I know some here like to take their sauce and pork and put it in a crockpot to keep it warm for serving.

OK, 1st Thanks to all who replied. 2nd, I smoked my first pulled pork yesterday. It was a 2 piecer from BJ's Club, 6.5 pounds, rubbed first then installed and smoked for 12 hours. About 10 hours in my Weber thermom took a vacation. It stopped telling me the cook temp. When I removed them at 12 hrs I needed to bake in oven for 2 hours to get 200 inside. So it was past bedtime so I refriged them til tonight. What a pain in the butt to pull them apart cold! Lesson 1. I warmed it up after pulling it and it was great but was missing some spice. Now I can sprinkle some rub in and taste again for lunch tomorrow. I was looking for the recipe for sauce that has cider vin. and brown sugar in it to try as well. More lessons to learn as I season my talents! Dj

dj,
i think i found what you want. it is a recipe from lexington north carolina which is the west side where they like it a little sweeter. i dont type too well so hope you can follow this
2 1/2c cider vinegar
1/2c ketchup
2Tbs brown sugar
1 Tbs hot sauce (like louisianna type)
4 tsp salt
4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp black pepper, ground
1 tsp whit pepper ground
1 1/2 Tsp of your rub

ok in a pot add everything and stir to dissolve.
dont need heat or anything just make sure to dissolve all the salt and sugar

i dont know if this was what you you looking for. if you like studying regional things steven raichlen's book "bbq usa" is a good one

again hope this helpped
jack

Guess you didn't see this listed in the link I put, has vinegat and brown sugar and it's pretty basic. You can certainly use it for a finishing sauce:

Smokin Okies Vinegar Mop for Pulled Pork

(also called an Eastern Carolina Sauce)

• 2 cups cider vinegar
  
• 1/2 cup brown sugar (packed)
  
• 2 tablespoons salt (I like the flavor in Kosher/Sea Salt and bigger granules)
  
• 2 tablespoon red pepper (crushed)
  
• 1 teaspoon cayenne (I've also used Hungarian Paprika)
  

Last Labor day I smoked a couple of pork butts and invited a crew of heavy eaters over for BBQ. I made three different types of sauce for the pulled pork and placed all three in squeeze bottles on the table. The most popular one by far was the South Carolina mustard sauce. The other two were ketchup based. Here's the recipe for the mustard sauce.

1 1/2 cups prepared mustard
5 tablespoons brown sugar
4 tablespoons tomato paste
4 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon worchestershire sauce
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Heat all ingredients in a saucepan to dissolve sugar. Allow to cool before using. Makes 2 cups.

Thanks again all.
SmokinOkie, please bear with me as I really don't have the patience to look through all the old archived stuff. I did though print off a couple recipes last night too. It's probably redundant to you guys that have been here longer but it makes for good forum to ask questions too. I do value the advice I get. Thanks for the recipes. Dj

dj,
no problem man!!!
have a happy new year!!!!
jack