Traeger Smoked Pork Belly Burnt Ends
These Traeger Smoked Pork Belly Burnt Ends are served drizzled in BBQ sauce, crispy on the outside, and tender and juicy on the inside. Your cookout spread needs this recipe. This mouthwatering dish can be made with any smoker or pellet grill.
Servings 10 servings
Calories 600kcal
Ingredients
- 4-5 pounds pork belly Sliced into even sized chunks (½-1 inch thick)
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 cup BBQ Sauce Add more or use less to suit your preference.
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar See notes.
Homemade BBQ Rub (Feel free to use your favorite store-bought rub).
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar or sweetener
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika Regular paprika is fine.
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the smoker to 225 degrees.
- Drizzle the pork belly with olive oil and sprinkle the spices throughout. Rub the spices into the meat. Ensure the meat is fully coated, add additional spices if necessary.
- Place the pork belly on the grates on the smoker. (You can place them in a pan if you wish).
- Smoke for 2-3 hours until the meat reaches an internal temperature of around 165 degrees. The size of your burnt ends will impact the cooking time.
- Remove the burnt ends and place them in a pan. I use a 10 inch cast iron skillet. Drizzle the BBQ sauce and apple cider vinegar throughout and stir. The vinegar will help keep the meat from drying out.
- Place the burnt ends back on the smoker and smoke until they reach an internal temperature of 195-205 degrees. They are done with they are crisp on the outside and tender. Be careful not to overcook. Overcooked pork will taste dry and chewy.
- Allow the pork to rest for 10-15 minutes prior to serving.
Notes
- Apple cider vinegar is optional and will help keep the meat from drying out.
- You want to slice the pork into cubes that are evenly sized. That way they cook at an even and consistent temperature, such as ½ inch or an inch. Sometimes this can be tough to accomplish if the slices of pork belly you purchased aren't all equally sized. When this is the case, I take note of the smaller pieces and pull those off the smoker earlier than the other pieces to ensure they don't overcook.
- Pork belly is mostly fat. Feel free to trim any fat to suit your taste and liking.
- Since the recipe uses a dry rub, I don't feel the need to marinate/allow the spices to sit on the meat before placing it on the smoker.
Nutrition
Serving: 8oz | Calories: 600kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 48g