Pork Belly Burnt Ends
Today’s cook is all about pork belly burnt ends—smoky, rich, tender cubes of pork belly that absolutely stole the show at my last event. These are a crowd favorite, and after how well they went over, they’re staying on the menu.
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Pork Belly Burnt Ends
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The Prep
I started with a 10-pound slab of skinless pork belly and sliced it into 2” cubes. Big enough to hold up on the smoker, but small enough to glaze and serve in a single bite.
For the binder, I used a combo of yellow mustard and sriracha—just a light coat to help the rub stick and add a little tang and heat in the background. Then came two layers of rub: a paprika-heavy BBQ rub to bring color and sweetness, followed by a garlic-pepper rub to bring some savory depth.
I laid the cubes out meat-side down on a wire rack that had been lightly oiled so they wouldn’t stick. From there, they went into the smoker at 250°F, fat-side up, and smoked until they hit an internal temperature of 185°F.
Holding and Reheating
These weren’t getting served for two days, so once they cooled down, I vacuum sealed them and tucked them into the fridge. Day of the event, I tossed them into foil pans and brought them back up slowly at 275°F, again to 185°F internal. At this point, they were already good—but the glaze takes them over the top.
The Glaze
For the final push, I mixed up a glaze: just BBQ sauce cut with a bit of honey. Thin enough to coat well, but still sticky enough to caramelize. I covered the pans and let them go for another hour until they hit probe tender—about 200°F internal—and you could feel them soften with almost no resistance.
Holding for Service
To keep them warm and ready to serve, I wrapped the pans in the new Drip EZ BBQ blanket, then placed them in a prep tub and into the Que Crib. That combo held temp really well and made it easy to serve straight out of the tray.
These pork belly burnt ends disappeared fast. They’ve got the bark, the richness, and that perfect sweet-savory balance from the glaze. Definitely something I’ll keep making.
Step-by-Step Recap
- Cube pork belly into 2” chunks
- Light coat of mustard and sriracha
- Season with a paprika rub + garlic pepper rub
- Smoke at 250°F until 185°F internal
- (Optional) Cool, vac seal, and refrigerate. Reheat at 275°F to 185°F internal. Only do this if you need to serve at a later time.
- Glaze with BBQ sauce + honey
- Cook covered until probe tender (~200°F)
- Hold in Drip EZ blanket, tub, and Que Crib
If you haven’t tried pork belly burnt ends before, give them a shot. Low effort, high return, and they’ll always draw a crowd.
