Get ready for a tasty BBQ treat! Our Low and Slow Pork Belly Burnt Ends are the perfect mix of sweet, smoky, and sticky goodness!
These delightful bites, topped with a sweet honey glaze and your favourite BBQ sauce, are guaranteed to have everyone coming back for more!
Perfect for any backyard barbecue or summer hangout!
Ingredients
- A whole pig belly, skinless and boneless.
- A sweet BBQ rub (I prefer the Meat Church Honey Hog).
- Blues Brothers, your favorite BBQ sauce, is excellent.
- Honey
- For spritzing, use apple juice.
- Brown gugar
- Butter
Essentials
- Use either Cherry or Apple Traeger pellets, or smoke chips.
- Wire rack
- I prefer to use a disposable aluminum pan due to its messiness.
- Instant-read thermometer
Cooking Method
Prepare Your Smoker
For this recipe, I really enjoy using the Traeger! Fire up your smoker and get it comfortable and cozy at 135°C! For this dish, I really enjoy using apples or cherries!
The smokiness really comes through, doesn’t it?
Prepare the pork belly.
Cut the pork belly into 1-inch cubes. Just double-check that you’ve taken off all the skin, okay? It really makes for some fantastic crackling!
Season the Pearl Belly
Make sure to coat the pork belly cubes thoroughly with your preferred BBQ rub. Consider using a sweeter rub, such as Honey Hog, for an extra burst of flavor.
Allow the rub to soak in on all sides for at least 15 minutes!
Smoke The Pork Belly
1. Set the pork belly on the wire rack with the fat side facing up, ensuring there’s plenty of room for the smoke to embrace every side.
Insert the wire rack into the smoker and allow it to operate for approximately three hours. Give the pork belly a little spritz of apple juice every 45 minutes, or whenever it appears to be drying out.
2. Grab your instant read thermometer and check the belly when the meat hits an internal temperature of 90°C. You really want it to be super tender, right?
That’s why I keep it at 90°C; it gets almost as tender as pulled pork!
Finishing the barn ends
- First, go ahead and toss those cubes into the aluminum pan! Sprinkle some extra BBQ rub on those cubes and give them a satisfying toss! Place a generous layer of brown sugar on top, and then add 4-5 substantial chunks of butter.
- Slather those cubes with BBQ sauce and top them with a sweet honey drizzle! This one isn’t for the calorie counters out there!
- Pop the pan back into the smoker, leaving it uncovered, and let it cook for another hour or so, until all that liquid has beautifully reduced and caramelized. Give it a thorough stir every 20 minutes to make sure all those cubes are nicely coated all around! You’re aiming for a toffee apple hue on these beauties! They’re hot when they come out, so let them cool for 15 minutes before eating.
Final Thoughts
These pork belly burnt ends are sure to win everyone over! Sticky, smoky, and packed with flavor, they’re totally worth all the prep time! Be sure to reserve a few for yourself before they disappear!