Best Carolina Pulled Pork Tater Tots Recipes

EASY LOADED PULLED PORK TATER TOT NACHOS (TOTCHOS!)

Steps:

• If you're cooking your own pork, place the pork shoulder in a crockpot with water and seasoning. Cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours. Once the meat is cooked through, remove it from pot and shred it with 2 forks.
• Once you have your meat cooked, you're ready to cook your tater tots! Cook the tots according to the bags directions, and don't forget to spray the large baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Cook until crispy.
• Once your tots are cooked, remove from the oven and spread the meat over the top. Then top with baked beans and shredded cheese and return to the oven to bake for about 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.
• Before serving, top with BBQ sauce and green onions.

LOADED PULLED PORK TATER TOT BITES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Spray the cups of a 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray.
• Place 4 to 5 frozen potato nuggets into each muffin cup.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes.
• Remove muffin pan from the oven. Using a small glass (e.g. a small juice glass or shot glass) twist and press the tots downward in each muffin cup to create a potato cup. Return to the oven and bake until deep golden brown, about 15 more minutes.
• Remove the pan from the oven and distribute pulled pork evenly between the cups. Add 1 tablespoon of shredded cheese to each potato cup, being careful to try and keep it on top of the pulled pork (not down the sides of the muffin cups).
• Return to the oven and bake until the cheese has melted, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer the potato cups to a serving platter.
• Drizzle with BBQ sauce, add a small dollop of sour cream, and sprinkle with green onions before serving.

NORTH CAROLINA-STYLE PULLED PORK

Steps:

• In a small bowl, mix mild paprika, light brown sugar, hot paprika, celery salt, garlic salt, dry mustard, ground black pepper, onion powder, and salt. Rub spice mixture into the roast on all sides. Wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate 8 hours, or overnight.
• Prepare a grill for indirect heat.
• Sprinkle a handful of soaked wood over coals, or place in the smoker box of a gas grill. Place pork butt roast on the grate over a drip pan. Cover grill, and cook pork until pork is tender and shreds easily, about 6 hours. Check hourly, adding fresh coals and hickory chips as necessary to maintain heat and smoke.
• Remove pork from heat and place on a cutting board. Allow the meat to cool approximately 15 minutes, then shred into bite-sized pieces using two forks. This requires patience.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together cider vinegar, water, ketchup, brown sugar, salt, red pepper flakes, black pepper, and white pepper. Continue whisking until brown sugar and salt have dissolved. Place shredded pork and vinegar sauce in a large roasting pan, and stir to coat pork. Serve immediately, or cover and keep warm on the grill for up to one hour until serving.

LOADED PULLED PORK TOTCHOS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Spread potato nuggets on a baking sheet in a single layer.
• Bake in the preheated oven until browned and crisp, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl; season lightly with salt.
• Mix pulled pork and barbeque sauce together in a bowl until pork is evenly coated.
• Whisk sour cream and smoked paprika together in a small bowl.
• Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour until a paste forms, 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk in milk until no lumps remain. Cook and stir until sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; whisk in Cheddar cheese until melted. Season sauce with salt and pepper.
• Drizzle Cheddar cheese sauce over potato nuggets. Cover with pulled pork mixture and dollops of sour cream. Top with pinto beans, roasted peppers, green onion, and thyme.

BBQ PULLED PORK WITH CAROLINA SAUCE

Steps:

• For the Carolina BBQ sauce: Combine the cider vinegar, ketchup, sugar, molasses, mustard, soy sauce, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, red pepper flakes, salt and a pinch ground black pepper in a stainless steel saucepan over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool before using. If not using immediately, pour it into a bowl or jar. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
• For the BBQ pulled pork: Combine 1-quart water with the soy sauce, salt, sugar, honey and molasses in a large saucepan over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a boil, then remove from the heat and let cool. Stir in 1 gallon plus 3 quarts water. Pierce the meat with a boning knife in several places, then add the meat to the brine. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
• Remove the meat from the brine, coat lightly with salt and pepper, and arrange in a smoker. Load 2 boxes filled with applewood chips into the smoker. Set the smoker at 250 degrees F and smoke for 8 hours. Remove the meat from the smoker to a cutting board and shred when cool enough to handle. Arrange on a serving platter and serve with the BBQ sauce.

QUICK CAROLINA PULLED PORK

Steps:

• Mix together the brown sugar, smoked paprika, chili powder, black pepper, dry mustard, granulated garlic, cayenne and 2 teaspoons salt in a small bowl. Rub the pork all over with the spice mixture.
• Heat an electric multi-cooker on the browning or sear function. Add the olive oil. When hot, add the pork and brown on all sides, about 6 minutes. Pour in the apple juice and 1/4 cup of the cider vinegar. Cover, lock the lid, and set the multi-cooker to High Pressure; cook for 40 to 45 minutes. Release the steam according to manufacturer's instructions.
• Remove the pork to a rimmed baking sheet or large plate and tent with foil; let cool slightly. Skim off any excess fat that has risen to the top of the braising liquid, then stir in the remaining 1/4 cup cider vinegar and the ketchup. Pass some of the sauce through a strainer into a serving vessel or cruet.
• With two forks, pull the pork into shreds, discarding any large pieces of fat. Add the pork back to the remaining sauce in the multi-cooker and keep warm.
• Serve the pulled pork on rolls, topped with Cider Vinegar Slaw. Pass the extra sauce on the side.
• Whisk together the vinegar, ketchup, sugar, celery seeds, hot sauce and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in a large bowl until the sugar dissolves. Whisk in the oil to make a smooth dressing.
• Add the cabbage and red onions to the dressing, and toss well. Cover and let stand at room temperature for about 20 minutes to wilt the cabbage slightly. (The slaw can also be made several hours ahead and refrigerated.)
• Sprinkle the slaw with the parsley; toss and serve.

NORTH CAROLINA PULLED PORK

Steps:

• 1. If using the rub, combine the mild paprika, brown sugar, hot paprika, celery salt, garlic salt, dry mustard, pepper, onion powder, and salt in a bowl and toss with your fingers to mix. Wearing rubber or plastic gloves if desired, rub the spice mixture onto the pork shoulder on all sides, then cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 3 hours, preferably 8.
• If not using the rub, generously season the pork all over with coarse (kosher or sea) salt and freshly ground black pepper; you can start cooking immediately.
• 2. Set up the grill for indirect grilling and place a drip pan in the center.
• If using a gas grill, place all of the wood chips in the smoker box and preheat the grill to high; when smoke appears, reduce the heat to medium.
• If using a charcoal grill, preheat the grill to medium-low and adjust the vents to obtain a temperature of 300°F.
• 3. When ready to cook, if using charcoal, toss 1 cup of the wood chips on the coals. Place the pork shoulder, fat side up, on the hot grate over the drip pan. Cover the grill and smoke cook the pork shoulder until fall-off-the-bone tender and the internal temperature on an instant-read meat thermometer reaches 195°F, 4 to 6 hours (the cooking time will depend on the size of the pork roast and the heat of the grill). If using charcoal, you'll need to add 10 to 12 fresh coals to each side every hour and toss more wood chips on the fresh coals; add about 1/2 cup per side every time you replenish the coals. With gas, all you need to do is be sure that you start with a full tank of gas. If the pork begins to brown too much, drape a piece of aluminum foil loosely over it or lower the heat.
• 4. Transfer the pork roast to a cutting board, loosely tent it with aluminum foil, and let rest for 15 minutes.
• 5. Wearing heavy-duty rubber gloves if desired, pull off and discard any skin from the meat, then pull the pork into pieces, discarding any bones or fat. Using your fingertips or a fork, pull each piece of pork into shreds 1 to 2 inches long and 1/8 to 1/4 inch wide. This requires time and patience, but a human touch is needed to achieve the perfect texture. If patience isn't one of your virtues, you can finely chop the pork with a cleaver (many respected North Carolina barbecue joints serve chopped 'cue). Transfer the shredded pork to a nonreactive roasting pan. Stir in 1 to 1 1/2 cups of the vinegar sauce, enough to keep the pork moist, then cover the pan with aluminum foil and place it on the grill for up to 30 minutes to keep warm.
• 6. To serve, mound the pulled pork on the hamburger buns and top with coleslaw. Let each person add more vinegar sauce to taste.

PULLED PORK TATERS

Steps:

• Place roast in a 5-qt. slow cooker. Top with onion. Combine the ketchup, root beer, vinegar, Worcestershire, hot sauce, salt, pepper and mustard; pour over top. Cover and cook on low until meat is tender, 6-8 hours., Meanwhile, scrub and pierce potatoes. Bake at 400° until tender, 50-55 minutes., Remove pork; shred meat with two forks. Skim fat from cooking juices; transfer to a large saucepan. Bring liquid to a boil. Combine cornstarch and water until smooth; gradually stir into the pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir until thickened, 2 minutes. Return meat to cooking juices; heat through., With a sharp knife, cut an "X" in each potato; fluff with a fork. Top each with butter and pork mixture; top with sour cream. Sprinkle with cheese and, if desired, green onions.

NORTH CAROLINA PULLED PORK

Steps:

• Preheat slow cooker on Low for 15 minutes.
• Season pork shoulder with salt and pepper; place pork in preheated slow cooker. Mix ketchup, brown sugar, and vinegar in a bowl; pour over pork.
• Cook on Low for 8 hours. Transfer pork to a large platter and slice into 3 to 4 pieces. Shred meat with 2 forks and return to slow cooker. Continue to cook for 1 hour.