Treat yourself to the new classic of barbecue - Pork Belly Burnt Ends! Enjoy the smoky and succulent point meat of the pork belly year-round on game day, at summer BBQs or at holiday parties. With its intense flavor and effortless preparation, it's sure to become a hit among your guests!
WHAT YOU’LL LOVE
- Two-inch cubes on a jerky rack: Cubes of pork belly rubbed with oil and Ozark Heat rub and spaced out on a jerky rack smoke at 250°F until each one has a mahogany bark on every side.
- Apple juice and honey wrap: Foiling the cubes with apple juice and honey and raising the smoker to 300°F braise them until they’re very tender and nearly falling apart.
- Apple butter glaze: Tossing the cubes with House of Q Apple Butter BBQ Sauce and more honey, then returning them to the smoker for 15-20 minutes, sets a sticky, caramelized coating.
- Pork candy bites: The result is a bite with a crisp bark, a melt-in-your-mouth center, and a sweet, smoky glaze, modeled on brisket burnt ends.
Pork Belly Burnt Ends
Tom Jackson
Rated 4.1 stars by 52 users
Category
Entree
Cuisine
American
Servings
20
Prep Time
45 minutes
Cook Time
4 hours
Calories
548
Pork Belly Burnt Ends are quickly becoming a new barbecue classic. Of course, these are modeled after the burnt ends from the point meat of the brisket, but they stand alone as an incredibly tasty presentation of the pork belly. This one is great year round, whether it’s for game day snacks, summertime BBQs or holiday parties, and is really simple to prepare!
Ingredients
- 5 lb pork belly
-
R Butts R Smokin’ Ozark Heat BBQ Rub
- 1/2 cup Apple Juice
-
3 tbsp Kansas Wildflower Honey
-
House of Q Apple Butter BBQ Sauce
-
3 tbsp wildflower honey
For the wrap:
For the glaze:
Directions
Preheat your Yoder Smokers YS640 Pellet Grill to 250°F.
Slice the pork belly into 2” cubes. Rub the cubes with a light coat of oil. Season with the R Butts R Smokin’ Ozark Heat BBQ Rub. Place the pork cubes on a jerky rack and transfer to the smoker, leaving space around each cube. Smoke until a mahogany brown bark is formed on the outside, about 3 hours.
- Remove the pork cubes from the grill. Transfer the pork to a sheet of foil, laid out in a single layer. Pour the apple juice and 3 tablespoons honey over the pork. Wrap tightly with the foil. Return the foil to the smoker.
Increase the grill temperature to 300°F. Continue cooking until the cubes are very tender, nearly falling apart, about 45 minutes. The internal temperature will be around 205°F-210°F.
Open the foil packet. Pour about 1/2 cup House of Q Apple Butter BBQ Sauce over the pork burnt ends. Drizzle the remaining 3 tbsp Kansas Wildflower Honey over the top as well. Toss gently to coat. Return to the grill and cook until the sauce is tacky, about 15-20 minutes.
- Remove from the smoker and serve warm.
Recipe Note
Recipe FAQ
What are pork belly burnt ends?
They're cubes of pork belly smoked, braised, and glazed in barbecue sauce, a pork version of the classic burnt ends cut from the point of a brisket.
Should I use skin-on or skinless pork belly?
Use skinless belly. If the belly has the skin on, trim it off before cubing, since the skin stays tough and chewy through this cook.
Why cut the belly into 2" cubes?
The cubes expose more surface area for bark and smoke. They shrink as the fat renders, so 2" pieces end up as bite-sized burnt ends.
Why use a jerky rack with space between the cubes?
Air and smoke need to reach every side of each cube. Spacing them out builds bark all the way around instead of steaming the sides that touch.
Why wrap the cubes with apple juice and honey?
Sealing the cubes in foil with the juice and honey braises them in a sweet liquid at 300°F, which finishes tenderizing the pork and keeps it moist.
How do I know the burnt ends are done?
They should be very tender and nearly falling apart, at an internal temperature of about 205-210°F. That's far past the 145°F USDA minimum for pork, so the higher target is for texture.
Why return them to the smoker after saucing?
Another 15-20 minutes lets the sauce and honey reduce and become tacky, so it clings to the cubes instead of pooling in the foil.
What if there's a lot of liquid in the foil?
Pork belly renders a lot of fat. If the packet is full of liquid, pour off some of it before adding the sauce, so the glaze can tack up instead of turning greasy.
How should I store leftovers?
Refrigerate within 2 hours of cooking. The burnt ends keep for about 3-4 days, and they reheat best in a 300°F oven.
How indoor-friendly is this recipe?
3 out of 5. A 250-300°F oven can cook, braise, and glaze the cubes on a rack over a sheet pan, but you'd lose the smoke and bark.
Recipe Highlights
Rubbed, smoked cubes: Build bark on every side.
Apple juice and honey wrap: Braises the pork until very tender.
Apple butter glaze: Sets into a sticky, caramelized coating.
Burnt ends texture: Combines crisp bark with a tender center.
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Nutrition
Nutrition
- Nutrition Serving Size
- 4 oz
- per serving
- Calories
- 548
- Carbs
- 6 grams
- Protein
- 52 grams
- Fat
- 30 grams
- Sodium
- 1872 milligrams
