American Pulled Chicken No. 2

Ingredients for 10 servings:

• 2.7 kg chicken breast or chicken thighs
• 335 ml beer, light
• 450 ml apple juice
• 60 ml apple cider vinegar
• 950 ml chicken stock or chicken broth
• 3 tbsp paprika powder
• 3 tbsp salt
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp mustard powder
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 4 large onions
• 3 tbsp butter
• 3 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp sugar
• 400 ml barbecue sauce (Bulls Eye BBQ Sauce)
• 10 rolls
• 20 slice(s) of gherkin(s) (dill pickles)

Instructions

Working time approx. 50 minutes; Rest time approx. 4 hours; Cooking/baking time approx. 4 hours 20 minutes; Total time approx. 9 hours 10 minutes

So delicious!

For the caramelized onions, peel the onions and slice them into thin rings. Heat the butter and oil in a large pot or skillet over slightly less than medium heat. Add the onions, cover, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring 4 to 5 times to prevent the onions from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Remove the lid, reduce the heat to medium, and sprinkle in the salt and sugar. Simmer uncovered for another 35 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the pot is running low on liquid, add a little water or stock a tablespoon at a time. The onions should be a deep golden brown and almost jam-like in consistency. Remove the pot from the heat, transfer the onions to a bowl, and set aside. For the pulled chicken, remove any skin, bones, and fat from the chicken pieces. Place the chicken pieces in a bowl and sprinkle with the rub, making sure to coat all pieces well with the rub. Cover the meat and place the bowl in the refrigerator for 4 hours. After 4 hours, preheat the oven to 150 degrees Celsius, using bottom heat if possible, or top/bottom heat if necessary. Remove the bowl with the chicken pieces from the refrigerator. Heat a large, ovenproof pot on the stove over medium heat. Add a little oil, if desired (1 tablespoon). Add the chicken pieces and brown for 5 to 10 minutes. Then pour in the beer, followed by the apple juice, apple cider vinegar, and finally the chicken stock; bring everything to a simmer. Place the pot with the lid on in the oven and braise the chicken pieces for 3 hours. Then remove the pot from the oven, place the chicken pieces on a large platter, and pull them apart with two forks. Place the pulled chicken in a bowl and pour 2 or 3 ladles of the cooking liquid over it. Add the BBQ sauce and mix everything well. Cut open the buns, spread the pulled chicken on the bottom half of each bun, and top with the caramelized onions and pickle slices. Place the bun tops on top and serve.