Recipe courtesy of Valentina's Tex Mex BBQ
La Reina Sandwich
- Level: Intermediate
- Yield: 6 sandwiches
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 24 servings
- Calories
- 317
- Total Fat
- 13
- Saturated Fat
- 4
- Carbohydrates
- 38
- Dietary Fiber
- 2
- Sugar
- 28
- Protein
- 12
- Cholesterol
- 38
- Sodium
- 444
- Total: 12 hr (includes resting time)
- Active: 3 hr
Ingredients
One 3- to 4-pound pork collar
1/2 to 1 cup dry rub, plus additional for sprinkling
4 cups Honey BBQ Glaze, recipe follows
4 to 5 large tomatoes, sliced 1/4-inch thick
1/2 cup olive oil
8 cups finely diced yellow onions
3 bolillo buns (large sandwich rolls)
4 tablespoons butter
BBQ Sauce:
3 1/2 cups ketchup
3 cups distilled white vinegar
1/4 cup mustard
1/4 cup sliced onion
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons ground black pepper
1 tablespoon dry rub
1/4 tablespoon granulated garlic
Glaze:
1 1/2 cups honey
Directions
Special equipment:
an offset smoker- Preheat an offset smoker for cooking at 250 degrees F.
- Rub pork collar generously with dry rub. Place pork in smoker and cook, brushing with Honey BBQ Glaze every hour, until internal temperature reaches 150 degrees F, about 5 hours.
- Let rest for 15 to 20 minutes, then slice into 1/4-inch slices.
- Meanwhile, put tomatoes in a pan, drizzle with 4 to 6 tablespoons olive oil, and sprinkle each side with dry rub. Cover with foil and smoke in smoker for 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, place onions in a medium saute pan with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Cook over low heat until onions are caramelized, soft and golden brown, 1 to 2 hours. Mash onions into a chunky paste.
- Slice open bolillo bread. Melt butter in a large saute pan or comal over medium-high heat. Place bolillo bread pieces in the pan cut-side down and cook until golden and toasted. Drizzle 2 tablespoons olive oil into the same pan. Place sliced pork collar into pan. Drizzle each side with Honey BBQ Glaze. Sear each side of pork for 2 to 3 minutes. (You may also use this same pan to warm up cooled smoked tomatoes, if needed.) Build 6 open-faced sandwiches, spreading a generous layer of caramelized onion paste on each piece of bread, layering the pork on top, layering on smoked tomatoes and drizzling with Honey BBQ Glaze.
Glaze:
- For the BBQ sauce: Preheat an offset smoker for cooking at 225 degrees F.
- Whisk together the ketchup, vinegar, mustard, onion, Worcestershire, pepper, dry rub and granulated garlic in a stainless steel or cast-iron pot until smooth. Place in smoker to cook until darkened, medium-thick and the onions have softened, 4 to 6 hours. (Alternately, cook BBQ sauce in a pan on the stovetop over low heat, covered, 4 to 6 hours.)
- For the glaze: Whisk together honey with 2 1/2 cups BBQ sauce until smooth and creamy (save the remaining BBQ sauce for another use).