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Overhead image of chunks of glazed Pork Belly Burnt Ends arranged in a single layer inside a disposable aluminium tray, coated in a dark, shiny sauce.
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Pork Belly Burnt Ends Recipe

These pork belly burnt ends are gloriously sticky, smoky, rich little bites with caramelized edges and soft, tender centres.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time3 hours
Total Time3 hours 15 minutes
Course: Appetizer, BBQ, Dinner
Cuisine: American
Keyword: BBQ platter, BBQ Pork, Pork Candy
Servings: 6 - 8 as an appetizer
Author Nicky Corbishley

Ingredients

Pork

  • 1 kg (2.2lbs) pork belly I like to look for a piece that has a, good meat-to-fat ratio - (more meat than fat, so it's not too fatty - around 1/3rd fat)

Rub

  • 1 tbsp flaky salt
  • 1 tbsp black pepper
  • 1 tbsp paprika
  • ½ tsp cayenne pepper
  • ½ tsp garlic powder

Spritz

  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tbsp water

Sauce

  • 120 ml (1/2 cup) BBQ sauce
  • 30 g (2 tbsp) unsalted butter
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 2 tbsp light brown sugar

Instructions

Oven Method

  • Heat the oven to 120C/275F(Fan). Add a wire rack to a large foil tray.
  • Remove the skin from the pork belly. You can remove a little of the top layer of fat too (depending on how fatty you like your pork belly). I leave about 2-3mm of fat on the top. Chop the pork belly into chunky pieces (around 3.5cm or 1.5" cubes).
    1 kg (2.2lbs) pork belly
  • Mix the rub ingredients together and toss the pork belly pieces in the rub to coat on all sides.
    1 tbsp flaky salt , 1 tbsp black pepper, 1 tbsp paprika, 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • Add to the wire wrack in a single layer and place in the oven for 2.5 hours. Spritz with the spritz mixture every hour (if you don't have a spritzer, just dab the mixture on gently with a pastry brush, being careful not to remove any of the coating).
    2 tbsp apple cider vinegar, 2 tbsp water
  • After 2.5 hours, transfer the pork belly to a new/clean foil tray. Add the BBQ sauce, sugar, honey and brown sugar and toss together.
    120 ml (1/2 cup) BBQ sauce, 30 g (2 tbsp) unsalted butter, 2 tbsp honey, 2 tbsp light brown sugar
  • Place back in the oven for 20 minutes (same temperature).
  • Remove from the oven, rest for a few minutes (the sticky sauce will be HOT), then serve.

Smoker and Barbecue Method

  • Heat the smoker to 120C/250F OR set up the barbecue for indirect heat at approx. 120C/250F. Add a wire rack to a large foil tray.
  • Remove the skin from the pork belly. You can remove a little of the top layer of fat too (depending on how fatty you like your pork belly). I leave about 2-3mm of fat on the top. Chop the pork belly into chunky pieces (around 3.5cm or 1.5" cubes).
    1 kg (2.2lbs) pork belly
  • Mix the rub ingredients together and toss the pork belly pieces in the rub to coat on all sides.
    1 tbsp flaky salt , 1 tbsp black pepper, 1 tbsp paprika, 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • Add to the wire wrack in a single layer (uncovered) and place in the smoker (or on the BBQ, ensuring it's over indirect heat). Close the lid and and cook for 2.5-3 hours on the BBQ or 3.5-4 hours on the smoker - until dark red with a nice red bark on meat. Spritz with the spritz mixture every hour.
    2 tbsp apple cider vinegar, 2 tbsp water
  • Check for 'doneness' - the fat should have started to render and you should see around 2 tbsp of fat in the tray underneath. There will be some black spots in the oil too - this is where the oil has rendered and dripped off with a bit of the pork coating - then cooked in the pan underneath.
  • Transfer the pork belly to a clean foil tray. Add the BBQ sauce, sugar, honey and brown sugar and toss together.
    120 ml (1/2 cup) BBQ sauce, 30 g (2 tbsp) unsalted butter, 2 tbsp honey, 2 tbsp light brown sugar
  • Cover with foil and cook for a further 60-90 minutes, until you can insert a skewer and it slides in easily (if you have a temperature probe, you want the internal temp to be approx 95C/200F).
  • Remove the foil and allow to cook for a further 15 minutes - until the sauce goes tacky.
  • Rest the pork for a few minutes (the sticky sauce will be HOT), then serve.

Notes

Nutritional information is approximate, based on the 1kg of pork belly serving 8 people as an appetizer. This is based on using a not-too-fatty piece of pork belly, with no skin and with some of the fat rendered - which happens during cooking.

Nutrition

Calories: 529kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 44g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 20g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 98mg | Sodium: 1137mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 13g

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