North Carolina–Inspired Barbecue

Cooking the pork in beer with apples adds a German influence to these sandwiches. The North Carolina influence comes from the ketchup-based coleslaw served as the condiment on the sandwiches. To continue the comfort-food theme, serve with baked beans and warm German potato salad.

Serves 12

Ingredients:

• 3 pounds pork Western ribs
• 1 (12-ounce) can beer
• 2 large Golden Delicious apples
• 1 large sweet onion, peeled and sliced
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• Optional: 1 cup peach marmalade (see Chapter 5)
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Salt, to taste
• 12 hamburger buns

1. Add the pork to the slow cooker. (Do not trim the fat from the ribs; it’s what helps the meat cook up moist enough to shred for sandwiches. A lot of the fat will melt out of the meat as it cooks.)
2. Pour the beer over the pork. Peel, core, and slice the apples and add them to the slow cooker along with the onion, brown sugar, marmalade (if using), black pepper, and salt. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or until the pork is cooked through and tender.
3. Use a slotted spoon to move the pork to a cutting board. Remove and discard any fat still on the meat. Use two forks to shred the meat.
4. Spoon the meat onto hamburger buns. Top the meat with a heaping tablespoon of North Carolina-Style Coleslaw.
5. Optional: Have the onion slices that were cooked in with the meat available for those who want to add them to their sandwiches.

North Carolina-Style Coleslaw

Add ¾ cup cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon ketchup, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, ⅛ teaspoon dried red pepper flakes, and ¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper to a large bowl. Whisk to mix, and then stir in a 2-pound bag of coleslaw mix. Add hot sauce, to taste. (This coleslaw is tart by itself; to best decide how to adjust the seasoning, taste it with some of the meat. Stir in some mayonnaise or extra-virgin olive oil if you think it’s too tart.)