Sweet Apple Whiskey Pulled Pork Sliders with Bourbon Cheese Sauce
Sweet Apple Whiskey Pulled Pork Sliders with Bourbon Cheese Sauce are topped with zesty crunchy cabbage and spicy jalapeño.
Ingredients
Slider Ingredients:
- 2.5-3 lb pork roast
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1 cup Panther Distillery Spiked Apple Whiskey - 30 proof, (see note 1)
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 Tbsp. paprika
- 1-2 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper
Buns & Toppings Ingredients:
- 4 1/2 cups thinly sliced red cabbage, 1/2-2/3 head of cabbage
- 3 Tbsp. lime juice
- 2-3 tsp. salt
- 6-8 jalapeños
- 18 slider buns
Sauce Ingredients:
- 1 Tbsp. butter
- 1 shallot
- 3 cloves garlic
- 10 Tbsp. Panther Distillery Pike Street Bourbon - 92 proof, (see note 1)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 4 cups cheddar cheese, freshly shredded (see note 2)
- 1/2 tsp. salt
Instructions
Pulled Pork Instructions:
- Prep: In a small bowl combine paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Rub the spice mixture all over the pork roast. Whisk together the honey, Spiked Apple Whiskey and beef broth directly in the crock pot. Then place the pork roast in the crock pot, careful not to wash off the spice rub.
- Cook: Cover the crock pot and cook on low for 6-7 hours.
- Shred: Remove the pork roast from the crock pot and shred with two forks. Put the shredded pork back into the crock pot and let it cook on low for an additional hour to soak up all the delicious flavors.
Toppings & Buns Instructions:
- Prep: Thinly slice the red cabbage if you haven't already done so and put in a bowl. Coat the cabbage with the 3 Tbsp. of lime juice and 2-3 tsp. of salt and let marinate while preparing the rest of the meal. Slice the jalapeños and set aside. Toast slider buns if desired (in the toaster, on the grill, on the stove, or in the oven) and set aside.
Bourbon Cheese Sauce Instructions:
- Prep Ingredients: Grate cheddar cheese (if not already shredded) and set aside. Mince the shallot and garlic cloves.
- Cook and Reduce: Melt the butter in a deep sauce pan over medium low heat. Once the butter has melted, add the shallots and cook for 2 minutes while stirring. Then add the garlic and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes while stirring. Add 1/2 cup of bourbon to the pan. There should be an instant sizzle and steam rising from the pan. Increase the heat to medium. Then let the mixture reduce for 3-5 minutes (keep stirring!). This means the volume of the liquid will decrease. This mixture should be bubbling.
- Add Cream and Cheese: Once the mixture has reduced, add the heavy cream to the pan while constantly whisking the mixture. Bring the mixture to a boil. Then reduce the heat to medium/low and start adding the shredded cheddar cheese 1 cup at a time, stirring the mixture until the cheese is melted.
- Add Whiskey Topper: Once all the cheese has been added and melted, stir 2 Tbsp. of bourbon into the cheese sauce and serve immediately.
Bring It All Together:
- Assemble and Feast: Put the pulled pork on the slider bun and spoon a little of the slow cooker sauce over the pork. Add a spoonful or two of the bourbon cheese sauce over the pulled pork. Then top with the lime cabbage and jalapeño slices. Enjoy my friends!
Notes
Note 1 - Whiskey Su: Another good quality apple infused whiskey (30 proof) can be substituted for Panther's Spiked Apple Whiskey. Another quality bourbon can be substituted for Pike Street Bourbon.
Note 2 - Important: If possible, buy a brick of cheese and shred it yourself with a cheese grater or cut it into very small pieces. Pre-shredded cheese from the store has a coating that prevents the cheese from sticking together that causes the cheese sauce to thicken up much faster than freshly grated cheese. If you are using pre-shredded cheese, either use 1/2 the cheese or add more cream to help thin it out.
Nutrition
Serving: 1slider | Calories: 404kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 18g | Cholesterol: 86mg | Sodium: 626mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 9g
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