North Carolina-Style Pulled Pork

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Place hickory chips in center of smoker or roasting pan and top with drip tray and rack. Massage pork all over with a lot of salt and pepper. Place on rack, skin-side up. Cover with two long pieces of heavy-duty foil that have been folded together tightly at long seams. Crimp foil around edges of smoker, leaving enough space between pork and foil so smoke can circulate. Turn heat to medium and smoke for 30 to 45 minutes, depending on size and your taste. Shut off heat and rest, covered, for 5 minutes.

2. Step 2

   While pork is smoking, preheat oven to 300 degrees. Whisk together sauce ingredients in a large bowl, season to taste and refrigerate.

3. Step 3

   Remove foil from smoker and transfer rack and pork to a sheet pan. Place in oven. Cook for 40 minutes per pound (about 4 to 5 hours), until a meat thermometer inserted into the middle of the roast registers 190 degrees. Remove pork and rest until cool enough to handle, about 20 minutes. While still warm, pull meat away from bones. Discard skin, fat and bones, and reserve crispy browned bits of fat and crust. Working quickly on a large cutting board, shred chunks of meat, pulling it with forks or fingers into long strands. Add reserved crispy bits and chop meat roughly. Transfer to a serving bowl, season with ½ to ¾ cup sauce, and mix well.