Pork Belly Burnt Ends
We have all heard about Brisket Burnt Ends, but what are Pork Belly Burnt Ends? Pork Belly Burnt ends (aka Pork Candy), comes from the same piece of meat that Bacon comes from. You know that this will be really good!
First you need to find some Pork Belly. Talk to your favorite butcher. Tell them that you need a pork belly slab without the skin on. Cut the pork belly into 1 1/2” cubes. Coat them in a little olive oil and toss them with some of your favorite BBQ rub.
Pork Belly Burnt Ends - Ready for the Smoker
Next you will want to get your smoker or grill up to 250-275 degrees. The exact temperature isnt important as this meat is pretty forgiving. I recommend that you you use some wood chunks or chips for some added smoke. For this cook I used some Mojobricks Competition Oak Blend Bar-B-Qubes. I like these because they burn slow, they dont over smoke the meat and are easy to use. Remember smoke is an ingredient to the flavor profile, but it shouldn’t overpower.
Bark has set on the Burnt Ends
Close to the 3 hour mark start checking the burnt ends. If your grill temp was around 250 degrees the bark should be setting. You want the bark to set before moving onto the next step.
After the bark has set and the color looks perfect on the burnt ends, move them to a foil pan.
Add 1 Cup of your favorite BBQ Sauce
Add 4 Tablespoons of Sliced Butter
Add 2 Tablespoons of Bourbon Barrel Aged Maple Syrup or Honey
Stir everything up and cover with foil. You will want to cook the burnt ends for another 1 1/2 hours or until the burnt ends have an internal temperature of 200-203 degrees. The key here is a toothpick should go through the burnt end easily. Remove from the grill and remove the foil.
The finished Pork Belly Burnt Ends
