Whiskey BBQ Sliders
Ingredients:
- Apple BBQ Sauce
- 2 oz whiskey or rye
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 granny smith apples, peeled and finely diced
- 2 cups apple cider
- 1 cup ketchup
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground pepper
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- Pulled Pork
- ½ cup Whiskey or rye
- 2 lb boneless pork shoulder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp paprika
- ½ tsp pepper
- ½ tsp cumin
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup apple BBQ sauce
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- 8 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
- Sliders
- 12 pack slider buns
- 1 cup apple BBQ sauce
- 2lb shredded pulled pork
- ½ yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 1 cup gruyere cheese, grated
Directions:
Makes 12 sliders, serves 6-12
Apple BBQ Sauce
In a medium sized heavy bottom pot, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and sweat for 5 minutes or until translucent. Add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally for another 2 minutes. Add the apples, apple cider, ketchup, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, spices and vanilla. Stir to combine. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes until a jammy consistency is achieved. Fold in whiskey or rye. Let cool and refrigerate until needed.
Pulled Pork
Preheat the oven to 250ºF.
In a small bowl, combine the garlic powder, onion powder, salt, paprika, pepper, cumin and cayenne. Rub the pork with the dry spice mix and place in a dutch oven.
In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, apple BBQ sauce, and apple cider vinegar. Pour over the pork. Place the lid on the dutch oven and cook 4-6 hours or until meat is fork tender. Shred with 2 forks and gently mix in the crumbled bacon and whiskey or rye.
Slider Serving Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Spray a 9x13 pan with nonstick cooking spray.
Slice the buns almost completely in half, keeping the tops and bottoms partially attached. Place the bottom buns in the pan and smother with apple BBQ sauce. Add an even layer of pulled pork. Top with sliced onions and sprinkle with gruyere. Add the tops of the buns, cover with aluminum foil, and bake for 10 minutes. Remove the sliders from the oven, and rest for 5 minutes before serving.
