BBQ Pork Belly Sliders with Pickled Onions

We admit that these tasty little nuggets of awesomeness require some planning ahead and prep work, but once you taste these sliders, it'll all have been worth it! If you do not want to use a store-bought BBQ sauce, a store-bought teriyaki or hoisin sauce work equally as well.

PREP TIME: 15 minutes
COOK TIME: 1 hours 45 minutes

Ingredients
For the pickled onions:
1 large red onion, sliced into thin half-moons
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon allspice (optional)

For the pork belly:
1 pound skinless pork belly
2 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons brown sugar

Remaining ingredients for the sliders:
8 multi-grain or Hawaiian rolls, split
Green lettuce leaves
Mayonnaise
Store-bought BBQ sauce

Directions
Prep the pork belly: Pat the pork belly dry with a clean paper towel and place in a non-reactive baking dish. Rub with salt and sugar on all sides. Tent loosely with foil and refrigerate for at least 24 hours and up to 3 days. The more time you have to cure the pork belly, the crispier and more flavorful the end result will be.

At least 8 hours before serving the sliders, make the pickled onions. Pack the onion slices into a lidded glass jar. In a small saucepan on low, heat the vinegar, sugar and allspice until sugar is dissolved. Do not boil the mixture. Pour the sugar and vinegar mixture over the onions. Let cool, place lid on jar and let rest for at least 8 hours and up to three days.

About 1 1/2 hours before serving, remove the pork belly from the refrigerator and let come to room temperature. Preheat your oven to 450 F. Once the oven is heated, put the pork belly in the oven and roast for 30 minutes. Drop the oven temp to 275 F and continue to roast for another hour and fifteen minutes. You want the pork belly very tender, but not mushy. Remove the roast from the oven and let sit for at least ten minutes before slicing.

To assemble the sliders, place a few slices of lettuce and pork belly on the bottom sides of the slider buns. Top with mayo, BBQ sauce and pickled onions. Serve immediately.