Sausages and pork belly on the BGE

keithb

I'm looking to smoke some sausage and a small piece of pork belly tomorrow and since I have never done either before, was wondering if anyone has some tips and also timings and temps.  I've done lots of ribs, butts and the occasional salmon on our Lg BGE, but never these 2 things.

 

What I have is 6 beautiful italian sausages (raw, not pre-smoked or anything) and a 1.5 pound slab of pork belly.  The sausages total about 2 lbs worth.

What's the best way to smoke 'em (I'd assume low and slow) and how long for.  For the pork belly, I was goping to give it a rub and then put it on with the sausage.

 

Thanks in advance

 

gdenby

The sausages and the pork belly might be cooked together, but they are really different things.

All fresh sausages can be cooked direct on a raised grill. The temperature can be fairly hot, 375F. They will need several turnings. I've read recently that it is good to simmer sausages in water around 180F for a few minutes prior to grilling, so the casing gets tougher, and don't burst. I've done this, and it seems to work, but I was careful about turning often.

Whenever i have done pork belly, I have cooked at a low temperature, indirect, for at least 4 hours, allowing a lot of the fat to render out. I suppose you could put the sausages on in the last hour, and have them safely warmed. But for myself, I like the sausages a little crisp on the outside.

I'd cook the belly by itself till done. Hold it in a foil pouch, and cook the sausages faster and hotter. Slice the belly thin, and serve w. the sausage.

keithb

Hmm, I really wanted to try the sausages low and slow to get them nicely smoked, rather than grilled.

JalopyBob

The sausages will be fine low and slow. The casings are less likely to burst that way too.

Ragtop99

The sausages will be fine low and slow. The casings are less likely to burst that way too.

I agree.  It gives the meat some time to blend with the spices and get some smoke flavor. 
I do mine indirect around 250* for about 30 minutes, then finish direct at 300* to get a little blackening.

keithb

I let them both go for about 6 hours at 180-190 with some hickory chunks and they were delicious!

It was funny as we were over at our neighbour's house most of the afternoon with me running back every hour or so to dbl check the temp and flip etc...

By dinner time they had all decided we were doing a "pot luck" at their house so the sausages and pork belly ended up being sampled by all and they all thought they were good.  I sliced the sausage into some BBQ sauce - yum.  The belly I trimmed off the worst of the fat and sliced and oh man it was good.