I think the signature taste for NC BBQ is white vinegar...
I didn't taste what you made nor what youw ere trying to copy....but maybe a jag of white vinegar would fix it up.
Linda C

I've saved this recipe for a lonnnng time from Pat T.

PAT T'S NORTH CAROLINA PORK BARBECUE

1 (4 to 5lb) Boston butt
3 T brown sugar
2 T dry mustard
1 t salt
1 large onion, chopped
1-1/2 cups water
1/4 t ground red pepper
1 cup vinegar
1/4 t black pepper
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce

Place roast in roasting pan. Combine remaining ingredients, stir well. Pour mixture over roast. Cover and bake at 325 for 5 to 6 hours or until meat is very tender. Remove from oven, let cool.
Remove roast from sauce, place sauce in fridge until fat congeals.
Skim fat and discard. Remove meat and shred. Return meat to sauce in pan and stir well. Cover and bake at 325 for 15 minutes or until thoroughly heated. (From Grandma's Kitchen Cookbook.)

Ginger's recipe sounds good, but the sauce listed is more of the Lexington NC type of sauce. Eastern pulled pork is mainly vinegar with seasoning -- major portion of cayenne pepper -- some salt, little brown sugar. Any other type of sauce is usually served "on the side" with the pork, but not cooked or basted with the sauce as it would burn and hide the real flavor of pork roasted long and slow over coals.

There really are two types of bbq in North Carolina...Eastern and Western.

I'm certainly no expert, but was raised in Eastern NC. Eastern NC BBQ always has a vinegar based sauce. No ketchup, or tomato sauce of any kind. (That's western NC BBQ). All we ever used for the sauce was vinegar, salt, red pepper flakes (and some ground red pepper) and a sweetner-- usually pineapple juice, which I think sweetened and diluted the vinegar some without having to use water in the sauce. it's made "to your taste"-- in other words, if you like it hot, add more red pepper, etc. Just mix and taste-- the main thing is not to cover up the taste of the pork. We used to make it by the gallon, but for one Boston Butt, I would think about 1 cup vinegar, 1/2 cup pineapple juice, 2 tablespoons crushed red pepper, and maybe 1 teas. ground red pepper and 2 or 3 tablespoons of salt. Cook the pork first and then shred and add the sauce. It's best to cook outside on the grill, but the dutch oven method would work too. You do need to leave the lid off at the end of cooking to brown the meat though (I would think.) Hope this helps.

Check out this website. It's all about North Carolina barbecue. I read an article in Country Living while in my mom's eye doctor waiting room. It featured a father/daughter team who followed the North Carolina barbecue trail. The trail part intrigued me because my daughter wants to do something like that for her honeymoon. So I looked up both the article and the North Carolina Barbecue Society website.

Country Living Article:
http://www.countryliving.com/cooking/regional-foods-and-events/summer-road-trip-routes-0609?click=main_sr

Here is a link that might be useful: N Carolina BBQ Society

Thanks for the BBQ Trail info! I've lived here all my life and only been to about five places on the trail.

Teresa

Teresa, now that's one vacation I'd love to take!