Amber Ale is one of our favorite beers to cook with because it is so well balanced and accentuates so many different kinds of food perfectly. These Pulled Pork Sliders are no exception.

Amber Ale Pulled Pork Sliders

Developed by Bell’s Eccentric Café Executive Chef Kris McDonough

Ingredients

• 6-8 pounds pork shoulder, cut into 2-3 inch cubes
• 2 tbs fennel seeds
• 1 large onion, large dice
• 1 Granny Smith apple, cored and sliced
• 8 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 bottle (12 oz.) Bell’s Amber Ale (find some nearby)
• 8 cups chicken stock
• ½ cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 tsp ground mustard
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 2-3 tbs vegetable oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

• In a large pot, heat the 2-3 tbs of vegetable oil until shimmering and lightly smoking. While oil is heating, toss the cubed pork in salt and pepper to season. Sear each side of the pork in the pan until nice and golden. Remove pork from the pan and set aside.
• In the same pot, roast the fennel seeds for about 1 minute (or until fragrant), then toss the onion, apple and garlic in to sweat. Add the ground mustard and brown sugar.
• Return the pork to the pot, and deglaze the pan with the Amber Ale. Add the vinegar and enough of the stock just until the pork is almost covered (if you don’t have enough stock, you can use more Amber Ale)
• Bring the pot to a boil and then lower to a simmer. Simmer on the stove, covered, over low heat, checking regularly, for 2 hours (or until the pork is tender enough to be pulled). You can also cook the pork covered, in the oven at 400F for 4 hours.
• Once pork is done, pull it apart and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with Amber Ale Mustard BBQ, pickles, and slider buns!

Chef’s Note: You can also just all all ingredients into a slow cooker, cook it on medium heat for 5-6 hours, and have a nice, no-mess pulled pork. This can also be made as a wonderful vegan alternative by substituting jackfruit and vegetable stock for the pork and chicken stock.