Candied Pork Belly Burnt Ends
Brian Leigh
Rated 5.0 stars by 10 users
Category
Entree
Cuisine
Americana
Author:
Brian Leigh
Servings
8
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
4 hours
There's somethin' magical about the combination of pork, smoke and time and these Candied Pork Belly Burnt Ends might be the most magical combination yet.
These little smoky pork pillows are pure perfection. The combination of Somethin' for Rubbin's sweet and savory profile and the tangy mustard depth of The Clevelander makes for one amazing statement bite.
I dare you not to eat the whole pan.
Ingredients
Food Stuff
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4 lb pork belly
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¼ cup B.T. Leigh’s Somethin’ for Rubbin’ - Sweet & Savory BBQ Blend
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½ cup B.T. Leigh’s The Clevelander - Mustard Maple Rosemary BBQ Sauce
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¼ cup butter, unsalted
Hardware
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A smoker or oven
-
A grated rack that fits the smoker or oven
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A shallow aluminum pan
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Tinfoil
Directions
Preparation
Slice the pork belly into 1 inch cubes and coat liberally in B.T. Leigh’s Somethin’ for Rubbin’ barbecue rub.
Low and Slow Method - Smoker or Oven
Preheat your smoker to 225 degrees. I prefer to use cherry or pecan for the smoke. Alternately, you can do this in the oven. I will have oven directions detailed below.
Place the coated pork cubes spaced evenly onto a grated rack for optimum air flow. No pork cube should be touching any other pork cube.
Smoke for approximately 2 hours or until the edges become caramelized.
In an aluminum pan, add the butter and B.T. Leigh’s The Clevelander and place on the smoker next to, or better yet, under the grated rack and let smoke for 15 minutes.
Transfer the smoked pork cubes to the aluminum pan, stirring the combine and coat the cubes in the sauce.
Cover with foil and let smoke for 1 more hour.
Remove the foil, stir the contents to coat, and continue to smoke for an additional 30 minutes, uncovered.
Let rest for 15 minutes then enjoy!
Hot and Fast Method - Air Fryer or Oven
Preheat your oven or air fryer to 400 degrees F for 4-5 minutes to ensure even starting temperatures.
Add the pork belly cubes, skin side up and in a single layer to the oven or air fryer. If using an oven, place your pork belly cubes on a grated cooking sheet, also skin side up. The pork belly cubes should be spaced evenly and in a single layer.
Cook at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes or until the pork belly edges become caramelized.
Remove the pork belly to a bowl and coat with The Clevelander.
Return the pork belly to the air fryer or oven and cook for an additional 5 minutes, or until the sauce is set.
Let rest for 5 minutes and then enjoy!
Recipe Note
I love serving these with a sprinkle of our Somethin' To Finish WIth - Sumac & Onion Finishing Salt. It gives them a pop of flavor that really takes these over the top.
While you can oven bake these, and believe me, they'll turn out properly delicious, there is somethin' that only the smoker can provide.
Here's the oven directions:
- Preheat your oven to 225 degrees
- Place the pork cubes onto the grate but make sure that it is on a baking sheet to catch the pork drippings. You do not want to have fat and sugar dripping onto your oven's heating element.
- Bake for approximately 2.5 hours, then transfer directly to the aluminum pan with butter and The Clevelander.
- Cover and continue to bake for another hour.
- Uncover and continue to bake for an additional 30 minutes.
- Let rest for 15 minutes then enjoy!
