North Carolina-Style Pulled Pork (My Way)
Plus 7 Dishes to Cook This Week
Welcome to The Flavor Files, where I share my love for cooking and food science. All my recipes can be found at Nik Sharma Cooks.
My latest cookbook, Veg-Table, is available here.
You may find affiliate links sprinkled throughout this newsletter.
RESOURCES AND LINKS TO SUPPORT ANGELENOS and LA COUNTY
Mutual Aid LA, Baby2Baby, Core, Pasadena Humane Society, World Central Kitchen
Hi Friends,
I’m back home from Boston, and this might make me sound completely unhinged, but…I loved the snow. The sharp winter air, the flurries landing on my head, the kind of cold that wakes you up in a way coffee never could. I could feel the Bostonian side-eyes as I walked around hatless, but honestly? I didn’t mind. It’s been nearly eight years since I’ve touched snow (LA’s brief dusting in 2023 doesn’t count). There’s something about winter on the East Coast—the excuse to bundle up, wear a proper coat, wrap yourself in a scarf, and pull on gloves. I miss that.
This trip was packed, so I didn’t get much time to explore the city, but I did manage two phenomenal meals, one at Sarma, and the other at Chickadee.
Sarma A Mediterranean dream. The Black Sea Cornbread (photo 4) left a lasting impression—I must recreate a version at home. The Mushroom Manti (were delicate, complex, and unforgettable. And then there was the Lamejun Chili Verde, which was just… chef’s kiss. My dinner guest and I left utterly inspired by the creativity on the menu.
Chickadee: Also Mediterranean-inspired, but with a different approach. If you know me, I cannot stand bananas—the smell, the texture, all of it. But their sticky toffee pudding with bananas (last photo) pulled me in. I avoided the banana slices on top (baby steps), but somehow, the ones blended into the pudding. I went in for seconds. Who am I? Their chickpea panisse fries (second pic below in the collage) also need to happen in my kitchen soon, achieving that perfect creamy center with a crisp exterior will take some tinkering, but I have a game plan.
Next time I visit Boston, I must do a full deep dive into the seafood scene and report back.
On a side note, I prioritized hitting the hotel gym every morning and stuck with it for five days straight—except the morning I flew out. I’m glad I did because it worked wonders in keeping jet lag at bay. I fell asleep and woke up on schedule, with no grogginess or weird time shifts. Thank you to the person who suggested I do this!
What to Cook This Week
For my newsletter patrons this month, make my new North Carolina-Style Pulled Pork, extra smoky, with a deep umami kick that balances its signature sweet, tangy, and spicy flavors. You’ll need a slow cooker for this one.
Michael specifically requested it for his Super Bowl dinner party, and honestly, it’s the perfect game-day dish. When we visit my in-laws, who live on the Virginia-North Carolina border, NC-style barbecue is always the go-to when ordering out. It typically comes piled onto white sandwich bread or buns with collard greens and creamy mashed potatoes—a combination that never disappoints.
If you’ve ever sunk your teeth into a plate of North Carolina pulled pork, smoky, tangy, melt-in-your-mouth—you’re tasting history. This isn’t just barbecue; it’s a tradition that dates back centuries.
Long before smokehouses and roadside barbecue joints, the Indigenous tribes of the Carolinas were slow-roasting meats over open pits. Then came the Spanish explorers in the 1500s, bringing pigs along for the ride. Add in British settlers, enslaved African pitmasters, and generations of Carolina cooks, and boom, you’ve got the foundation of NC barbecue as we know it today.
But here’s where things get really interesting: North Carolina is a house divided regarding pulled pork. And trust me, I know this firsthand. My friends from NC can (and will) debate this for hours over dinner, with the kind of passion usually reserved for college basketball rivalries.
Eastern Style: Whole-hog barbecue, chopped or pulled, with a no-frills, vinegar-based sauce that keeps things tangy and bright.
Lexington (Piedmont) Style: Pork shoulder takes center stage, kissed with a hint of ketchup in the vinegar sauce for a subtle sweetness (this is the version I’ve leaned into for my recipe).
7 Dishes to Cook This Week
This week, I’ve got nargisi koftas named after the narcissus flower because of how the kofta looks after being cut. A fragrant herbed lamb pilaf, a hearty Italian soppressata salad, a warm pot of chicken paprikas with mushrooms, a kimchi lentil soup for those cold evenings, sweet caramelized roasted carrots with preserved lemons and yogurt, and something sweet maple pumpkin seed granola.
My Kitchen Purchases
I finally gave in and bought an OXO liquid fat separator, something I tell myself every Thanksgiving that I need but never actually get. This year, I decided to stop procrastinating and snag one for the Super Bowl, knowing it would make a big difference in skimming off the excess fat after the pork was done. And let me tell you, it worked beautifully. I also replaced my old cutting board with a new one from Teakhaus. It’s fantastic, and I have a lot of surface area to work on. My knives are also thankful for it. It’s light enough to move around with ease. I will warn you: I got the XL one; just make sure your sink is large enough to accommodate it during washing. Teakhaus makes smaller ones, too.