Sweet Heat Pork Sliders Recipe

Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C). Pat pork shoulder pieces dry. In a small bowl mix kosher salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, and garlic powder and rub evenly over the pork.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a heavy Dutch oven or oven-safe pot over medium-high heat. Sear pork pieces on all sides until browned, about 3–4 minutes per side. Transfer seared pork to a plate.

Add the quartered onion to the pot and cook 2–3 minutes until slightly softened. Pour in chicken stock and apple cider vinegar and scrape any browned bits from the bottom.

Return pork to the pot. Cover tightly and transfer to the oven. Braise for 2.5–3 hours until pork easily pulls apart with a fork. Check at 2 hours—if liquid is low, add up to 1/2 cup more stock or water.

Remove pork from oven. Transfer pork to a rimmed pan and let rest 10 minutes. Shred pork with two forks, discarding large pieces of fat. Skim excess fat from braising liquid and reserve about 1/3 cup of the liquid. Mix shredded pork with 1/2 cup of the Texas BBQ sauce (see sauce directions) and 2 tablespoons reserved braising liquid to keep moist. Keep warm.

In a small saucepan, combine ketchup, beef broth, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, ground cumin, smoked paprika, black pepper, and salt.

Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low and simmer 8–10 minutes until slightly thickened and glossy. Taste and adjust seasoning (more brown sugar for sweetness, vinegar for tang). Keep warm. Reserve 1/2 cup for tossing pork and extra for serving.

In a small bowl combine diced pineapple, lime juice, honey, and salt. Stir and let sit at room temperature 10 minutes to macerate so juices release. Taste and adjust: add a pinch more honey if too tart.

Use gloves or wash hands after handling habanero. In a small bowl whisk together sweet Thai chili sauce, minced habanero (start with half a pepper and add more if you want more heat), honey, rice vinegar, lime juice, and salt until homogenous.

Taste carefully and adjust heat/sweetness. If too spicy, add an extra teaspoon of honey or 1–2 teaspoons of sweet chili sauce to mellow the heat. Set aside at room temperature.

In a medium bowl combine mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, salt, and black pepper. Whisk until smooth.

Add shredded cabbage and grated carrot to the dressing. Toss thoroughly to coat. Chill in refrigerator at least 10 minutes to let flavors marry. Taste before assembling and adjust seasoning.

Heat vegetable oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat until it reaches ~350°F (175°C) or a small piece of onion sizzles immediately.

Toss thinly sliced onion rings with flour, cornstarch, salt, and black pepper until evenly coated, shaking off excess.

Fry onions in batches in hot oil, stirring gently, until golden brown and crispy, about 2–3 minutes per batch. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a paper towel-lined tray to drain. Season lightly with a pinch of salt while still hot.

Split slider buns and brush cut sides with softened butter. Toast buttered sides in a skillet or under a broiler until golden-brown and crisp, about 1–2 minutes per side on skillet or 1 minute under broiler—watch closely.

Warm shredded pork briefly in a skillet with reserved Texas BBQ sauce if needed, stirring until heated through (2–3 minutes).

To build each slider: place a heaping 1/3 cup of sauced pulled pork on the bottom bun, spoon about 1 tablespoon pineapple topping over the pork, add a small handful (about 1/4 cup) of slaw, drizzle 1 teaspoon of the habanero sweet Thai sauce over the slaw, and top with a small pinch (about 1 tablespoon) of crispy onion straws.

Finish with cilantro leaves if using and place top bun. Serve sliders immediately so buns remain crisp and onion straws stay crunchy.