BBQ Pulled Pork Tacos with Cheerwine-Chipotle Pulled Pork, Tangy Apple Coleslaw, & Pickled Red Onions

BBQ Pulled Pork Tacos with Cheerwine-Chipotle Pulled Pork, Tangy Apple Coleslaw, & Pickled Red Onions

Can y'all believe how fast Summer has flown by? I mean I realize that it's still Summer, but I mean it's almost over. I love Summer, but I've always been an Autumn girl myself. I just love everything about it. Especially the food. So, I really can't wait for October to get here and I can get to makin' those seasonal dishes. But, nonetheless, it's still Summer and hot as hell. It reached about 105 degrees last week, but luckily for us, Savannah has had a long afternoon shower every day this week. So, it's finally cooled off to the low 90's. And you know what I crave when it's hot outside? Tacos. Lots and lots of them. They are like the ultimate Summertime food for me. And the variations are endless. I mean I can just sit at home and think of a million different taco combinations & toppings. I think we actually might make some Asian-inspired ones this weekend. Haven't really decided on that, but leaning towards it. Well these are made with BBQ pulled pork and they are just so tender and juicy. I used the Pioneer Woman's spicy pop pulled pork as my recipe, but instead of using Dr. Pepper, I used a Southern favorite, Cheerwine. Cheerwine is like a really good cherry coke, and it used to only be sold in South Carolina, but it's spread all over the South now. After the pork was cooked & shredded, I tossed it in my favorite BBQ Sauce, and it was perfect. Then, I knew that I just had to make a killer slaw to top the meat off. I sat there thinking, what goes good with pork? Apple. Pork + Apples are perfect together. Why not a tangy apple slaw? It was perfect. I loved this slaw. And I think it would be a great side at a cookout or barbecue. It's crispy, sweet, sour, and everything spicy & nice. Also, it's not covered or slammed in a heavy mayo dressing, but a like olive oil vinaigrette. That just screams Summer even more to me. I had to make some pickled red onions to put on the tacos because I just love them with pork. Of course, we loaded ours up with a bunch of different components... guacamole, salsa, crumbled queso fresco, and a touch of my Alabama White BBQ Sauce that I made for our Beer Can Chicken. These tacos were hearty, yet refreshing, and perfect for a dinner out in our garden!! Enjoy :)

For the Pickled Red Onions:

2 Medium Red Onions, Thinly Sliced

1 ½C White Vinegar

½C Sugar

½ Cinnamon Stick, 5 Cloves, 1 Bay Leaf, 1 Star Anise

¼t Red Pepper Flakes  

For the Vinaigrette:

1T Dijon Mustard

3T Red Wine Vinegar

1t Salt

½C Olive Oil

For the Tangy Apple Coleslaw:

Prepared Vinaigrette

½C Pickled Red Onions

2 Jalapenos, Seeded & Thinly Sliced

¼C Fresh Cilantro, Chopped

3 Green Onions, Finely Sliced

2C Green Apples, Shredded

2C Coleslaw Mix

For the Cheerwine-Chipotle Pulled Pork:

1 Large Vidalia onion, Cut into Wedges

1 Pork Butt (between 5-7lbs)

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

11oz Chipotle Peppers in Adobo

16oz Cheerwine Soda

2T Brown Sugar

For the Pulled Pork Tacos:

Prepared Cheerwine-Chipotle Pulled Pork

Barbeque Sauce

Prepared Tangy Apple Coleslaw

Crumbled Cotija Cheese, Fresh Lime, Salsa, Guacamole, Cilantro, & Any Other Toppings

Directions:

1. For the Cheerwine-Chipotle Pulled Pork: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Place the onion wedges into the bottom of a large Dutch oven. Generously season the pork with salt & pepper. Place the pork on top of the onions. In a small bowl, gently whisk together the chipotle peppers in adobo, brown sugar, and Cheerwine until mixed and the sugar is dissolved. Pour this mixture over the pork. Place the lid on tightly and cook the meat for roughly 5-7 hours depending on how big your pork butt is (make sure the turn the roast 2-3 times during the cooking process). The meat should fall apart easily and be able to be pulled with two forks. If it isn’t return the pork to the oven for another hour. Remove the meat from the pot and place onto a cutting board. Using two forks shred the meat into pieces, making sure to discard the fat (strain the fat off the top of the cooking liquid). Return the shredded pork to the cooking liquid and keep warm until ready to serve.

2. For the Pickled Red Onions: Blanch the thinly sliced red onions in a saucepan of boiling water for 2 minutes, and then drain them in a colander. In a pot, combine the vinegar, sugar, and spices and whisk to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, add the blanched, drained onions into Mason jar. Once the vinegar mixture has cooked, pour it into the jar of onions, making sure they are all covered. Allow the jar come to room temperature and then refrigerate until cool and pink in color.

3. For the Vinaigrette: In a bowl, combine the mustard, vinegar, and salt. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until well blended. Set it aside.

4. For the Tangy Apple Coleslaw: In a mixing bowl, combine pickled red onions, sliced jalapenos, fresh cilantro, green onions, shredded green apples, and coleslaw mix. Toss until the ingredients are all combined. Add the vinaigrette and toss to coat the ingredients. Season with salt & pepper. Cover and refrigerate the coleslaw until you are ready to put on the tacos.

5. Place some of the pulled pork on a flour tortilla, and then top them with the tangy apple coleslaw, pickled red onions, and any other toppings that you like. Enjoy.