Name: Slow-Cooker Carolina-Style Pork BBQ Sandwiches
Yield: Serves 10 to 12 (about 8 cups of meat)
Ingredients: 2 large onions, sliced; 5-pound boneless pork shoulder roast; 6 cloves garlic, smashed; 1 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon black pepper; 2 tablespoons brown sugar; 1 1/2 teaspoons dried red pepper flakes; 1 cup cider vinegar; 1 cup apple cider or apple juice; 2 cups cooking liquid (reserved from the slow-cooked pork); 1/2 cup water; 1/4 cup ketchup; 1/4 cup cider vinegar; 2 teaspoons brown sugar; 1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce; 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder; 1 teaspoon paprika; 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder; 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes; Salt and black pepper; Buns, slaw, and hot sauce

Carolinastyle pork BBQ sandwiches on a white plate.

Photo by Erin Kunkel

Arguably, some of the best ‘cue in the country can be found in North Carolina, where two distinct types of slow-cooked pig prevail. The first is Eastern barbecue, which is distinguished by slow-cooking a whole hog and including both the white and dark meat in chopped sandwiches and platters. Eastern ‘cue boasts just a hint of vinegar and red pepper, which is added to the meat mix rather than used as a sauce. Western North Carolina ‘cue (aka Lexington-style) is made from pork shoulder only. In addition to incorporating plenty of vinegar, sugar, and spices, it also mixes in a good amount of ketchup to create an actual sauce for the pork. This slow-cooker recipe falls somewhere in between. If you like, you can skip the sauce altogether and enjoy a basic roasted pork, which is not only fantastic on a bun with slaw and hot sauce, but is great for making burritos, barbecue pizza, or nachos. I recommend using a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker for this recipe in order to comfortably fit the pork shoulder. You can also cut this recipe in half and use a smaller slow cooker.