Traditional low country BBQ contains a healthy dose of vinegar....most people love it. If you don't, make a slow cooked smoked port shoulder without vinegar.
Linda C

I hesitate to post this here, knowing what good cooks we have, but I made fantastic pulled pork in the slow cooker using root beer. (Oh shut up -- it was good).

I had a pork roast because it was on sale. Stuck it in the cooker, poured root beer over it and let it cook for maybe 7 hours on low. Drained it, pulled the meat off the bones and added BBQ sauce to taste. After the meat and sauce had sat awhile, it needed more sauce. I guess the meat soaked it up. It was great! Next time I might add onions.

I know there is vinegar in the bbq sauce, but I did not taste it at all.

Pam, it's also good with Dr. Pepper. So good that you can purchase commercial Dr. Pepper BBQ Sauce but it's so easy to make there's no need/reason.

I can't eat the heavy vinegar based pulled pork anymore - one of many foods I can no longer eat 'cause of the Sjogren's.

/tricia

Dedtired - I just made that recipe a couple weeks ago! it was good.

Triciae - I have been having problems with dry mouth and dry eyes - have had a couple episodes of eye swelling - that lasts several days. Also have had sores in my mouth that the doctor says is Viral Stomatitis. I had the ENT run an RA blood panel because I thought I might have Sjogren's but it came back negative. I would be interested in having more info if you don't mind.

mboston,

Keep pushing your doctor if your health patterns match Sjogren's. I had many negative tests before getting a positive. I've been sick since I was a kid with many inaccurate diagnosis. Many doctors told me they suspected auto-immune problems but my blood work didn't confirm. About 3 years ago, I got positive markers for both lupus & Sjogren's.

I'm not going to hijack this thread any further but take a look at the Sjogren's Foundation website & please feel free to email me through GW if you'd like to ask questions/talk. I sure hope you don't have this stuff but if you do...it's better to know.

/tricia

Here is a link that might be useful: Sjogren's Foundation

We have 2 feet of snow on the ground so I attempted pulled pork today.

I used the recipe in the link below. It was YUMMY, so easy, and did not require vinegar.

I did not have the liquid smoke so I just did without. I will definitely make this again!

Here is a link that might be useful: Pulled Pork - Crock Pot

I use this recipe -- it makes a traditional BBQ sauce. I also use leaner pork roast and it turns out great.

http://www.recipesecrets.com/recipeDisplayMRS.aspx?RecipeID=8570&Version=1

It does have 1/4 C apple cider vinegar but that is what makes the BBQ sauce its tangy.

Pam, I like the pulled pork with Root Beer too instead of the vinegar based ones. Sweet rather than sour, I guess. I use this recipe in the crockpot, and it's another one from Midwest Living. I don't use the root beer extract and I use Sharon/Chase's chile sauce that I canned, it's yummy and I need to make more of that too.

Pulled Pork with Root Beer Sauce:

1 2-1/2- to 3- pound boneless pork sirloin roast
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 medium onions, cut into thin wedges
1 cup root beer
2 Tbsp. minced garlic
3 cups root beer (two 12-ounce cans or bottles)
1 cup bottled chili sauce
1/4 tsp. root beer concentrate (optional)
6 to 8 dashes hot pepper sauce (optional)
8 to 10 hamburger buns or Kaiser rolls, split (and toasted, if you like)
Lettuce leaves (optional)
Tomato slices (optional)

1. Trim fat from meat. If necessary, cut roast to fit into crockery cooker. Sprinkle meat with the salt and pepper. In a large skillet brown roast on all sides in hot oil. Drain. Transfer meat to a 3-1/2-, 4-, or 5-quart slow cooker. Add onions, the 1 cup root beer, and garlic. Cover; cook on low-heat setting for 8 to 10 hours or on high-heat setting for 4 to 5 hours.

2. Meanwhile, for sauce, in a medium saucepan combine the 2 cans or bottles of root beer and bottled chili sauce. Bring to boiling; reduce heat.

3. Boil gently, uncovered, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes or until mixture is reduced to 2 cups. Add root beer concentrate and bottled hot pepper sauce, if you like.

4. Transfer roast to a cutting board or serving platter. With a slotted spoon, remove onions from juices and place on serving platter. Discard juices. Using two forks, pull meat apart into shreds. To serve, line buns with lettuce leaves and tomato slices, if you like. Add meat and onions; spoon on sauce. Makes 8 to 10 sandwiches.

Make-Ahead Tip: Transfer pork mixture to covered container and chill up to 24 hours. Or transfer to 1-, 2-, or 4-serving freezer containers; seal, label, and freeze up to 1 month. Thaw overnight before serving. To reheat, transfer to saucepan; cover and heat over medium-low heat until heated through, stirring occasionally. If necessary, add 2 to 4 tablespoons water to keep mixture from sticking.

Annie

Heavy vinegar is pretty traditional in what's accurately or even inaccurately termed "barbeque" or the other names, aka "BBQ". To braise something, like ribs or pork, any liquid works. Most any liquid anyway. I like to use beer, sometimes a soft drink, whether root beer, Dr. Pepper, Sprite/7Up, grape, orange, broth, water, vinegar, wine, other alcohol, lemon/lime/orange juice or whatever. The sugar in it shouldn't be a surprise since many add sugar to their BBQ. I like a smoky flavor with a bit of a kick, just not overpowering. I don't like things too sweet, especially meats and vegetables.

You can also put in a splash of vinegar (or beer or wine or whatever) without drenching it so it becomes overpowering.

Experiment with it and find the taste you like best.

any TT methods of making pulled pork without slow cooker?

punamytsike, you can make it in a dutch oven or my favorite way, in the smoker. Just smoke it, low and slow, and it'll fall apart. Pork butt, which really isn't butt, it's shoulder, makes some awesome smoked pulled pork.

Annie

Thanks Annie. Once the beast, our smoker/BBQ, is up and running again, this will be on my list to try. I hope that will really work and I will have a delicious way to make pork here :)

You can also make it in any covered roaster...I have an old blue roaster that has cooked well more than a few pork shoulders.
Just pop it in, add some onion and something acid to break down the tough meat...if you don't like the vinegar you can use some lemon slices...a bit of juice of some sort...beer, fruit juice...cover and cook on low heat until falling apart.
Linda c

This is the recipe I use all the time.
I like that it has lime juice in it instead of vinegar.

TANGY PULL PORK SANDWICHES
8 TO 10 SERVINGS
1 LARGE VIDALLA ONION SLICED
3 LBS. PORK BUTT RINSED AND PATTED DRY
1 CUP BBQ SAUCE (I US KC MASTERPIECE)
SALT AND PEPPER TO TASTE
1/3 CUP YELLOW MUSTARD
3 TBSP TOMATO PASTE
1 CUP CHICKEN BROTH
1 LIME JUICED
KAISER ROLLS
PLACE SLICED ONIONS IN BOTTOM OF CROCK POT.
PLACE SALT AND PEPPERED PORK BUTT ON TOP, FAT SIDE DOWN.
IN MEDIUM BOWL STIR TOGETHER BBQ SAUCE, MUSTARD, TOMATO PASTE, CHICKEN BROTH AND LIME JUICE.
POUR OVER THE MEAT. COVER AND COOK ON LOW FOR 6 TO 8 HOURS. CHECK AFTER 6 IF IT PULLS APART IT'S DONE.
REMOVE PORK FROM CROCK POT AND LET REST FOR 10 MINS. PULL APART WITH TWO FORKS.
ADD THE ONIONS FROM THE CROCK POT AND ABOUT 1/2 CUP LIQUID AND MORE BBQ SAUCE TO MOISTEN TO THE DESIRED WETNESS.
PLACE ON BUNS AND ADD COLD SLAW ON TOP.
THIS IS SANDRA LEE'S RECIPE FORM FOOD NETWORK

Linda

I put a pork shoulder or arm in the crock pot with an envelope of Lipton's onion soup and water to cover for several hours. I shred the meat when it is very tender, and then pour a little of the cooking liquid over the meat on the serving platter and a little of our favorite bottled BBQ sauce and serve it with dinner rolls for mini sandwiches.

I'm in NC, pulled pork "country". The BBQ sauce in the Carolina's runs two ways, EASTERN (Lexington) STYLE and WESTERN (Piedmont) STYLE. You can google it if you want to know the differences. I think one withholds the ketchup, I'm not sure, nor do I really care. It's all good!

I cook my pork on my gas grill with Hickory wood (soaked in water first) on indirect heat until it's tender and falls apart. I do put aluminum foil on it, then later as it gets a crust and juices, I remove it. I use a rub that I got from America's Test Kitchen TV that works well and gives it a nice crust.
2 tbsp. paprika
2 tbsp. ground black pepper
2 tbsp. brown sugar
1 tbsp. salt
Mix and rub all over meat.

The following is supposedly an AUTHENTIC Lexington (NC, not KY) style Barbecue sauce. All I know is that it's good on pork.

1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
1/8 tsp. ground red pepper
2 tsp. salt
2 Tbs. sugar
6 oz. distilled vinegar
6 oz. tomato ketchup
12 oz. water
Mix all ingredients. Bring to a boil and let cool. Sauce is ready to serve. Keep refrigerated.

This keeps for a long time if you don't use it all. I don't add any sauce until I eat the pork. Just depends on your preference.

This was disgusting to me when I first moved here. My palate wasn't used to it. It was totally unfamiliar to me. I was used to the heavy tomatoed, sugary sauce. Now, it's my preference for pulled pork. Shoot, I had never heard of pulled pork before I moved here (1980).

An interesting side note. This is a classic meal that many families get on Christmas Eve. The well known BBQ restuarants are mobbed with take out orders all day. I never knew that until my boyfriend and I just happened to go to eat BBQ on Xmas Eve Day and were they ever busy with their orders. The restuarants do dab the sauce on their meat after it's chopped, but I always buy an extra bottle to have on hand, or keep what I made handy, as I usually want a little more.

June Lynn

June, I like that you used the word chopped, as I prefer the pork chopped rather than stringy (pulled).
There really is no comparison between true, long smoked pork and crock pot pork. The later is fine but not the real thing in texture or flavor.