Salad... Ed's Eastern Carolina Cole Slaw.

Cole slaw - an excellent side or as a topping on pulled pork.
(borrowed image.)

Summer is coming and that means barbecue. Okay, maybe I'm jumping the gun a bit, because the snow isn't even all gone yet in my town. But that doesn't mean you can't enjoy summer flavors now. As you will see, I will be posting my recipe for Eastern Carolina pulled pork (indoor and smoker,) among other things. So enjoy the refreshing coolness of this dish alongside your favorite mains!

medium head of white cabbage (shredded)
1/2 small head red cabbage (shredded)
1 large or 2 medium carrots, peeled and grated
(or - bagged cole slaw mix, 2 bags 14 oz)
1/3 cup minced onion
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup mayonnaise
8 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tbsp. pepper
2 tbsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. celery seed

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl. Place in a fridge for at least three hours so the flavors meld. Stir and serve. 

Keeps in an airtight container for up to a week.

Sauce... Ed's take on Eastern Carolina BBQ sauce

An example of an East Carolina BBQ sauce.

Everyone has a favorite barbeque sauce, especially when it comes to pork. This is nowhere more true than in North Carolina. What you get depends on what region you're in at the time. Some will serve you a tomato based sauce, some mustard based, but in Eastern Carolina (where I lived) they use a straight up vinegar/ pepper sauce. 

Whether it's used as a mop for a slow roasted half pig (good ol' pig pickin's,) or as the main condiment/final ingredient in pulled pork, this is my favorite of the three. I hope it's yours, too.

For the sauce:

1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
2 1/2 tbsp. dark brown sugar
1 tbsp. Louisiana hot sauce
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. chipotle pepper powder
1/2 tsp chili pepper flakes

Put all the ingredients together in a pot, heat at medium low, stirring and adjusting to taste. Remove from heat, let cool, use what's needed. The remainder can be stored, refrigerated, up to 6 months in a tightly closed container. In fact, the longer it sits, the better it tastes!