Carolina Pulled Pork with Lexington Red Sauce

Gluten Free
Dairy Free
Health score
32%
Carolina Pulled Pork with Lexington Red Sauce
45 min.
13
373kcal

Suggestions


Get ready to experience the authentic taste of the South with this Carolina Pulled Pork recipe, featuring the iconic Lexington Red Sauce! This dish is a true celebration of flavors, perfect for a hearty lunch, satisfying dinner, or a crowd-pleasing main course. And the best part? It's naturally gluten-free and dairy-free, making it a delicious option for everyone.

Imagine sinking your teeth into tender, smoky pork shoulder, slow-cooked to perfection and infused with a tantalizing blend of sweet and savory spices. The secret lies in the overnight marinade, a carefully crafted mix of turbinado sugar, black pepper, paprika, and ground red pepper that creates a beautiful crust and deep flavor. The hickory wood chunks add a layer of smoky goodness that will transport you straight to a Carolina barbecue.

But the real star of the show is the Lexington Red Sauce, a tangy and slightly spicy vinegar-based concoction that perfectly complements the rich pork. Made with cider vinegar, ketchup, crushed red pepper, and a touch of sugar, this sauce is the quintessential Carolina barbecue experience. Whether you serve it warm or at room temperature, it's guaranteed to elevate your pulled pork to the next level.

This recipe is designed to serve a generous 13 people, making it ideal for gatherings and celebrations. With a total time of just 45 minutes (excluding marinating and smoking time), you can easily prepare this mouthwatering dish without spending all day in the kitchen. So fire up your grill, gather your ingredients, and get ready to savor the irresistible flavors of Carolina Pulled Pork with Lexington Red Sauce!

Ingredients

  • 0.5 teaspoon pepper black freshly ground
  • pound boston butt pork shoulder bone-in (Boston butt)
  • teaspoon canola oil 
  • cup cider vinegar 
  • 0.3 teaspoon pepper red crushed
  • teaspoons granulated sugar 
  • 0.5 teaspoon ground pepper red
  • tablespoons coarsely ground pepper black
  • 0.3 cup catsup 
  • tablespoons paprika 
  • 0.5 teaspoon salt 
  • teaspoon salt 
  • 1.5 teaspoons salt 
  • tablespoons sugar 
  • 0.3 cup water 
  • 2.3 cups water divided
  • pounds hickory wood chunks 

Equipment

  • frying pan
  • sauce pan
  • oven
  • knife
  • baking pan
  • grill
  • kitchen thermometer
  • aluminum foil
  • ziploc bags

Directions

  1. To prepare pork, soak wood chunks in water about 16 hours; drain.
  2. Combine turbinado sugar and next 4 ingredients (through ground red pepper); reserve 2 tablespoons sugar mixture. Rub half of the remaining sugar mixture onto pork.
  3. Place in a large zip-top plastic bag; seal and refrigerate pork overnight.
  4. Remove pork from refrigerator; let stand at room temperature 30 minutes. Rub remaining half of sugar mixture onto pork.
  5. Combine reserved 2 tablespoons sugar mixture, 1 cup vinegar, 1/4 cup water, 1 teaspoon salt, and oil in a small saucepan; cook over low heat 10 minutes or until sugar dissolves.
  6. Remove grill rack; set aside. Prepare grill for indirect grilling, heating one side to medium-low and leaving one side with no heat. Maintain temperature at 22
  7. Pierce bottom of a disposable aluminum foil pan several times with the tip of a knife.
  8. Place pan on heated side of grill; add half of wood chunks to pan.
  9. Place another disposable aluminum foil pan (do not pierce pan) on unheated side of grill.
  10. Pour remaining 2 cups water in pan. Coat grill rack with cooking spray; place on grill.
  11. Place pork on grill rack over foil pan on the unheated side. Close lid, and cook for 4 1/2 hours or until a thermometer registers 170, gently brushing pork with vinegar mixture every hour (avoid brushing off sugar mixture).
  12. Add additional wood chunks halfway during cooking time. Discard any remaining vinegar mixture.
  13. Preheat oven to 25
  14. Remove pork from grill. Wrap pork in several layers of aluminum foil, and place in a baking pan.
  15. Bake at 250 for 2 hours or until a thermometer registers 19
  16. Remove from oven.
  17. Let stand, still wrapped, for 1 hour or until pork easily pulls apart. Unwrap pork; trim and discard fat. Shred pork with 2 forks.
  18. To prepare sauce, combine 1 cup vinegar and remaining ingredients in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook until reduced to 1 1/4 cups (about 5 minutes).
  19. Serve sauce warm or at room temperature with pork.

Nutrition Facts

Calories373kcal
Protein33.84%
Fat32.53%
Carbs33.63%

Properties

Glycemic Index
17.01
Glycemic Load
0.66
Inflammation Score
-6
Nutrition Score
18.75565216334%

Flavonoids

Quercetin
0.05mg

Nutrients percent of daily need

Calories:372.95kcal
18.65%
Fat:13.27g
20.41%
Saturated Fat:2.69g
16.83%
Carbohydrates:30.86g
10.29%
Net Carbohydrates:30.18g
10.97%
Sugar:3.96g
4.4%
Cholesterol:71.3mg
23.77%
Sodium:678.19mg
29.49%
Alcohol:0g
100%
Alcohol %:0%
100%
Protein:31.05g
62.1%
Vitamin B1:0.95mg
63.09%
Selenium:31.59µg
45.13%
Phosphorus:376.88mg
37.69%
Vitamin B2:0.64mg
37.63%
Vitamin B3:5.88mg
29.42%
Zinc:4.13mg
27.51%
Manganese:0.49mg
24.64%
Vitamin B6:0.48mg
24%
Magnesium:85.6mg
21.4%
Copper:0.42mg
20.93%
Calcium:207.61mg
20.76%
Vitamin B12:0.89µg
14.9%
Iron:2.38mg
13.2%
Potassium:434.41mg
12.41%
Vitamin A:617.26IU
12.35%
Vitamin B5:0.92mg
9.19%
Vitamin C:5.36mg
6.5%
Vitamin E:0.51mg
3.37%
Vitamin K:3.01µg
2.86%
Fiber:0.68g
2.73%
Folate:6.66µg
1.67%
Source:My Recipes