Smoked Pork Belly Burnt Ends

Smoked pork belly burnt ends are easy to make and absolutely delicious. Smoke them low and slow and then finish them with your favorite BBQ sauce for a delicious appetizer.

What are Smoked Pork Belly Burnt Ends?

Pork belly burnt ends are cubes of pork belly that are tossed in a dry rub, smoked low and slow, then slathered in barbecue sauce and finished in a hot barbecue. They are easier to make than beef brisket burnt ends and are a real crowd pleaser.

How to Select a Pork Belly

A whole pork belly is one big slab of meat that can weigh 10 – 12 pounds. Most markets and butcher shops now carry smaller vacuum sealed pork belly portions that range from four to six pounds. I purchased a 4.6 pound pork belly, cut it in half, and used the thinner portion to make the smoked pork belly burnt ends. A typical pork belly is thicker on one end (about 1.5″) and thinner on the other end (about 1″). Cubes cut from the thicker end are just too big. Therefore, cut the cubes from the thinner 1″ section and make make bacon out of the thicker portion. See my recipe and video on making homemade bacon.

Remove the Skin

Pork belly can have skin on the fatty side that has to be removed before cooking. Score the skin with a sharp knife in 1″ strips. Use a paring knife to pry up the skin on one end of each strip and pull it up and away from the fat.

Make a Dry Rub

Great BBQ gets a lot of flavor from a good dry rub. Most recipes will make more dry rub than you need for that recipe. Extra dry rub will store in an airtight container in the pantry for several months.

Cook Low and Slow

The collagen in pork belly takes time to break down. Therefore, its best to cook these at a low temperature for a long time. Setup your smoker for indirect heat at 250˚ F. Use charcoal and wood chips or chunks in a Big Green Egg or Kamado Joe .

Offset Smokers

I used an offset smoker fueled by kiln dried oak with a little bit of apple wood. An offset smoker is hotter at the end closest to the firebox by as much as 40˚ F. Place the larger pieces of pork closer to the firebox and place the smaller pieces at the other end. Rotate them once or twice during the first two hours of cooking time.

Choose the Wood Carefully

The type of wood that you use is very important. Stay away from the woods that produce more intense smoke like hickory and mesquite. The smoke from those woods is just too strong for this dish. Stick with fruit woods, like apple or cherry.

Less is More

Setup a Big Green Egg or Kamado Joe with a few chunks of wood arranged around the center of the hot coals. Place some pieces several inches away from the hot coals. This allows the chunks to burn at different times providing a longer smoke time.

Use only a few chunks of fruitwood in an offset smoker. An offset smoker is fueled by wood, not charcoal, and is already getting a lot of smoke.

Cover and Braise

After two hours, transfer the pork belly piece to an aluminum pan. Add a little liquid and four tablespoons of butter. Seal it up tight with foil and place it back on the smoker for another two hours.

Add BBQ Sauce

Remove the foil, stir in your favorite BBQ sauce, bring the smoker up to 350˚ – 375˚ F and cook uncovered for 10 – 15 minutes. Bet you can’t eat just one.

Favorite Side Dishes

Some of our other favorite side dishes are:

• Corn Ribs
• Texas Style Creamed Corn with Poblano Peppers
• Creamed Corn Without Cream
• Barbecue Baked Beans
• Kosher Dill Pickles

Watch the video on YouTube