Pork Belly Burnt Ends with Sweet Glaze

Name: Pork Belly Burnt Ends with Sweet Glaze
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 240 min
Total time: 265 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 tbsp brown sugar; 1 tbsp smoked paprika; 1 tbsp garlic powder; 1 tsp onion powder; 1 tsp chili powder; 2 tsp kosher salt; 1 tsp black pepper; 3 lb skinless pork belly, cut into 1.5-inch cubes; 2 tbsp yellow mustard (binder); 1/2 cup BBQ sauce; 1/4 cup honey; 3 tbsp butter, cubed; 2 tbsp brown sugar (for glaze)

265 min 8 servings medium

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Pork Belly Burnt Ends with Sweet Glaze

Cubes of rich pork belly smoked until meltingly tender, then tossed in a sweet BBQ glaze for candy-like bites of smoky perfection.

Prep

20 min

Cook

240 min

Total

265 min

Servings

Difficulty

medium

Pork belly burnt ends are meat candy — rich cubes of fatty pork belly that are smoked low and slow, then glazed and caramelized until they are sticky, sweet, and impossibly tender. Each bite melts on your tongue with layers of smoke, sugar, and pork fat.

Ingredients

Servings

Rub

Pork Belly

Instructions

Cube and season

Cut pork belly into 1.5-inch cubes. Coat with yellow mustard and apply the rub generously on all sides of each cube.

Smoke the cubes

Set smoker to 250°F with cherry or apple wood. Place cubes directly on the grate in a single layer with space between each piece. Smoke for 2 hours until the bark is set and the cubes are deeply colored.

Braise in a pan

Transfer cubes to an aluminum pan. Add BBQ sauce, honey, butter, and additional brown sugar. Toss gently to coat. Cover tightly with foil.

Pro tip: The braising step is what takes these from chewy to melt-in-your-mouth tender.

Tenderize

Return the covered pan to the smoker at 275°F for 1.5 hours until the cubes are very tender when probed but still hold their shape.

Caramelize

Remove foil and gently toss cubes in the sticky glaze. Return to smoker uncovered for 15-20 minutes until the sauce becomes thick and tacky and the cubes have a caramelized shell.