BBQ Pulled Pork Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Caramelized Onions, Smoked Gruyere and Sharp Cheddar

grilled cheese

Here it is, folks.  The sandwich that SHOULD have won the Great Grilled Cheese competition at Paris on Ponce this weekend.  I put in my best effort.  I slow cooked 3 massive pork butts all night.  I was slinging sandwiches like the Pied Piper of Pork…for an hour.  And then, I ran out.  OF EVERYTHING.  Like, 17 pounds of pulled pork was ‘hasta la vista, baby.’  How did it happen?  The crowds gobbled it up and kept coming back for more.  More, which I simply didn’t have.  I also ran out of of the Mac and Cheese that I piled onto people’s sandwiches for added tasty effect.  (I doctored Bobby Flay’s recipe here with a little more cheese and pancetta.)  I was totally wiped out of all delish.  Doneski.  I had to turn people away and watched as they went to my competition.  *Sob.

So there it is.  I sulked.  I stewed.  I sucked down a few cocktails.  And then I realized, it wasn’t for lack of a delicious sandwich.  I just couldn’t compete against restaurants with unlimited supplies, resources and industrial sized griddles on site.  Whatev.

So, I packed up my crockpot and pulled up my big girl panties and went home.  But this sammy is still a winner, y’all!  Enjoy– just be prepared to run out of delish– in a quickness!  Oh yeah, and the lil’ grilled cheese “duet” I had going on to start out the competition– with Nutella, cream cheese and Graham cracker crumbs?  That recipe is on tap for tomorrow.

A HUGE thank you to Alon’s Bakery for providing the incredible country white bread and to The Fresh Market for supplying the cheese and pork butts!

Pulled Pork Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Smoked Gruyere and Sharp Cheddar

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Ingredients

    For the Mustard Moisturizer
  • • 6 tablespoons yellow mustard
  • • 6 tablespoons water
  • • 1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • • 1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • For the Seasoning Rub
  • • 1/4 cup chili powder,
  • • 2 tablespoons paprika
  • • 2 tablespoons firmly packed dark brown sugar
  • • 1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
  • • 3/4 teaspoon garlic salt
  • • 3/4 teaspoon coarsely ground fresh black pepper
  • • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • • 1/2 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
  • • About 1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
  • • 1 cup Apple Juice
  • For the Wrapping Mixture
  • • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter melted
  • • 1/4 cup honey
  • • 1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
  • • 1/4 cup yellow mustard
  • • 1/4 cup water
  • For the BBQ Sauce
  • • 2 Tb butter
  • • 5 garlic cloves, peeled and coarsely chopped
  • • 1 medium sweet white onion coarsely chopped
  • • 2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus additional as needed
  • • 1/4 cup bourbon
  • • 3 tablespoons chili powder
  • • 1 tablespoon coarsely ground fresh black pepper
  • • 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice, plus additional for seasoning
  • • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves, plus additional for seasoning
  • • 1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
  • • 2 cups water
  • • 2 cups ketchup
  • • 1 cup Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ Sauce or your fave bottled sauce
  • • 1/2 cup molasses
  • • 1/2 cup prepared yellow mustard
  • • 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar, plus additional as needed
  • • 2 teaspoons hot sauce
  • • 1/2 cup apricot preserves
  • • 1 jalapeno chile, grated on a Microplane grater, stopping before the seeds
  • • 1/2 Granny Smith apple, grated on a Microplane grater
  • For the Caramelized Onions
  • • 2 red onions sliced into rings
  • • 3 Tb butter
  • • pinch of kosher salt
  • • 1/4 cup red wine
  • For the sandwich
  • • Country white bread
  • • equal parts butter and mayo mixed together with a sprinkle of garlic powder
  • • smoked gruyere cheese
  • • sharp cheddar cheese

Instructions

    For the pork
  1. Lightly pat the pork butt dry with paper towels.
  2. Combine all of the mustard moisturizer ingredients.
  3. Combine all of the seasoning rub ingredients.
  4. Spread the moisturizer on the pork and then sprinkle liberally with the seasoning blend, and using your hands or a brush, blot all sides to evenly, but lightly coat with canola oil.
  5. Preheat oven to 250. Pour 1 cup apple juice at bottom of a large pan and place the butt in the pan, covered with foil. Baste with apple juice every hour for 3 hours.
  6. Pour Wrapping mixture over pork and continue to cook (foil covered) for another 3-4 hours.)
  7. While pork is cooking make BBQ sauce. Saute onions and garlic in butter until soft, about 5 minutes. Then add the rest of the ingredients and simmer on low until combined.
  8. Shred meat with a fork and put the BBQ sauce on the side for people to mix. (Some people are purists and don’t like their pork drenched in sauce!)
  9. For the caramelized onions
  10. Slice onions into thin rings
  11. Heat up 3 TB butter in a large sauce pan and add onions.
  12. Cook for 30 minutes on low/medium heat, stirring occasionally.
  13. Add 1/4 cup red wine (any kind will work!) and crank up the heat until onions are simmering, about 5 minutes.
  14. Turn heat back down and cook wine off for another 20 minutes.
  15. To assemble the sandwich
  16. Spread the butter/mayo/garlic powder mixture on the bread
  17. Heat up a frying pan,
  18. Layer smoked gruyere and sharp chedddar on the sandwich with a layer of caramelized onions and a big honkin' scoop of the pulled pork smothered in BBQ sauce.
  19. Cook until bread is nicely browned on one side, about 4 minutes. Flip and continue cooking until cheese is melted.
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2 thoughts on “BBQ Pulled Pork Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Caramelized Onions, Smoked Gruyere and Sharp Cheddar

    1. Parker Post author

      yeah, well, that’s how I roll! ( :
      Baby Ray’s is fabulous on it’s own– hope you still liked how the pork turned out!

      Reply

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