[Pittsburgh Barbecue Company - Pittsburgh, PA All North Carolina BBQ is very slow-cooked pork, generally smoked for a minimum of 16-18 hours at a very low temperature. By slow smoking at a low temperature, the meat is allowed to age without drying out. Almost never is any kind of sauce applied during smoking. Sometimes, a touch of sauce (vinegar-based with a few spices) is added as a hydration aid to prevent excess binding of the outside part of the meat, but not as a flavoring agent.]