Ingredients

• 2 sweet potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch wedges
• 1 red onion
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 lime
• 2 burger buns, halved
• 1 lb ground pork
• 1/4 cup barbecue sauce
• to taste hot sauce
• 3 tablespoons ketchup
• 3/4 teaspoon total granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• to taste salt
• to taste pepper

Equipment

• Baking sheet
• Large skillet
• Small mixing bowls
• Cutting board and knife

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F. Toss the sweet potato wedges on a baking sheet with a drizzle of oil, salt, and pepper, then spread them out so they roast instead of steam. Roast until browned at the edges and tender inside, 20 to 25 minutes.
2. While the potatoes roast, halve and peel the onion. Slice about 1/4 cup paper-thin for pickling, then finely chop the rest for the filling. Halve the lime and squeeze the juice into a small bowl. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in the microwave (about 30 seconds) and brush it on the cut sides of the buns.
3. To the bowl of lime juice, add the thinly sliced onion, 1/4 teaspoon sugar, and a pinch of salt. Stir and set aside so the onion softens and turns tangy, which cuts the richness of the pork.
4. Heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion with a pinch of salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until softened and translucent, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds, so it doesn't scorch. Add the pork, season with salt and pepper, and break it up as it cooks until browned and no longer pink, 4 to 6 minutes.
5. In a small bowl, stir together the barbecue sauce, the pickling liquid drained from the onion, 3 tablespoons ketchup, 1/2 teaspoon sugar, and 1/4 cup water. Pour this over the cooked pork and cook, stirring, until the sauce clings and thickens, 2 to 3 minutes. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed.
6. Toast the buttered buns in the oven or toaster until golden, 3 to 5 minutes. Pile the saucy BBQ pork onto the bottom buns, top with the pickled onion and a few dashes of hot sauce, and serve with the sweet potato wedges on the side.