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Lexington-Style Pork Shoulder hero image coming soon
1800-1860 - Barbecue pitmasters and communities of North Carolina
Lexington-Style Pork Shoulder is a North Carolina barbecue dish featuring slow-cooked pork shoulder served with a tangy vinegar and tomato-based sauce. This distinct style is a regional barbecue tradition, emphasizing sharp, bright, and spicy flavors.
Difficulty
Hard
Prep time
15 minutes
Cook time
6-8 hours
Total time
7-8 hours 15 minutes
Servings
8-10 servings
Region
The American South
Era introduced
1800-1860
Introduced by
Barbecue pitmasters and communities of North Carolina
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The Lexington style of barbecue originates from North Carolina's Piedmont region and centers on pork shoulder slow-smoked over hardwood coals. Distinguished by a vinegar and ketchup-based sauce with spices, this barbecue reflects regional tastes emphasizing vinegary tang and moderate sweetness. It is a celebrated part of Southern barbecue culture, enjoyed at gatherings and festivals across the state and beyond.
Lexington-style pork shoulder is a recognized North Carolina barbecue tradition; recipe ingredients and methods are compiled from regional barbecue guides. Provenance update: Remaining missing year anchor inferred from existing region and era metadata for interactive map filtering. This is a conservative best-available anchor and should be refined with individual source review when a more specific first print, restaurant, community, or archival date is identified.
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