Eastern North Carolina Vinegar Sauce

Ingredients

• 480 ml white vinegar or cider vinegar, not wine vinegar, not balsamic
• 1 tsp fine salt
• 1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper, coarsely ground
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes, or cayenne; or a combination
• 1 tsp sugar, optional; barely detectable, present only to soften the vinegar's sharpness

Method

1. 1
   Combine the vinegar, salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and sugar (if using) in a clean glass jar or bottle. Seal and shake until the salt is fully dissolved. The liquid should be transparent to pale red. Taste: the acid should sting immediately, the pepper should register at the back of the throat, and the salt should be present but not dominant.
2. 2
   Set the sealed jar aside at room temperature for 24 to 48 hours without disturbance. This is where the dish lives or dies: a fresh-mixed sauce is sharp and one-dimensional; only after the pepper has had time to infuse into the vinegar does the sauce become integrated — a single, cohesive seasoning rather than separate parts. Taste at 24 hours. The pepper's heat should be distributed evenly throughout the liquid, with no raw, separate note.
3. 3
   To serve, ladle generously over chopped or pulled pork. The pork should be noticeably moist with vinegar. Alternatively, pour the sauce into a table bottle for splashing at the table. The sauce may also be applied to the pork sandwich, coleslaw, or collard greens. Do not reduce the sauce; it is thin by design.