Pulled Pork Finishing Sauce

Instructions

1. Step 1

   In a small saucepan, add the cider vinegar and brown sugar. Bring the sauce to a light simmer (do not boil), until sugar melts, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the salt, cayenne, and red pepper flakes and simmer for an additional 2 minutes.

2. Step 2

   Remove the sauce from the heat and let it cool completely.

3. Step 3

   Store the sauce in an airtight container, jar, or squeeze bottle in the refrigerator for up to two weeks after preparation. It is best to wait 24 hours before using the sauce, as this will allow all the flavors to meld together.

4. Step 4

   Serve as a side sauce for pulled pork or pulled chicken. In Eastern North Carolina, pork is often chopped and served. Pulled pork can be enjoyed as-is or on sandwiches. Sandwiches go on typical hamburger-style buns. The side dishes offered are coleslaw, cornbread, and hush puppies. The coleslaw can be served on top of the pulled pork in the sandwich, or on the side. A squeeze bottle is an ideal container for this sauce. It is a thin sauce without any herbs that could clog up the spout. You'll be able to give a squirt onto your pulled pork sandwich to season it perfectly. If your guests wonder where the tomato-based thick barbecue sauce is, inform them it is in Kansas City. Tomatoes don't get put into barbecue sauce until you head west. The sauce has some ketchup but is still thin when you pass Lexington, North Carolina. It's when you travel further west that barbecue sauce takes on the thick style seen in many bottled barbecue sauces.