Carolina Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Lexington Red Sauce and Haitian Coleslaw

Say what you will about the United States' contribution to world cuisine. I will tell you this: we know how to barbecue. This recipe turned out FANTASTIC even despite not having a barbecue, yet this dish recreated BBQ flavor, thanks in no small part to the smoked paprika. I can't tell you the last time I had a pulled pork sandwich, but this really hit the spot. I might has well have been eating it in the Carolinas, and that's no joke.

The key to success here is to have a little digital-read thermometer. This turned out wonderfully juicy. It you cook things too long and the internal temperature gets too high, you will dry everything out and be left rather disappointed. Follow the temperature guidleines to the letter and you will be pretty happy with this. Serve this alongside the Haitian Coleslaw (from an earlier post) and you'll get a little taste of the southeastern US.

2 tablespoons brown sugar, turbinado, if available
2 tablespoons black pepper, coarsely ground
2 tablespoons paprika, smoked, if available
1-½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground red pepper
2.5 kg pork shoulder, bone-in
1 cup cider vinegar
2-¼ cup water, divided
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon canola oil
cooking spray
1 cup cider vinegar
⅓ cup ketchup
¼ cup water
2 teaspoons sugar
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

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. Place in a large zip-top plastic bag; seal and refrigerate pork overnight.

Preheat oven to 225F/107C.

Remove pork from refrigerator; let stand at room temperature 30 minutes. Rub remaining half of sugar mixture onto pork. Meanwhile, 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.

Bake for 3 hours or until a thermometer registers 60C, gently brushing pork with vinegar mixture every hour (avoid brushing off sugar mixture).

Turn oven up to 250F/120C.

Bake at 250F/120C for 1 hours or until a thermometer registers 70C. Remove from oven. Let stand, still wrapped, for 1 hour or until pork easily pulls apart. Unwrap pork; trim and discard fat. Shred pork with 2 forks.

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). Serve sauce warm or at room temperature with pork.