This recipe for Pork Belly Burnt Ends is a delicious side to make for the 4th of July or your next family get-together. Adam McKenzie uses his Smoke Junkie Rub to add some flavor depth to the pork and enhance his smoker technique. It’s super simple and a crowd-pleaser. Serve it with Double Smoke Ribs and a side of Butter Toss Mac n’ Cheese and a beer. This recipe is great for a party or to save some pork belly leftovers for tacos the next day.
Pork Belly Burnt Ends
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 hours
- Total Time: 4 hours, 15 minutes
- Yield: 8–12 servings 1x
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 pounds pork belly (with skin removed, see note)
- ½ cup Adam McKemzie Smoke Junkie Rub
- ½ cup apple juice or water
- 1 cup your preferred BBQ sauce
- ⅓ cup butter, cut in pats
Instructions
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Preheat your smoker grill to 275°.
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While smoker is warming up, cut the pork belly into 1-inch cubes.
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Season the pork belly cubes with your preferred rub. Be sure to coat all six sides. Reserve a bit of seasoning for a later step.
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If desired, use a grill-safe wire rack to transport your pork belly cubes to the grill. Arrange cubes on the rack, leaving space between each, and place entire rack directly on the grill grate. Alternately, you can just place the pork directly on the grill grate.
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Allow pork to smoke for 3 hours, until the internal temperature of the pork is about 195°.
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Hourly during cooking, spray pork with some of the apple juice or water in your spray bottle. This helps the meat retain moisture during the cook.
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Once the pork reaches 195°, transfer to the pan or dish.
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Sprinkle with additional seasoning and pour BBQ sauce over top. Stir to combine and coat all pieces.
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Spread pork evenly in the pan and top with a few pats of butter throughout.
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Return pan to smoker and cook for one additional hour.
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Serve and enjoy!
Notes
I’ve found that generally, pork belly comes with the skin removed. In the event that your piece comes with skin, use a sharp knife to remove that layer from the pork, without removing the entire fat cap.
