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smoked pork belly burnt ends
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Smoked Pork Belly Burnt Ends - With Citrus Bourbon Glaze

Burnt ends are the quintessential smoked meat candy – rich, smoky, caramelized nuggets of barbecue bliss. This smoked pork belly burnt ends recipe takes traditional burnt ends to another level of decadence by using pork belly and tossing it in a bourbon citrus glaze.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time5 hours
Total Time5 hours 10 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: glazed pork belly bites, pork belly burnt ends, smoked pork belly burnt ends
Servings: 12 people

Ingredients

For the Bourbon Citrus Glaze:

  • ¾ cup bourbon
  • ¼ cup juice from bourbon-soaked cherries jar or substitute maraschino cherry juice
  • ¾ cup simple syrup
  • 6-8 drops bitters
  • 4 large orange peel strips

Instructions

  • Preheat grill to 275℉.
  • Season all sides of pork belly strips with Texas-style rub or all-purpose seasoning of your choice.
  • Place the seasoned pork belly strips on the heated grill fat side up, and smoke at 275℉ for about 3 ½-4 hours, or until the pork belly is probe tender and the internal temp is about 200-210℉. About 2 hours into the cook time, flip the smoked pork belly to cook fat side down.
  • After the pork belly has been cooking for about 2 ½ hours, prepare the bourbon citrus glaze. Combine all glaze ingredients in a medium saucepan, and heat over medium heat just until boiling. Then reduce heat and simmer for approximately 1 hour.
  • Remove pork belly strips from the grill and allow to rest on a cutting board for about 10 minutes before cutting into 2” cubes.
  • In a large bowl, toss the smoked pork belly with about 1 cup of the glaze and the resting juices from the cutting board. Then transfer glazed pork to a wire cooling rack, and put back on the grill at 275℉.
  • After putting pork belly back on the grill, transfer the remaining glaze from the bowl to the saucepan, and reduce over medium heat until it is a thicker consistency. This will be your basting glaze.
  • Once the pork belly is back on the grill, smoke for an additional 45 minutes, basting every 20 minutes with the remaining glaze.
  • After 45 minutes, remove the pork belly burnt ends from the grill and transfer to a serving platter. Drizzle with the remaining reduced glaze. Top with orange zest and serve.

Video

Notes

  • We highly recommend using the gourmet bourbon-soaked cherries in this recipe.  These can be found at most liquor stores - we found ours at Total Wine and Spirits.