Smoked Pork Belly Burnt Ends

Smoked Pork Belly Burnt Ends are irresistible, juicy bites of mouthwatering meat that is rubbed in spices, infused with smoky flavor, and tossed in a fabulous barbecue sauce.
Eat them as an appetizer on toothpicks, or throw them into tacos or salads, or onto buns for pork belly sandwiches.

 Ingredients

• 2kg pork belly
• 2-3 tablespoons olive oil

Rub

• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Sauce

• ½ to 1 cup of your favourite BBQ sauce
• 4 tablespoons butter
• ⅓ cup honey

 Method

Step 1
Prepare the barbecue for INDIRECT cooking over very low heat. (110°C-130°C) with your desired smoking wood.
See your owner's guide if you aren't sure how to set it up on your barbecue. We have guides in our blog if you get stuck. (Charcoal Kettle, Charcoal Master Touch Plus, Pellet Grill, Traditional Gas)
Step 2
Trim off the skin and top layer of pure fat of the pork belly, then cut the meat into 3-4cm cubes.
Step 3
Rub the meat with a drizzle of olive oil, then combine the rub ingredients and sprinkle generously over the meat and rubbing it in to cover each piece.
Step 4
Arrange the pork belly cubes on a wire roasting rack or baking rack, then place on the smoker.
Set the barbecue to 110-120°C and smoke for 2½ to 3 hours until they turn dark red and a nice bark starts to form.
Step 5
Transfer the pork belly cubes to a disposable aluminium pan or similar (we used a Weber Casserole Dish) and add BBQ sauce, butter, and honey.
Stir it all together to evenly coat the cubes of pork belly.
Step 6
Cover with foil then return the sauced pork belly to the smoker and cook for another 60-90 minutes or until the meat reaches 93°C.
You can check the internal temperature by sticking a digital meat thermometer into the middle of one of the burnt ends.
Step 7
Remove the foil and cook uncovered for a further 15 minutes to let the sauce thicken up.
Step 8 
Remove the pork belly burnt ends from the smoker and serve.

Note: For checking the internal temperature of the meat, we recommend using a digital thermometer like the Weber Instant Read or Weber Snapcheck thermometers.