Pork Belly Burnt Ends
If you've cooked much barbecue, you've likely heard of brisket burnt ends, the sweet nuggets of joy cut from the point muscle on a whole brisket. Since brisket is tricky to cook and takes a long time, you probably don't get to taste these delicious morsels as often as you'd like.
That's where pork belly burnt ends come in. In case you're unfamiliar, pork belly is just bacon before it's cured and smoked. Pork belly burnt ends are quicker than brisket and just as tasty, and they're so easy you can pull them off even if you don't have much experience.
You don't even need a smoker. We'll include instructions below to make them on your gas grill if you want to. So if you want an explosion of barbecue goodness to round out the meat selection at your next cookout, give this recipe a whirl. Your guests will love them.
Purchasing pork belly:
- Can be purchased at Costco or at a local butcher
- Sizes will vary, but at Costco they measure about 15″ x 12″ (big enough for an appetizer at a good-sized gathering).
Ingredients
Directions
Step 1
Cut the pork belly into 1″ pieces.
Step 2
Apply the Sweet BBQ Rub to the chunks, making sure all sides are coated evenly. Put the chunks on a rack and set them into the smoker (for a gas grill, use the indirect cooking process described below.
Step 3
Cook at 275 degrees F for about 2 hours or until the meat is tender. Remove the pieces from the rack, place them in a pan, and add the butter, brown sugar, honey, and apple juice.
Step 4
Cover and cook the pieces for another 1-1/2 hours. Move the burnt ends into a clean pan and add a sweet BBQ sauce. Toss to coat the burnt ends with the sauce. Return them to smoker or grill for 10–20 minutes to thicken the sauce.
Remove your pork belly burnt ends from the smoker and enjoy! (Be sure you taste them before your guests gobble them all up.)
This recipe can be done on a gas grill, or even in the oven. You can add smoke in your gas grill using wood chips, pellets or a pellet tube. On a gas grill, light 1 or 2 burners to get a temperature of 275 degrees F and place the meat over the unlit burner(s).