Eastern North Carolina-Style BBQ Sauce Recipe (2024)

I grew up in Eastern North Carolina and my family raised and cooked whole pigs over coals. Their bbq sause was one gallon of cider vinegar with enough poured out so that the gallon glass jug could also hold one inch of ground red pepper, one inch of ground white pepper, and one inch of ground black pepper left to sit for flavors to blend for a week or more before use.

This recipe is very close to the authentic NC basic one. For what it's worth, in most of Eastern NC we use brown sugar in the same amount instead of table sugar. I've also never seen Tabasco or other hot sauces used, but every pitmaster has his (or her) own variation on the basic recipe, so.....

A very good recipe for Eastern Carolina sauce. I say Eastern Carolina because, as you head West, the amount of tomato that gets added along the way increases, while the vinegar disappears. So, there are really three kinds of Carolina sauce.

Well, if it is "in your taste buds and ....you can do it" will you please share your recipe? I think your comment is a bit gratuitous............

I live in ENC. The recipe is spot on but no need for two vinegars, we only use apple cider. Great on chicken, pork and collard greens.

Do you marinate the meat in the mixture or just brush on as a barbecue sauce?

Bear in mind that the flavor of the crushed red pepper intensifies over time. Otherwise, if your container is truly air tight the sauce will hold well.
Since it only makes 1 cup it is unlikely that you'll have the opportunity to test its storage limits.

The chef is from tidewater Virginia. I'm from NC and live in Boston and I love this recipe.

This is great on chicken.

True NC BBQ sauce doesn't have mustard in it. It's a SC addition that is a sin. Just ask James Beard Award winning chef Rodney Scott if there's mustard in his sauce (there isn't). I'm sure there's a place for mustard sauces, but it's not on pulled pork.

Cambridge is a long way from NC - is this chef from NC because this is a just a tiny bit off from the real sauce. I can't exactly tell you how to do it - you just have to grow up with it in embedded in your taste buds and then you can do it...
This is a moderately successful substitute!

I added some liquid smoke and it gave the flavor a nice kick. add to your liking, but a little goes a long ways.

The NC vinegar sauce I know and love is like this BUT with an extra kick: Add a bit of finely diced white onion and a small amount of celery seed, then simmer for 15-20 minutes. Wonderful.

When peaches are in season, puree one and add to the sauce. Serve with sliced peaches.

The NC vinegar bbq sauce my local bbq joint serves also has mustard in it - delicious. I would add a bit of brown sugar.

It was excellent. I applied rub and cooked mine in the instant pot. It looked good enough to eat without the sauce!

One clarification re: “pulled pork” when discussing eastern NC style bbq: in eastern NC, we baste the pig with a sauce like this one and then chop the meat, tossing again with sauce and serving more sauce alongside. In western parts of the state, it’s more frequently pulled. Different texture and experience when chopped and most definitely the “authentic” eastern NC style; we don’t historically do “pulled” pork.

I combined this recipe with Melissa Clark’s Instant Pot Smoky BBQ approach. Came out pretty delicious, and the kids loved it. Easiest thing on earth.

Use only ACV, add 1/2 TBSP ketchup, sugar to taste

Try Texas Pete instead of Tabasco. Comes very close to the famous barbecue in Greensboro, NC.

The recipe I got from a man from North Carolina uses Coca-Cola for the sweet element, instead of brown sugar.

We don't have a grill or smoker, so I made this in a slow cooker...about 10 hours on low. Delicious!!!!!

The NC vinegar bbq sauce my local bbq joint serves also has mustard in it - delicious. I would add a bit of brown sugar.

Purists beware! I combined with leftover rub to which this recipe was attached https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1016087-pulled-pork?action=click&amp... (from which I had excluded the chili powder by error once and determined it was much better without). The balance is impeccable. Oh, and I could not wait two months... We reduced it on the spot and happy tummies ensued!

Do you marinate the meat in the mixture or just brush on as a barbecue sauce?

Used cane vinegar instead of the white vinegar, no sugar, hot pepper sauce (vinegar/jalapeno's) no Tabasco. More crushed red pepper

Next time I'll use dark brown sugar.

When peaches are in season, puree one and add to the sauce. Serve with sliced peaches.

I grew up on some of the Great Eastern NC BBQ joints. None of the good ones use white vinegar or sugar of any kind!!

The NC vinegar sauce I know and love is like this BUT with an extra kick: Add a bit of finely diced white onion and a small amount of celery seed, then simmer for 15-20 minutes. Wonderful.