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pork belly burnt ends in cast iron pan

Pork Belly Burnt Ends

Erica
Pork belly burnt ends are salty, sweet, succulent bites of pork belly, cooked to divine flavor and tenderness in the Big Green Egg or electric smoker. The key is slow cooking in the presence of smoke to slowly render the fat leaving incredibly rich, melt-in-your-mouth chunks of pure pork love.
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 45 minutes
Course Appetizer, Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine American, barbecue, BBQ
Servings 12 people
Calories 833 kcal

Ingredients
 

  • cherry or apple wood for smoking
  • 6-7 lb pork belly skin removed and discarded, cut into 1-½ to 2-inch pieces
  • ~½ cup barbecue rub of choice
  • 2 sticks unsalted butter cubed
  • ½ cup light brown sugar
  • ¼ cup honey

For the glaze

Instructions
 

  • Set up Big Green Egg (BGE) or electric smoker to cook at 250°F with indirect heat (i.e. use a plate-setter, legs up, in the BGE).
  • Toss the pork in barbecue rub to coat.
  • Add wood to the BGE or smoker according to the manufacturer's instructions.
  • Place the seasoned pieces of pork on the grill grate and smoke 2 hours.
  • Transfer the pork to a grill-proof pan (aluminum pan, cast iron, etc), and sprinkle the brown sugar and butter pieces over top. Drizzle over the honey. Cover with foil, return to the smoker, and cook an additional 1-½ hours or until pork is very tender.
  • In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the ingredients for the glaze until warm and smooth.
  • Drain the juices from the pork. Add the glaze to the pork and toss to coat. Return the pan to the smoker, uncovered, for 5-10 minutes to caramelize the glaze a bit. Serve.

Notes

To give your pork belly even more love, we recommend our Barbecue Seasoning Blend and Cherry Chipotle BBQ Sauce.
I recommend placing a drip pan under the pork as it cooks to catch all the fat and leave less of a mess.

Nutrition

Calories: 833kcal (42%) | Carbohydrates: 31g (10%) | Protein: 35g (70%) | Fat: 64g (98%) | Saturated Fat: 23g (144%) | Cholesterol: 140mg (47%) | Sodium: 382mg (17%) | Potassium: 9mg | Fiber: 1g (4%) | Sugar: 19g (21%)

Calorie count is purely an estimate calculated using an online application to serve as a guide and not to be taken as accurate nutritional information. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

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