Instant Pot North Carolina Pulled Pork Slaw Sandwiches
Juicy, tender pulled pork with tangy eastern North Carolina Vinegar Sauce. An easy Instant Pot pressure cooker pork recipe made in 70 minutes with original North Carolina vinegar style sauce topped with coleslaw on toasted sandwich buns. A different style barbecue sauce and a Carolina-style classic; A taste of Carolina-style BBQ pork shoulder that tastes like it has been smoked in a pit over a wood fire with hickory chips all day long.
Servings 12 servings
Calories 484kcal
Cost 30
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3.5 lb boneless pork shoulder or pork butt (or 3.5lb beef chuck roast or brisket!)
- 2.5 cups beef stock
- 16 oz. bag tri-color coleslaw
- 12 oz coleslaw salad dressing
- 12 hamburger buns
- 1.5 tsp salt
North Carolina Sauce (For AUTHENTIC NC Sauce, see notes for recipe)
- 2 cups apple cider vinegar
- 1.5 cups cold water
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup dark brown sugar
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 4.5 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1.5 tsp hickory liquid smoke found near the BBQ sauces
- 1 tbsp hot sauce, like Texas Pete
- serve with potato chips
Instructions
- Trim off any large pieces of fat from the surface of the pork. Alternatively, you can use a beef chuck roast if you want to make this with beef. The beef has the same directions as the pork so trim it too.
- Cut pork (or beef) into 6 pieces.
- In Instant Pot ( pressure cooker ) insert, add 1 tbsp oil. Turn Instant Pot “ON” then press “SAUTEE”. Sautee/sear meat chunks in batches of medium heat, flipping once to brown each side. This is optional but adds a lot of flavors.
- Pour 2.5 cups beef stock or water into the bottom of the insert pot. Add meat.
- Secure lid. Set the pressure valve to SEALING. Select “MANUAL” or “PRESSURE COOK”; use the arrows to cook on high-pressure for 70 MINUTES.
- Instant pot will indicate "ON" and that means it is coming to pressure; about 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the North Carolina vinegar-based sauce. In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, add apple cider vinegar and water. Next, stir in granulated sugar, dark brown sugar, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, liquid smoke, and hot sauce.
- Stir sauce until fully combined and sugar has melted. Remove from heat; set aside.
- Once Instant Pot beeps and is done, select “CANCEL”. NATURAL RELEASE (NR) steam pressure knob for 15 minutes. That means to let the pressure naturally come done without opening the vent. Once pressure pin drops, open lid.
- Remove pork (or beef) to a large bowl, discard any cooking liquid. Gently pull apart the meat with two forks until shredded. Sprinkle in 1.5 tsp salt into the pulled pork. Laddle in desired amount of vinegar sauce then stir.
- Mix entire bag of coleslaw with the desired amount of coleslaw dressing.
- Toast buns and serve pulled pork on sandwich topping it with coleslaw.
Notes
REAL NORTH CAROLINA VINEGAR SAUCE RECIPE:
I've included the original recipe in the recipe card notes section to preserve the undisputed authenticity of this regional eastern North Carolina bbq vinegar sauce. Use as desired or simply start with this recipe and modify it with mine if desired.- 2 cups apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp dark brown sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp hot sauce or pepper sauce
- Directions: Combine ingredients in saucepan over medium heat. Stir until mixed and sugar has dissolved.
- Boneless pork shoulder or pork butt
- Beef chuck roast (pressure cooked same amount of time)
- Beef Brisket (pressure cooked same amount of time)
- Several pounds of chicken breasts ( note that IP cook time will change to 15 minutes and you'll need to replace the beef stock with chicken broth).
Nutrition
Calories: 484kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 87mg | Sodium: 1115mg | Potassium: 766mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 67IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 118mg | Iron: 3mg