What are Burnt Ends?
The term “burnt ends” refers to the dense and tough ends of a piece of meat that has been slow smoked. They are typically a bit chewy and on the drier side after cooking… Which makes them absolutely perfect to drench with tangy barbecue sauce, and cook a second time to tenderize! If you love classic beef brisket burnt ends you are going to go crazy over decadent Pork Burnt Ends. Similar to beef, these pieces of smoked meat are thick and meaty, but with a slightly softer and melt-in-your-mouth texture.
Why We Love This Pork Belly Burnt Ends Recipe
These little morsels of porky perfection are smoked and kissed with barbecue sauce. The recipe starts with a slab of pork belly, cut into generous “bite-size” cubes. We coat them with our classic pork rub seasoning blend that is made with brown sugar and a few key spices, and then slowly smoke. The smoked pork is tossed with barbecue sauce and apple cider vinegar, and then finished in a 250-degree F oven for another hour. Once they are done, each piece of these crispy pork burnt ends is fork-tender and bursting with delightfully intense sweet and smoky flavors. Pro Tip: Smoked pork belly burnt ends recipes are best made on a smoker, but if you don’t have one, you can replicate this process entirely in the oven with a little bit of liquid smoke.
What Ingredients You Will Need
Pork belly slab – the boneless and fatty underside of the pig Light brown sugar – packed Spices – salt, ground black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder Texas-Style BBQ Sauce – Your favorite brand Apple cider – tenderizes the smoked pork (or apple juice)
How to Smoke Pork Belly in a Smoker
First, preheat the smoker to 250°F. In a small bowl mix together the spice rub ingredients: brown sugar, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Cut the pork belly into 1 1/2-inch cubes with a sharp knife. Toss the pork belly cubes with the dry rub. Set out two large rimmed baking sheets and place baking racks on top. Spread the seasoned cubed pork belly over the wire rack. Set the baking sheets on the smoker. Close the lid and smoke for 2 1/2 hours. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F. Set out a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Mix the barbecue sauce and apple cider in the baking dish. Once the burnt ends recipe comes off the smoker, placed the cubes in the baking dish. Toss to coat the pork belly cubes in barbecue sauce. Then cover the baking dish tightly with foil in place in the oven for one hour. Or until the internal temperature reaches 190 degrees F with a meat thermometer. Once done, remove them from the oven and let them rest for a few minutes. Uncover and serve the pork belly burnt ends warm.
Serving Suggestions
Serve your BBQ pork belly as a main dish piled on top of white bread and southern sides. We love to pair luscious, meaty smoked pork belly with collard greens, mac and cheese, or macaroni salad, and creamy potato salad.Or serve as an appetizer with sharp cheddar cheese cubes, spicy mustard, pickles, and Ritz crackers or saltines.
Looking For More BBQ Recipes? Be Sure To Also Try:
Grilled Pork Chops + Carolina BBQ Sauce Crock Pot Brisket Sandwich Recipe Coffee Brushed Barbecue Ribs Smoked Pork Loin (+ Tenderloin) Chipotle BBQ Chicken Skewers Honey Sriracha Chicken Skewers Classic Brisket Burnt Ends by Hey Grill Hey Meat Candy (Bacon Wrapped Smokies) by NeighborFood
Check the printable recipe card below for the nutrition information including calories, carbohydrates, protein, polyunsaturated fat, monounsaturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, potassium, fiber, vitamin c, and calcium percentages. Share This Recipe With Friends!
