Smoked Pork Belly Burnt Ends

4.78 from 131 votes

Smoked Pork Belly Burnt Ends are irresistible, juicy bites of mouthwatering meat (the same kind used to make bacon) that is rubbed in spices, infused with smoky flavor, and tossed in a fabulous barbecue sauce. Eat them as an appetizer by spearing with toothpicks, or throw them into tacos or salads, onto buns for pork belly sandwiches, or over nachos.

Prep Time10

Cook Time4

Total Time4 10

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free

Servings: servings

Calories: 908kcal

Author: Amy Nash

Ingredients

4-5 pounds pork belly
2-3 Tablespoons olive oil

Rub

¼ cup brown sugar
2 Tablespoons coarse Kosher salt (be sure to use the right kind of salt!)
1 Tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 Tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Sauce

½ to 1 cup BBQ sauce
4 Tablespoon salted butter
⅓ cup honey

Instructions

Trim off the skin and top layer of pure fat of the pork belly. Cut the meat into 1 ½-inch cubes.
Rub the meat with a drizzle of olive oil, then combine the rub ingredients and sprinkle generously over the meat, rubbing it in to cover each piece.
Arrange the pork belly cubes on a wire cooling and baking rack, then place on the smoker and smoke between 225°F and 250°F for 2 ½ to 3 hours until dark red and a nice bark starts to form.
Transfer the pork belly cubes to a disposable aluminum pan and add BBQ sauce, butter, and honey, stirring to evenly coat the cubes of pork belly.
Cover with foil, then return the sauced pork belly to the smoker and cook for another 60 to 90 minutes, until the meat reaches 200°F to 205°F when a digital meat thermometer is inserted into the middle of one of the burnt ends or until a toothpick inserted into the burnt ends goes in and comes out easily.
Remove the foil and cook uncovered for another 15 minutes to let the sauce thicken up a bit, then remove the pork belly burnt ends from the smoker and serve.

Video

Notes

Wood pellets: We like to use cherry wood for smoking our pork belly burnt ends. I've also read that hickory, pecan, maple, and pretty much any of the fruit woods like apple or peach are good choices for this cut of meat, but we haven't tried them yet.
Storage: Leftover pork belly burnt ends can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. They reheat really well in a 350 degree F oven for 15 minutes or you could always throw them back on the smoker.

Nutrition