I was recently invited to a tasting event, which was conveniently in my own neighborhood. Nick’s Roast Beef, an Old City staple, has changed their name to Nick’s Bar and Grille and has a snazzy new menu to go with it’s new name.
Nick’s Bar & Grille in Old City, established in 1969, is “the” neighborhood corner bar of Philadelphia. In 2012, bartender-turned-owner Joseph Schultice hung up most of his infamous shorts and trimmed his signature long hair to usher in a new era for the long-time Old City staple. Today, Nick’s continues to serve as a laid back and friendly alternative to neighboring clubs and upscale fine dining restaurants.
The new barbecue-themed menu is filled with house-smoked meats, including smoked applewood chicken wings, St. Louis BBQ spare ribs, pulled pork with jalapeno slaw, mac ‘n cheese, house-made sauces, and more.
Nick’s long-time dishes that will remain on the menu include the Ground Bacon Burger, Roast Beef and Pork, six flavors of chicken wings and other bar favorites. New cocktails and spirits will be added to the drink menu, and customers can look for drink tastings with local purveyors.
The tasting took place in Nick’s newly renovated dining room which included custom-designed tables and whiskey barrel high-tops, a new community tasting table, old-time Old City imagery on the walls, and embellishments to the walls and ceilings.
The food was super tasty, I really loved the smoked wings and ground bacon burger. But my favorite tasting of the night had to be their new Pulled Pork with Jalapeno Slaw. The smokiness of the pork was offset by crunchy and slightly spicy jalapeno slaw, making for one awesome sandwich.
I wanted to try to recreate a version of the pulled pork with jalapeno slaw, but I (obviously) don’t have a smoker hanging out in my tiny apartment. So I made a slow cooker version with a Chipotle-Guinness barbecue sauce to add some smokiness to it, so here are my Pulled Pork Tacos with Jalapeno Slaw!
Pulled Pork:
- 2 tablespoons paprika
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon dry mustard
- 3 tablespoons coarse salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 (7 pound) pork shoulder or Boston butt
- corn tortillas
Chipotle-Guinness Barbecue Sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium sized yellow onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 (~12 oz) bottle of Guinness
- 1 (14.5 oz) can tomato puree
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 1/4 cup cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon of the sauce from a can of chipotle peppers in adobo
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
Jalapeno Slaw
- 1/3 cup fresh lime juice
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup thinly vertically sliced red onion
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 (10-ounce) package shredded red cabbage
- 2 jalapeño peppers, diced
To make the pork, combine the paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, brown sugar, dry mustard, and salt in a bowl.
Sprinkle over the pork, patting lightly to adhere.
Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a very large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add in the seasoned pork and cook for 4 minutes on each side, or until each side is nicely browned.
Remove the pork from the pan and add it to your slow cooker.
To make the barbecue sauce, add another tablespoon olive oil to the same pan over medium-high heat, and when hot, add the onions and garlic to the pan. Saute for 4 minutes or until fragrant, stirring occasionally.
Pour in the Guinness and stir with a wooden spoon to scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan.
Add the tomato puree, molasses, cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, adobo sauce, dijon mustard, and tomato paste, stirring to combine. Lower the heat to keep at a low simmer. Cover and cook for 20 minutes.
Pour the mixture over the pork and cook on low in the slow cooker for 8 hours.
To make the slaw, add the lime juice, sugar, salt, and pepper to a large bowl, whisking to combine. Add in the olive oil while whisking. Add the onion, cilantro, cabbage and jalapenos to the bowl and stir to combine. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
After 8 hours in the slow cooker, remove the pork from the slow cooker and shred with two forks.
Ladle in some of the barbecue sauce from the slow cooker until the meat is fully coated and a little bit wet, mixing to combine.
(You can reserve the rest of the sauce for another use. To thicken it a bit, add in 1 tablespoon cornstarch that has been mixed into 1 tablespoon cold water to the slow cooker and stir until it thickens.)
To make the tacos, grill or heat your corn tortillas according to package directions. Fill with pulled pork and top with the jalapeno slaw.
Yum! The barbecue sauce does deliver a hint of smokiness, and cooking it in the slow cooker keeps the meat super juicy. The slaw on top adds the crunch and bit of spiciness you’re looking for.
To try out the actual smoked pulled pork that inspired this recipe, be sure to stop into Nick’s the next time you’re in Old City! It’s located just south of 2nd and Market Streets, at 16 S 2nd St, Philadelphia, PA 19106.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons paprika
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon dry mustard
- 3 tablespoons coarse salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 (7 pound) pork shoulder or Boston butt
- corn tortillas
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium sized yellow onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 (~12 oz) bottle of Guinness
- 1 (14.5 oz) can tomato puree
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 1/4 cup cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon of the sauce from a can of chipotle peppers in adobo
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/3 cup fresh lime juice
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup thinly vertically sliced red onion
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 (10-ounce) package shredded red cabbage
- 2 jalapeño peppers, diced
Instructions
- To make the pork, combine the paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, brown sugar, dry mustard, and salt in a bowl.
- Sprinkle over the pork, patting lightly to adhere.
- Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a very large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add in the seasoned pork and cook for 4 minutes on each side, or until each side is nicely browned.
- Remove the pork from the pan and add it to your slow cooker.
- To make the barbecue sauce, add another tablespoon olive oil to the same pan over medium-high heat, and when hot, add the onions and garlic to the pan. Saute for 4 minutes or until fragrant, stirring occasionally.
- Pour in the Guinness and stir with a wooden spoon to scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan.
- Add the tomato puree, molasses, cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, adobo sauce, dijon mustard, and tomato paste, stirring to combine. Lower the heat to keep at a low simmer. Cover and cook for 20 minutes.
- Pour the mixture over the pork and cook on low in the slow cooker for 8 hours.
- To make the slaw, add the lime juice, sugar, salt, and pepper to a large bowl, whisking to combine. Add in the olive oil while whisking. Add the onion, cilantro, cabbage and jalapenos to the bowl and stir to combine. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- After 8 hours in the slow cooker, remove the pork from the slow cooker and shred with two forks.
- Ladle in some of the barbecue sauce from the slow cooker until the meat is fully coated and a little bit wet, mixing to combine.
- (You can reserve the rest of the sauce for another use. To thicken it a bit, add in 1 tablespoon cornstarch that has been mixed into 1 tablespoon cold water to the slow cooker and stir until it thickens.)
- To make the tacos, grill or heat your corn tortillas according to package directions. Fill with pulled pork and top with the jalapeno slaw.
I am a sucker for tacos of any kind and I am seriously loving this spicy slaw!