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April 20, 2020 Pork

Pork Belly Burnt Ends on the Traeger

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Pork belly burnt ends
Pork belly burnt ends

This is an easy and quick recipe that will become a hit with your family and friends. 

PRIMARY INGREDIENTS

  • Pork Belly (Skin Removed)
  • Seasoning like my Smoke Junkie from Spiceology
  • B.B.Q. Sauce
  • Butter

STEP-BY-STEP

  • Set Smoker to 275
  • While Smoker is warming up cube pork belly into one inch pieces. 
  • After cubing season pork belly with your favorite rubs. For this last cook I went with an all purpose rub and a touch of a sweet rub to get a more savory profile.
  • I used an extra rack and placed the cubes on that in my smoker.  
  • You want to smoke for about 3 hours or until the cubes hot around 195 for that soft texture. 
  • Every 45 minutes to an hour you will want to spritz the pork to keep it from drying out. This can be done with apple juice or water.
  • Once they hit temp place the cubes in an aluminum pan. 
  • Season with the same seasoning or a different flavor profile to build some unique flavors. I went with a sweet rub in this step. 
  • Cover the cubes with B.B.Q sauce. 
  • Last step place a few pats of butter on top. 
  • Place back on the smoker for an about an hour. You want the sauce to reduce and get caramelized a bit. 
Pork belly burnt ends in the grill
Pork belly burnt ends in the grill

WHY COOKING PORK BELLY BURNT ENDS ON THE TRAEGER WORKS 

Smoking pork belly on the Traeger is a right of passage. While I may be Jewish, there’s no denying that pork is one of my favorite things to cook. And especially that’s the truth on the Traeger. There’s not an ounce of kosher in me and that’s ok!

When you make pork belly burnt ends on the Traeger, you give the dish an unmistakable base of wood-fired flavor thanks to the Traeger wood pellets. Then, the low and slow cook that continues on affords the pork belly the opportunity to cook gently, render the fat and become enrobed in a sweet BBQ and butter sauce. It cannot be beaten!

ALTERNATE RECIPES/PRODUCT LINKS

Here are some other pork belly recipes you could try:

  • Pork Belly Smoked Like a Brisket
  • Shredded Pork Belly

Products used in this cook:

  • Traeger smoker grill and wood pellets (we like apple and cherry for this recipe)
  • My Spiceology rub called Smoke Junkie

Did you make this recipe?
I’d love to know how it turned out!
Leave a review below or snap a photo,
share it on Instagram and tag me at @ThisJewCanQue

Pork belly burnt ends

Pork Belly Burnt Ends

thisjewcanque
Traditional BBQ burnt ends feature the point of the brisket, cubed and cooked further in a sticky sauce. This spin on burnt ends uses pork belly instead, and the result is like cubes of pig candy. Yum!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Cook Time 4 hours hrs
Total Time 4 hours hrs 15 minutes mins
Course Main Course, pork, Side Dish
Cuisine American, BBQ
Servings 4

Equipment

  • Smoker grill
  • Grill-safe wire rack (optional)
  • Spray bottle
  • Grill-safe baking dish or aluminum pan

Ingredients
  

  • 2 pounds pork belly (with skin removed, see note)
  • ½ cup rub or seasoning designed for pork like my Smoke Junkie from Spiceology (pork rubs generally include some sugar, salt, pepper, and some spices like paprika)
  • ½ cup apple juice or water
  • 1 cup your preferred BBQ sauce
  • ⅓ cup butter, cut in pats

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your smoker grill to 275°.
  • While smoker is warming up, cut the pork belly into 1-inch cubes.
  • Season the pork belly cubes with your preferred rub. Be sure to coat all six sides. Reserve a bit of seasoning for a later step.
  • If desired, use a grill-safe wire rack to transport your pork belly cubes to the grill. Arrange cubes on the rack, leaving space between each, and place entire rack directly on the grill grate. Alternately, you can just place the pork directly on the grill grate.
  • Allow pork to smoke for 3 hours, until the internal temperature of the pork is about 195°.
  • Hourly during cooking, spray pork with some of the apple juice or water in your spray bottle. This helps the meat retain moisture during the cook.
  • Once the pork reaches 195°, transfer to the pan or dish.
  • Sprinkle with additional seasoning and pour BBQ sauce over top. Stir to combine and coat all pieces.
  • Spread pork evenly in the pan and top with a few pats of butter throughout.
  • Return pan to smoker and cook for one additional hour.
  • Serve and enjoy!

Notes

I’ve found that generally, pork belly comes with the skin removed. In the event that your piece comes with skin, use a sharp knife to remove that layer from the pork, without removing the entire fat cap. 
Keyword burnt ends, low and slow, pork, pork belly burnt ends

Categories: Pork Tags: bbq, pork bell, pork belly burnt ends, Traeger pork belly

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Comments

  1. KAYSWELL says

    February 4, 2022 at 7:05 pm

    It’s a pity you don’t have a donate button! I’d certainly donate to this outstanding blog! I suppose for now i’ll settle for book-marking and adding your RSS feed to my Google account. I look forward to new updates and will share this website with my Facebook group. Chat soon!

    Reply
    • thisjewcanque says

      May 18, 2022 at 9:03 pm

      Thanks so much @Kayswell– so sorry for the delay in responding. Glad to be of help and inspiration. You could get my cookbook if you want a non-digital version of my recipes!

      Reply

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