Smoked Pork Belly Burnt Ends

What are pork belly burnt ends?

Burnt ends are a tradition in the beef world. They are cubes of beef brisket cut from the point end (the fattier part). After cooking slow and low, they’re tossed in sauce and caramelized.

But pork lovers have decided they want a piece of the burnt end action. Pork belly burnt ends are everywhere on Instagram. They’re actually easy to make, and take less time than their beef counterparts.

Unlike the brisket, which a cut of meat that comes from the chest of the cow, pork belly burnt ends are made from the belly of the pig, which is where bacon comes from.

Bacon however is cured and then smoked. With pork belly burnt ends, there is no curing involved, so you can make this recipe in just a few hours.

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• Pork Belly: Every pork belly is trimmed a little differently. You definitely need to make sure that the rind is removed. It’s best to ask your butcher to do this. Once the rind is removed, see how much fat is left. I leave about 1/4 inch of fat for flavor. Anything more and your bite can be a little too fatty.
• BBQ Rub: You can use any type of barbecue dry rub that goes great on pork. I recommend my award-winning Pork Rub.
• BBQ Sauce: To make these pork belly burnt ends nice and sticky, you’ll finish them with your favorite barbecue sauce.
• Butter
• Honey: Feel free to use regular honey or hot honey, if you like a little heat.

How to smoke pork belly burnt ends

1. STEP ONE: Start with a trimmed slab of skinless pork belly. With a sharp knife, cut it into one-inch cubes.

2. STEP TWO: Toss the pork belly cubes in your favorite BBQ rub. You can either do this in a large bowl or on a sheet pan.

3. STEP THREE: To save time, place the cubes in a single layer on a baking rack, and then place the baking rack on the preheated grill. This way you don’t have to leave your grill open as you place each one on the grate, allowing you to maintain a steady temp. Smoke for 3 hours at 225F degrees.

4. STEP FOUR: After about 3 hours, the pork belly cubes will have a nice bark. Remove them from the grill and place them in an aluminum pan.

Toss the cubes of pork belly in some sauce, butter and honey and cover with aluminum foil. Return to the smoker for 1 more hour. You want them to get nice and soft. I look for a temperature around 203F degrees.

I use a digital meat thermometer to measure the internal temperature of the pork belly.

5. STEP FIVE: Once they reach 203F degrees, you want the sauce to get nice and tacky. Remove the foil and let them smoke for another 15 minutes uncovered.

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How to serve pork belly burnt ends

Allow the cubed pork belly to cool slightly and then serve right away.

Smoked pork belly burnt ends are great as appetizers served with toothpicks. You can also pile them into tacos or onto a bun to make sandwiches. Or serve them over a bowl of white rice with some fresh pickled vegetables. Or on a Loaded Baked Potato with Smoked Mac and Cheese.

Some competitive barbecue contests have “hog wild” categories where they allow you to turn in your best bite of pork. Pork belly burnt ends make a great entry. People I compete against also do well with jalapeno poppers stuffed with pork.

Since judges are fans of cream cheese and jalapenos, I topped these burnt ends with with smoked garlic cream cheese, candied jalapeno and a pinch of sea salt to make them even more delectable. They earned me 2nd place at a Las Vegas competition.

Storage

Leftover smoked pork belly burnt ends can be saved in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can also freeze them for up to 4 months.

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