first time Pork Belly

JohnfromKentucky

Thought I would try cooking this and found this recipe on here courtesy of @lousubcap . I don't have the rub or sauce, so going to just use what I have around here.

Pork Belly Burnt Ends Recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 8lb Pork Belly skin removed
• ½ cup Killer Hogs The BBQ Rub
• 1 ½ sticks Butter sliced
• ½ cup Brown Sugar
• ¼ cup Honey

PORK BELLY BURNT END GLAZE

• 1 cup Killer Hogs The BBQ Sauce
• ¼ cup Apple Juice
• ¼ cup Apple Jelly
• 1 Tablespoon Frank’s Hot Sauce

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Prepare charcoal smoker for indirect cooking at 250-275⁰. Add 2 chunks of Cherry Wood for smoke.
2. Remove pork belly from packaging and cube into 1 ½” x 1 ½” pieces.
3. Season all sides of the pork belly cubes with The BBQ Rub.
4. Arrange cubes onto a full size cooling rack and place on smoking grate.
5. Smoke pork belly for 2 – 2 ½ hours.
6. Place each Pork Belly Burnt End into an aluminum pan and cover with brown sugar and honey. Arrange butter in between the pork belly pieces.
7. Cover pan with aluminum foil and return to smoker for 1 ½ hours or until the pieces are tender.
8. Drain the liquid from the pan and add the Pork Belly Glaze to the burnt ends. Toss gently to coat each piece and return to the smoker to set the glaze for 5-10 minutes and serve.

Shortened the smoking step a bit, braised them a hair longer (I think this was the key) then took them out of the braise and placed back on the grill indirect for about 15 mins to firm up the “bark”, Then I tossed them in the glaze in the pan as normal.  Doing it as Malcom did it, I had about 60-70% done perfectly. My modified method took success to 98%

JohnfromKentucky

Question, what is a  full size cooling rack?
And what skin is removed?

caliking

I imagine a full size cooling rack is about the size of a half sheet pan (~13" x 18"). 

Some places sell pork belly with the skin still on. Gets really nice and crunchy when cooked Asian-style, better to remove it if you're doing burnt ends.

lousubcap

Pork belly burnt ends start with the skin removed and roll with the fat. 

Here's a thread with a bit more info:

Pork Belly Burnt Ends-Malcom Reed with @Sea2Ski's adaptation 

Malcom Reed is the origin of all my attempts at this cook-meat candy is the outcome.  Enjoy.

Teefus

I've made these a number of times. Never not yummy. Just for laughs one time I did the belly uncut as one might do a brisket flat. It was incredible.