BBQ Pulled Pork Grilled Cheese with Beer Caramelized Onions and Sharp Cheddar

These were AMAZING. As you can tell from my last post, I’ve been in a BBQ mood from it being summer and everything. I can’t get enough. The sharp melty cheese with the BBQ pulled pork and sweet caramelized onions (with a hint of beer flavor) on the crustiest toasted bread was the best combo. I have no words. You just have to make these and see for yourself. Definitely a nice change from your regular pulled pork on a bun. Insanely good.

Makes 4-6 big sandwiches plus leftover pork (maybe)

For the pork:
3 1/4-3 1/2 lb. bone-in pork shoulder
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 c. beer of your choice
2 T. olive oil
2 T. brown sugar
1 T. paprika
1 tsp. dry mustard
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp/ garlic powder
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. ground black pepper
1-1 1/2 c. of your favorite barbeque sauce
slices of sharp cheddar cheese
slices of your favorite hearty bread (I used TJ’s Tuscan Pane)
butter (to spread on bread)

For the beer onions:
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 T. olive oil
1 T. granulated sugar
1/2 c. beer (the rest of the 12 oz. bottle)
1 tsp. stone ground dijon mustard
1 tsp. honey

Begin by rinsing the pork shoulder and patting it dry with paper towels. Rub with olive oil and then liberally apply dry rub. Place the sliced onions for the pork in the bottom of a crock pot, and add pork shoulder to pot. Pour beer into crock pot and cover. Cook on low for 10-12 hours. When pork is finished, remove from pot and let cool a little bit. Pull the pork using two forks and/or your hands..it should fall right apart. Add barbeque sauce and stir to combine.

To make the caramelized onions, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium/high heat. Add thinly sliced onions and sauté for 15 minutes or so until they begin to caramelize, soften, and become golden brown. Reduce heat to medium/low after 10 minutes. Next, put heat back up to high, and add beer. Sauté for an additional 3-5 minutes to let alcohol cook out and the onions soften and become deeper brown in color. They should become almost like an onion jam. Add dijon mustard and honey and stir to combine. Remove from heat.

To assemble sandwiches, butter outsides of bread slices, and spread caramelized onions on both sides of insides of bread. Layer sliced cheese on each slice of bread, and top with desired amount of pulled pork. Top with other bread half and place in a skillet preheated to medium/high. (I added a little butter to the pan too). Toast on each side for 3-4 minutes, until cheese is bubbly and bread is golden brown. Remove from pan, let sit for a minute and cut in half.

OMG.