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Savory Carolina Gold Pulled Pork Recipe with Easy Mustard BBQ Sauce

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A tender, slow-cooked pulled pork recipe featuring a tangy and slightly sweet mustard-based Carolina Gold BBQ sauce that balances rich pork flavors with a fresh Southern twist.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 4 to 5 pounds pork shoulder (pork butt) with good marbling
  • ½ cup yellow mustard
  • ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1½ teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • ½ cup water

Instructions

  1. Trim any large chunks of excess fat from the pork shoulder, leaving some fat for moisture (about 5 minutes).
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together yellow mustard, apple cider vinegar, honey, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper until smooth. Set aside (5 minutes).
  3. Rub about half of the mustard sauce all over the pork shoulder, coating all sides evenly. Reserve the other half of the sauce for later (5 minutes).
  4. Pour ½ cup water into the slow cooker bottom to create a moist environment. Place the pork shoulder in the slow cooker, fat side up (1 minute).
  5. Cover and cook on low heat for 8 to 10 hours, or until the pork is fork-tender and easily shreds. Alternatively, cook covered in a Dutch oven at 300°F (150°C) for 4 to 5 hours.
  6. Remove the pork from the slow cooker and shred the meat into bite-sized pieces using two forks or tongs, discarding large pieces of fat (10 minutes).
  7. Return the shredded pork to the slow cooker and pour the reserved mustard BBQ sauce over the top. Stir well to coat every shred. Let warm through on low for an additional 15 minutes to blend flavors.
  8. Serve the pulled pork warm on buns, plates, or with your favorite sides.

Notes

If the sauce is too tangy after cooking, stir in a teaspoon of honey to soften the bite. Avoid lifting the lid during cooking to maintain a sealed environment for tender results. For a spicier version, add cayenne pepper or hot sauce to the mustard BBQ sauce. The recipe can be adapted for Instant Pot cooking (90 minutes on Meat/Stew setting). Leftovers keep well refrigerated for 4 days or frozen for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Keywords: pulled pork, Carolina Gold, mustard BBQ sauce, slow cooker, Southern BBQ, pork shoulder, easy pulled pork, mustard sauce

Find it online: https://emmaoven.com/savory-carolina-gold-pulled-pork-recipe-with-easy-mustard-bbq-sauce/