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Pork belly burnt ends is the quintessential American BBQ snack. Pitmasters have been testing and perfecting the ultimate snack for years. While the classic is my favorite, I do like to play with sauces. I’m a big bourbon guy so it only made sense for me to create a bourbon flavored sauce. And I think I just made the best one yet! Forget the store bought sauces, homemade is easy, fresh and crazy to say but better for you. The sweetness from the maple syrup, savoriness from the bourbon and little kick from the hot sauce made this the perfect coating. These Maple Bourbon Pork Belly burnt ends were smoked to perfection.
Table of Contents
Step 1: How to prep and smoke the perfect pork belly burnt ends.
While smoking pork belly burnt ends is a long process, it’s also a very simple one. Once you perfect the method you can play around with taste variations in seasonings and sauces.
The hardest part of the process is finding pork belly. I usually get mine from Costco. It comes in a big slab, no skin, and is perfect for this recipe. Start by cutting the pork belly into 1″ wide strips and then into 1″ x 1″ bite size cubes. Toss it in hot sauce that will work as a binder and season with Dad’s Maple Bourbon rub. Make sure the pork belly cubes are coated on all sides.
Preheat the grill to 275 degrees and set for indirect heat. I like to smoke my pork belly burnt ends on a wire rack. This makes it easier to put them on and take off the smoker. Put the wire rack on the smoker and cook for 3 hours.
Recipe Tip
- Spritz them every 30-45 minutes with apple cider vinegar. This helps keep the meat moist throughout the grilling process.
Step 2: How to make the best homemade Maple Bourbon BBQ sauce.
While you can use regular BBQ sauce to coat the burnt ends, I really wanted to try something different and made my own sweet and savory sauce with maple and bourbon. As most of you know, I’m a big fan of bourbon so why not make a sauce out of it.
While the burnt ends are on the grill, it’s time to make the sauce. In a sauce pan add ketchup, maple syrup, bourbon of choice, Worcestershire sauce, molasses, hot sauce, apple cider vinegar and more Dad’s Maple Bourbon rub. Whisk the ingredients together over low heat. Bring it to a simmer and continue cooking until the sauce thickens. The heat will cook off any alcohol from the bourbon making it safe to eat for children.
Step 3: Time to sauce up the Maple Bourbon Pork Belly Burnt Ends.
After 3 hours on the grill, remove the burnt ends from the wire rack and place them in a foil pan. Add the homemade maple bourbon bbq sauce, more Dad’s Maple Bourbon rub and mix everything together. Place the pan back on the grill, uncovered, and cook for 45 minutes.
By this time, they should be looking and smelling amazing! But before you dig in, let them rest! This will stop the cooking process and will allow them to cool down. Serve them up and watch them disappear! Enjoy!
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Maple Bourbon Pork Belly Burnt Ends
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Pork belly
- 3 tbsp Maple Bourbon Rub
- 1 tbsp Hot sauce
Maple Bourbon Sauce Ingredients
- 1 cup Ketchup
- 1/2 cup Bourbon
- 1/4 cup Maple syrup
- 1/4 cup Molasses
- 2 tbsp Apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp Hot sauce
- 1 tbsp Maple Bourbon Rub
Instructions
- Cut the pork belly into 1" wide strips and then into 1" x 1" wide cubs. Toss in the hot sauce and season on all sides with the Maple Bourbon Rub.
- Preheat the grill to 275 degrees and set for indirect heat. Arrange the pork belly cubes on a wire rack and place on the grill. Smoke the pork belly for 3 hours.
- For the BBQ sauce, in a sauce pan add ketchup, maple syrup, bourbon, Worcestershire sauce, molasses, hot sauce, apple cider vinegar and the Maple Bourbon rub. Whisk the ingredients together over low heat. Bring it to a simmer and continue cooking until the sauce thickens.
- After 3 hours, remove the pork belly cubes from the grill and place them in a foil pan. Cover with the Maple Bourbon bbq sauce and a dash of the Maple Bourbon Rub. Mix it well and place back on the grill, uncovered, for 45 minutes.
- When ready, let the pork belly burnt ends rest for 15-20 minutes, serve and enjoy!
Nutrition
Be sure to visit the Recipes page for other tasty ideas.
My favorite way to cook pork belly.
I made these pork bites a few weeks ago for some of my less adventurous friends. They generally tend to stay away from anything with a sauce or glaze, preferring simple oil and salt. But, they loved these bites! Very simple recipe and a nice change from pulled pork. Definitely a new favorite!
Always a hit at BBQs and Super Bowl parties.
I am new to making Barbeque, I only have a Black Stone can this be made on the Black Stone? Thank you!