Smoked Pork Carolina Style

** I'm changing my description to dedicate this recipe to my doctor, Dr.M.C., who sliced her finger carving up some pulled pork the day before my surgery. Dr. C., use this recipe and you will not need to use a knife to cut the fat out, just pull it out with your fingers. And thanks for being a very good doc! This is a recipe that I only do about once every 1-2 years because it does take all day to do. But, I have to say it's worth the time! There are all sorts of different 'carolina style' sauces....the one that I use is a Piedmont or Lexington style sauce. These sandwiches taste excellent with coleslaw and ice cold beer. Adapted from 'Barbecued Ribs, Smoked Butts and Other Great Feeds'.

• Ready In: 8 hrs 30 mins
• Yields: 12-15 sandwiches

Ingredients

• 4  lbs boneless pork shoulder
• 12 -15  buns, split and buttered

• Carolina barbecue sauce

• 3  cups cider vinegar
• 1  cup catsup
• 2  teaspoons salt
• 1  teaspoon  ground red pepper
• 1⁄4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2  tablespoons sugar
• 1  cup water

Directions

1. For the sauce: combine all ingredients in a saucepan, bring to a boil and simmer and stir until the sugar is dissolved; let cool.
2. Prepare your water smoker about 30 minutes before smoking the pork.
3. Pour 2 cups of the sauce into the waterpan, then fill with water to one inch from the top of the pan; place it in the smoker.
4. Place pork on rack above water and brush liberally with sauce (you should have 2 cups left after filling the water pan); put the cover on the smoker and smoke 5-6 hours, basting with sauce and turning the pork from side to side to color evenly every 30 minutes.
5. Keep fire burning hot enough to hold smoker temperature at about 225-250°.
6. When thermometer inserted in center of pork registers 140 degrees, baste the pork with sauce and place into a shallow roasting pan.
7. Continue roasting in your conventional oven at 325° until meat almost falls apart, about 1 1/2-2 hours.
8. Cool the meat slightly and shred it, pour any leftover sauce over the pork (I sometimes pour the pan juices over as well, after defatting them a bit); serve on buns.