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–+ servings
Stack of pork belly burnt ends on a wooden cutting board.
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5 from 1 vote

Maple Bourbon Pork Belly Burnt Ends

These pork belly burnt ends are seasoned with my signature sweet rub and braised in a delicious maple bourbon BBQ glaze for a little bite of meat candy that will have all your neighbors drooling.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time5 hours
Total Time5 hours 15 minutes
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American, Barbecue
Keyword: Pork Belly Burnt Ends
Servings: 10 people
Author: Susie Bulloch

Ingredients

  • 5 pounds pork belly skin removed and cut into 1.5 inch cubes
  • ¼ cup Hey Grill Hey Sweet Rub recipe in notes
  • avocado or canola oil

Pork Belly Burnt Ends Braise

Instructions

  • Preheat. Preheat your smoker to 250 degrees F with your favorite hardwood. I like Maple wood for this recipe, but apple and cherry would work great as well.
  • Season. Spray the pork belly on all sides with cooking oil and seasoning liberally with the Hey Grill Hey Sweet Rub.
  • Smoke. Arrange the pork belly squares on a flat cooling rack so there is enough space for airflow between each piece. Place the entire rack on your smoker grates, close the lid, and smoke for about 3-4 hours or until the internal temperature reads 165-175 degrees F.
  • Braise. Transfer the smoked pork belly to a 12-inch cast iron skillet. Drizzle with about 1/2 cup of Hey Grill Hey Maple Bourbon Glaze and top with 4 Tablespoons of butter, cut into pieces.
  • Finish smoking. Cover the cast iron skillet with a lid and return to the smoker. Close the lid and continue smoking at 250 degrees F for an additional 1.5-2 hours, or until the internal temperature of your pork belly burnt ends reads between 195-205 degrees F. The internal temperature is an important indicator, but most importantly you’re looking for tenderness and it can happen anywhere in that 10-degree F range. You want your thermometer to feel like it’s sliding into your pork belly burnt ends super easily. It should feel like it is sliding into softened butter.
  • Rest and serve. Once the pork belly burnt ends are at your desired texture, remove them from the grill and let them rest for 20 minutes or so until the sauce tightens around the outside and they cook slightly. Serve with extra Maple Bourbon Grilling Glaze and plenty of napkins.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 1258kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 125g | Saturated Fat: 47g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 13g | Monounsaturated Fat: 57g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 175mg | Sodium: 257mg | Potassium: 495mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 350IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 76mg | Iron: 3mg