Pork Belly Sliders with Celery Apple Slaw and Bourbon Maple Glaze

I've made pork belly quite a few times with Asian flavors.  We all love it except for Julian.  The other day out of the blue he asked me to make pork belly and I was a bit taken back.  I had to rethink how I was going to make it so that he would want to eat it.  I decided a slider was the way to go, and I really cooked it down so it wasn't super fatty for him.  The celery apple slaw really helps balance out the flavors and add some texture to the slider.  I made a Bourbon Maple glaze that you can brush on the pork while it's cooking, but I reduced mine down slowly and served it on the side in case Julian didn't care for it.  He has never really eaten a lot of pork belly that I have made in the past, but he ate 3 sliders for dinner.  I hope you enjoy it as much as he did. 

Pork Belly Sliders
makes 8


Ingredients
Pork Belly:

• 1 1/2 pounds pork belly
• 3 tbsp. white vinegar
• salt and pepper 
• brioche slider buns (I used Macarina bakery)

Celery Apple Slaw:

• 1/2 of a granny smith apple
• 2 ribs of celery
• 1 tbsp. mayonnaise
• 1 1/2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 1 tsp. whole grain mustard
• 1/4 tsp. sugar
• salt and pepper to taste

Bourbon Maple Glaze:

• 4 oz. bourbon
• 2 oz. dark molasses
• 10 oz. maple syrup, grade B
• 1 tsp. light brown sugar

Directions

For Pork:

Preheat oven to 400.

Score the fat of the pork belly, making sure not to break the flesh.  Brush the fat with the vinegar and season with salt and pepper.  Place on a baking sheet fitted with a grate.  Bake for 30 minutes at 400 degrees, then reduce the temperature to 350 degrees and cook for another hour.  Take pork out of oven and let rest for 10 - 15 minutes before slicing.

For Glaze:

Combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil.  Stir until the sugar is dissolved, remove from heat and keep warm until ready to serve.

For Slaw:

Cut the celery and apple into 2 inch thin Julienne slices.  Whisk together the remaining ingredients in a bowl then add the apple and celery, toss well to combine.  Let stand at least 15 minutes to let the flavors combine.  

Butter the inside of the brioche buns, and give them a quick toast either in a hot pan on the stove or in the oven.  Do right before serving.