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Pork Belly Burnt Ends are super tender, full of flavor, and so easy to make. This recipe is so delicious and popular that over 24 million people have devoured our viral video and thousands have made this recipe with smashing success! This pork belly recipe is a delicious twist on classic brisket burnt ends. These morsels of goodness have developed the nickname meat candy for good reason.
Vindulge Recipe Highlights
- Cubed Pork Belly is slowly smoked in a brown sugar seasoning, then braised in barbecue sauce, honey, and butter.
- As it finishes the pork belly is rendered into sticky pork cubes that melt in your mouth.
- It doesn’t matter what type of smoker you use, this pork recipe will work on all of them.
- This recipe is a great idea for for a party or large event as it’s always a crowd favorite and scales up or down easily.
Table of Contents
- Vindulge Recipe Highlights
- Origins
- Ingredients
- Preparation for Pork Belly Burnt Ends
- How to Smoke Pork Belly Burnt Ends
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Chef Tips
- Storage and Reheating
- What To Serve With Pork Belly Burnt Ends
- Wine Pairing for Pork Belly Burnt Ends
- Other Great BBQ Recipe Ideas
- Recommended Products
- Food and Cooking Safety Considerations
- Smoked Pork Belly Burnt Ends
Origins
The transformation of pork belly into something resembling the classic perfection of beef burnt ends is a pretty magical experience.
And, shortly after I released our video for our recipe, it had over 2 million views in less than 2 days. People loved this recipe! The video now has over 24 million views and counting, and the recipe is also featured in our critically acclaimed cookbook, Fire + Wine.
Ingredients
- Pork Belly – You can buy a full belly, which will run around 5 pounds, or you can buy smaller portions. Adjust the braise if using smaller portions. Buy with the skin removed when possible. You can substitute pork shoulder as well if you can’t find the belly.
- Seasoning – We recommend an olive oil binder and our pork rub, which is a mix of brown sugar, kosher salt, and savory spices. You can change the flavor profile with any of our seasonings.
- Braise Sauce – We recommend our Red Wine BBQ Sauce, unsalted butter, and local honey.
Buying Guide
This cut will come in many sizes at the grocery store, from small strips to a full slab (10+ pounds). Make sure to ask the butcher for skinless pork belly (this saves some weight when you have to pay by the pound). If the slab with skin is the only option, then look to be sure it isn’t overly fatty and remove the skin before you make this pork belly recipe.
When buying a smaller belly, be sure it’s the center cut of the slab. One side of the belly is thin and not very meaty. Another end tends to be mostly fat, which is difficult to fully render. So the center cut is ideal as it has a ratio of 50% meat and 50% fat.
Preparation for Pork Belly Burnt Ends
Place the pork belly on a large cutting board.
If you still see the skin on the pork belly, or there is a little extra fat, trim that off. Then cut the meat into 1 1/2 to 2-inch cubes. Don’t be afraid if at first the cubes seem a bit large. After cooking, your pork belly burnt ends will shrink down to the perfect bite sized piece.
Seasoning
Place the cubed pork belly in a large bowl or on a large baking sheet. Apply olive oil and pork seasoning and toss together until well coated.
Be generous (we use about 1 cup of dry rub for 5 pounds of meat). Feel free to adjust the amount based on your portion size.
Place the belly cubes on a wire cooling rack, rather than a baking sheet. Smoking with the wire rack is more ideal for smoking pork belly bites since it allows for better smoke circulation. Also, it will take much less effort to get the meat cubes on and off the grill.
How to Smoke Pork Belly Burnt Ends
Easy steps for perfect pork belly burnt include smoking for flavor, covering in sauce to baste and render out the fat, and then finishing uncovered to let the sauce firm up.
- Smoke: Place on smoker and smoke for three hours at 250 degrees Fahrenheit (F), or until you like the color of the meat. A nice bark will form starting around the three-hour mark. This can take longer based on so many factors, like wind and how much bark you like. The key is, once you put it into the braising liquid, your bark is done forming.
- Braise: Next, add the pork belly cubes to a pan (we like a disposable aluminum pan or pyrex dish). Then, into the disposable pan, add the braising liquid. We use our rich Pinot Noir BBQ Sauce to really add that extra flavor (about 1 cup), 3-4 tablespoons of butter, which adds richness and acts as a fatty binding agent for bringing the sauce and honey together, and then 2 tablespoons of honey (or agave) to bring a stickiness and sweet characteristic. Then mix them all together.
- Cover and Continue Smoking: Place back into the smoker and braise for another 60 – 90 minutes. You will find that the liquid braises at or near a boil and that the fat renders down in the pork belly burnt ends keeping the pan moist. Braise until the internal temperature of the bites are 200-205 degrees F. We always recommend using a good digital thermometer to check your temp.
- Uncover: Finally, remove the foil cover and cook for another 15 minutes (uncovered) to let the heat tack up that sauce. Remove and enjoy some well-made pork belly burnt ends. It’s that simple. And incredibly delicious!
Oven Modification
To modify for the oven follow the same directions of slowly cooking in the oven at 250 degrees Fahrenheit, then covering with sauce, and finishing as the recipe suggests in the oven at 250 degrees. It will be the same amount of time.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you cook them all the way through, then the fat will render out and you’ll be left with a delicate and tasty burnt ends that don’t have noticeable fat.
It’s best to use pork belly. If you can’t find belly use boneless pork shoulder.
Yes. Remove the skin as it won’t render during the cooking process and will be chewy when eating. A more effective way is to buy the pork belly with skin off so you aren’t paying for the extra weight.
It will take 5 hours to cook and 15 minutes to finish (uncovered) to let the sauce harden up.
When we cater events we estimate 5 ounces of meat per person for a serving, so you roughly get three servings per pound. Trust us when we say people will want more.
Chef Tips
- Be sure your grease traps are clean. Pork belly will render a lot of fat and if they are blocked you run the risk of a grease fire.
- If you see cubes that are all fat, those won’t render. Discard them. If you are buying the pork belly, look to make sure you have a cut that is a balance of fat and meat. Ask the butcher for the center cut of the belly for the best fat-to-meat ratio. We mention this again based on a lot of experience and reader feedback.
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Storage and Reheating
You can follow this recipe and make the pork belly in advance up to one week prior to eating them. If you make them in advance be sure to store the pork belly in an airtight container with all of the braising liquid, including the rendered fat.
The fat will harden and that is fine.
To reheat, place in a large baking dish with all the braising liquid and fat and cover with aluminum foil. Bake at 325 degrees F for 30 minutes. The fat will render and the belly will maintain the soft texture and be warmed through.
You can also reheat the same way on a smoker at lower temps. Plan one hour at 250 degrees F for the pan to warm up.
What To Serve With Pork Belly Burnt Ends
Anytime we make these it’s always a good idea to balance the rich flavors of the pork belly with something not as rich. Our no-mayo coleslaw is perfect, especially if you make these into a sandwich. Or go with our grilled romaine Caesar salad.
You can explore our side recipes for more inspiration.
Wine Pairing for Pork Belly Burnt Ends
While I highly recommend a glass of rosé while cooking this delicious recipe (since, well, it takes upwards of 4 hours for the magical meal to come to fruition). But come burnt end time, we’re going big, with Syrah!
The flavors here are big and bold. You’ve got the smoke, some richness, sweetness, possibly spiciness. You need something that can handle that weight. There are several options, but I love a bold Syrah. Syrah from Washington State is my go-to. It has some richness, bold fruit, and some herbal notes. Big and balanced flavors, just like the burnt ends! Malbec and Zinfandel are also good pairings.
Other Great BBQ Recipe Ideas
Recommended Products
- You need an instant read thermometer to take the temperature of the pork belly.
- Food safety gloves for preparation.
Food and Cooking Safety Considerations
Pork belly has a considerable amount of fat that will render. This means you need to be sure that you have a CLEAN smoker and a clear path for the fat to drain AWAY from the fire. The grease from the rendering will ignite if it comes into contact with a flame source. If you are cooking a large amount on a small cooking surface be sure that you are changing out the grease tray during the cook.
For consideration, be sure to follow safe food handling practices. You are cooking the pork belly well over the USDA recommended temperature of 145 degrees F so the finished product is safe to eat.
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat.
- Wash hands after touching raw meat and consider using gloves when prepping.
- Don’t leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods.
Within 48 hours of publishing this viral recipe in 2017 we had over 2 million views, and today is one of the original and most popular pork belly burnt ends recipes on the web with over 24 million views.
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Smoked Pork Belly Burnt Ends
Equipment
- 1 nitrile food safety gloves
Ingredients
For the Pork Belly Burnt Ends:
- 5 pounds pork belly, sliced into 1 1/2 to 2-inch cubes
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup Pork Rub, (see notes for our favorite)
For the Sauce:
- 1 cup Pinot Noir BBQ Sauce
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons honey
Instructions
- Preheat Smoker: Set smoker to 250 degrees Fahrenheit using fruit wood (we like cherry for color and sweeter flavor).
- Prepare Pork Belly: Trim excess skin and fat off the pork belly and slice it into 2-inch cubes and place into a large bowl. Add olive oil and dry rub and liberally and mix with your hands. Place cubes onto a wire rack or directly on the smoker.
- Smoke: Smoke uncovered for three hours. Look for a darker red color and a modest bark develop.
- Braise: Remove the pork belly cubes from the smoker and place into a foil pan and then add your BBQ sauce, butter, and honey, and stir. Next, cover the pan with aluminum foil and place back on the smoker.Cook for an additional 90 minutes or until the internal temperature (IT) of the pork belly is roughly 200 – 203 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Finish Smoking Uncovered: Remove foil from the pan, close the lid to the smoker, and smoke for another 15 minutes to let the sauce thicken up.
- Serve: Remove from smoker and serve.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hi, I have been admiring this recipe for over a year but never tried until today! My husband (kill joy) wants to know what the serving size is and how does it breakdown in calories?
Karen I almost didn’t respond, since these are, well pork belly 🙂 We typically serve these as an appetizer in 1/4 pound servings per and for this recipe it’s calculating for a pound. The reality is that most people eat more. I would say that even at a quarter of a pound you are still looking at 600 – 800 calories depending on how large or small you make them.
This is surprisingly very good. The name is misleading . I would rate this recipe 2 nd best for 2020/21
The best and VERY, VERY good is the smoked tomato bisque
Just tried these last week. Pretty much followed your recipe. Turned out GREAT!
Thank you
Just made this recipe today and it was AMAZING!! We are new to the smoking idea and what a confidence builder to have this meal turn out so wonderful. Easy steps and done by time and not so much by temperature. We both agreed that this was our best smoker meal yet, going to be hard to beat. My advice to others contemplating this one is to go for it, simple recipe but awesome taste & flavor. It will not disappoint!
Love this recipe! I think I might make this for Christmas, BUT . . . It’s supposed to be very cold that day here. 25 degrees colder than the day before. If I made these the day before, does anyone know how well these reheat and the best method to do so to retain the texture and moistness? Oven? Crock pot? Other?
Patrick feel free to make them the day before and reheat them in the oven. You’ll find the sauce and the fat will harden in the fridge, just spoon all of that into an oven safe dish add a touch more sauce, then add that to an oven safe dish. Warm them at 275 until they are warm. It will be just as good.
Thank you!
Any chance you’ve tried them in a Crock Pot (just re-warmed)? Wife said she’s claiming the oven. So wondering if I warm up in the oven, then Crock Pot or just Crock Pot, would they still be good or would that just get gooey and clumpy and not be the same?
The slow cooker may make them soggy because of the low heat. If you have a burner free, consider a large sauce pot, add them to the sauce pot with sauce and then simmer them at higher heat. This way you quickly bring the heat up and keep the nice texture versus a slower heat simmer.
Your continuous ads blaring really takes away the this site. Right now some sort of zztop is playing. And you can not comment unless I get emails from you?
The ads help fund this very recipe you searched. And those ads are presented based on your search history, not what we present. And lastly the email is a verification. Unless you opt into our email list, which is not based on comments, but based on a separate form on the recipe, you won’t get our newsletter.
What do you think about tweaking the recipe to use asian flavors?
Ginger, garlic, mustard powder, salt dry rub
Make a sauce with thai chiles, soy sauce, sesame oil, and other flavors
I think that would be an AWESOME flavor combination. We used a somewhat similar flavor combination with our crispy pork belly. We actually thought about this same thing as another recipe too. Great minds think alike!
Do you buy a salted or unsalted pork belly?
Robert, we buy one that is not salted or cured. You can do bacon burnt ends, but that will be less cooking time given the cure. For this recipe, go with the regular pork belly.
I just wanted to comment to say that I have made this several times now over the past couple of years. It is one of my all time favorite BBQ ricipes so thank you for posting! I tweak it every time I make it and it always turns out awesome. I add more butter and honey to the sauce (Stubb’s Original) along with a diced onion and 2 diced jalapenos. The last two times I’ve also added 2 diced serrano peppers and it was even better. Today I’m going to add a diced poblano pepper as well. Thanks again!
I made the mistake and cut the pieces thinner than they should be. Would I reduce smoking time or the 2 phase when it’s in the sauce?
So I would keep the smoke time and look at shortening the time in the braise.
Is it possible to just cook it in the oven if you don’t have a smoker?
Yes, you can absolutely cook in the oven. It won’t have the smoky component but the flavor will be there from the sauce and consistency.