Ghost in the Crock Pot North Carolina inspired BBQ Pulled Pork
NC style bbq sauce + mango for crock pot pulled pork that will rock your face off.
Equipment
- Slow Cooker or Crock Pot
Ingredients
- 1 Cup white vinegar Doesn't have to be fancy
- 1 Cup cider vinegar I used Bragg's because that's what I buy
- 1 Tbsp agave nectar or honey up to you!
- 1 Tbsp cayenne pepper ground (mmm mmm)
- 1 Tbsp dave's gourmet ghost pepper hot sauce Or tabasco or something less... intense if you must
- 1 tsp sea salt ghost chili naga jolokia infused (or regular....)
- 1 tsp black pepper fresh (or more :))
- 1 half-picnic or shoulder pork roast There are all sorts of regional names for this- get the biggest one that will fit in your crock pot safely
- 1 mango very ripe and chopped - save this task for the next day
Instructions
- Mix up that delicious sauce (mix all ingredients except the pork roast and the mango)....put about half of it in your Crock Pot, then add the pork roast (I used a 4lb half-picnic with bone in) cover with the rest of the liquid - consult your slow cooker manual to see how high you can fill it - if this simmered out over the sides it might eat through your counter top or something.
- Now... cook the heck out of it - I set mine for 10 hours on low... TWICE! Once would be enough, but its all good. When it is done, let it cool a little because you're going to need to fish the bones out - carefully lift the roast - which if you cooked the heck out of it like I did is going to essentially fall apart and place it on a large platter, in a bowl or whatever. Fish out all the bones - some of which may have disintigrated almost completely. Cover the meat and either refrigerate for future use, or prepare it for the optional finishing touches.
- This is the cooking juice straight from the crock pot - I put this container in the refrigerator so that the fat would solidify on top to become a frisbee no one will want to catch. You have the option of leaving the fat in of course, but I decided to remove it. Wanna play frisbee???
- In a large heavy skillet, heat the liquid from the crock pot until it simmers - reduce this to a slightly thicker consistency then add the chopped very ripe mango, continue to stir until this all becomes fairly one complex hot, sweet, crazy sauce. Break up the pork roast and add it to the sauce, heating it all through. Serve with lettuce for wrapping and maybe a side of broccoli? Personally I had a hard time not just eating it out of the skillet with a fork. If you are not as strict with carbs, this would be excellent in a small wheat tortilla etc. Get creative and make it your own!
- Cooking juices are mostly reduced here and the mango is super soft - this is ready to serve, assuming you haven't already just grabbed a fork and started eating it from the skillet at this point. Which... happens... sometimes.
- Serving suggestion - goes great with coconut water!
Notes
Again, its not required that you double up on the heat, this recipe would be good hot, medium, or mild. Also it tends to mellow out in the refrigerator overnight - not sure how that works, only that it does.