Pulled Pork Paninis with Caramelized Onions

FOR THE PORK
Coat the pork on all sides with the dry rub and massage the rub into the meat. Wrap the meat tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least an hour or overnight.

Lay one of the sliced onion and the smashed garlic cloves on the bottom of a large slow cooker. Mix apple juice (or water) with liquid smoke and add it into the slow cooker. Unwrap the pork. Place pork on top of everything. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours, or until pork is very tender.

Transfer pork to bowl or baking sheet with rimmed edges. Discard the cooking liquid and onions. Remove any fat from the pork. Using two forks, shred pork and return it to the slow cooker. Pour BBQ sauce over the top and mix thoroughly. Cook on high for 30 minutes. Add any additional seasonings to adjust to your taste.

While pork is cooking for the final 30 minutes, caramelize the remaining sliced onions. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat, and add sliced onions. Cook until onions are brown and caramelized, about 25-30 minutes.

FOR THE PANINIS
When ready to make your paninis, butter the outside of each piece of bread (or brush with olive oil). Place 6 pieces, butter side down on your work surface and pile pork, some caramelized onions, and a slice (or two!) of sharp cheddar cheese onto those slices. Top with another slice of bread (butter side up).

Heat your panini maker*. Once hot, add your paninis. Grill them until brown and toasty…serve hot!

*(Note: I used a panini maker, but you could also do them like you do grilled cheese using a skillet or you could use a George Foreman).

FOR THE DRY RUB
Mix together all of the dry rub ingredients in a medium bowl. (If desired, you could also use the chopper attachment of an immersion blender to blend everything together). Store in an airtight container up to three months. (Note: adjust the types and amounts of seasoning to your liking or to what you have on hand. Just don’t leave out the paprika, sugar, salt, or pepper. (This might seem like a lot of intense flavors, but they will mellow a lot in the cooking process).

FOR THE BBQ SAUCE
Mix together all of the sauce ingredients in a medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. (If using the BBQ sauce outside of this recipe, you’ll want to simmer it on the stove for 10-15 minutes, but here you don’t need to because it will cook in the slow cooker).