Pork Belly Burnt Ends (step by step) and is there a PBBEA?

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petehalsted

Smoking Fanatic
Original poster
Jun 28, 2015
483
296
Is there a Pork Belly Burnt Ends Anonymous organization, I think I need a meeting

I have my recipe down exactly as I want it, but that is in the MES30, this is my first time doing them in the All-Star with charcoal.

Well apparently I can reproduce them on either smoker, these things are unbelievable.

Here is my step by step

1. Cube Pork Belly, I try to make them a perfect 6 sides cube, about 1 1/2 inchs on all sides

2. I spritz with Pineapple juice, generous dose of my Pork Rub, wait a few, rotate and repeat until I have all 6 sides covered, I want bark everywhere!

3. Get smoker stabilized around 225
Today it was the All-Star running Royal Oak Hardwood Briquettes, with a couple chunks of Pecan, Apple and Cherry tossed in occasionally.

4. In go the cubes right on the grate for 3 hours, at which point they have a nice bark

5. Into foil pan, with 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup honey and 1 1/2 sticks of butter cut into thick pats
Today I did a double batch (5 pounds) so it was 2 pans as above

6. Cover the foil pans

7. Back in the smoker for 1 hour 45 minutes, when you pull them back out the IT should be around 200 - 205 on them

8. While they are back in the smoker make the glaze. 1 Cup Sauce (mine is southern style sweet bourbon) 1/4 Cup honey, 1/4 cup pineapple juice, 1/4 cup jelly. I really like Blackberry for this. Simmer until everything is mixed well. Note: this use to be my recipe for single pan, but after today, I think I will do 1/2 of this for single pan, I want more of a glaze than a sauce and as you will see in photos we even splitting between 2 pans there was plenty of sauce.

9. Drain the liquid, there will be a ton of fat rendered during this foiled stage and you want it out of the pan for the glazing.

10. Use the glaze made in step 8, mix around in the pan.

11. Back in the smoker uncovered, if you can bump the temp to 250. I couldn't today because I had other stuff going.

12. After 25 minutes pull them and see where you are. I put mine back in for another 15 minutes today. Your just trying to get them good and sticky at this point


PBBE2.jpg

PBBE1.jpg
 
Those look great Pete, and thanks for the step-by-step. I still haven't made PBBE's, but it's definitely on my todo list.

Point for sure
Chris
 
I bookmarked this, cause I have been wanting to do these for a long time & I really like your recipe!
Great step by step too.
Thanks for posting it & congrats on making the carousel!
Al
 
Those look amazing .
I wish we could change the name from pork belly burnt ends P.B.B.E's to heart bombs H.B's.
 
Thanks everyone, first carousel ride for the new smoker!

If you do try my recipe, try with my glaze. Between the honey and the blackberry jelly, they take on almost a candied profile.

Plan to have left overs, pretty much failed again. Because the chuckie came off so late, the PBBE became the main course for everyone, There were 10 cubes left last night, I put them in a small bowl in the fridge. I stuck it way in the back, hopefully it is still there this AM.
 
I'm with Al on this.... Thanks for the recipe and step by step... I'm pulling a belly out of the freezer soon for bacon ... Sooo, I'll trim it and make some PBBE's...
 
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They look awesome. Yep I need to join the PBBEA group. I've done them way too many times. They're good with beans, they're good with slaw, they're good with just about anything but best of all they're good on a fork or toothpick. Just eat 'em up. congrats on making the carousal
 
I'm with Al on this.... Thanks for the recipe and step by step... I'm pulling a belly out of the freezer soon for bacon ... Sooo, I'll trim it and make some PBBE's...

I used to think trimming a belly square for the perfect bacon was a waste of belly.....

BUT... Wow, now I think it a given that when I find belly for bacon, there WILL be some trimmings to make PBBE!
 
Thanks everyone,

I did a round of bacon, mainly just to knock it off the bucket list. Not having the dedicated fridge space for curing, and perfecting my PBBE, I have decided that I will buy my bacon and make Burnt Ends with all my Pork Belly.

Randy, no fork or toothpick required, we don't have fancy sliverware like that around the smoker. Get right in there with your fingers, Colonel got nothing on PBBE, definitely finger licking good. Might explain a few of those stains on my shirt in my other post :-)
 
Love your post. The problem is “I can’t find pork belly in my neck of the woods!”
I wish there was a local place her in jackson nj that had them.. I will keep looking. Btw. I will use your recipe
Congrats on the carousel!
 
Lemans, I travel fulltime in an RV so I feel your pain. When I am in So FL, I have a hard time finding Pork Belly, Publix has some occasionally but not very good quality.

In Missouri at the moment and Costco here has whole bellies or presliced.

You might try an Asian or Mexican market they often have them as well.

Good luck, they are worth the effort to search for !
 
That looks like a gooey, caramelize delight!
Thanks for posting your process
 
Pete thanks for the step by step,I have a very thin piece of Belly that may getting the treatment,never had any kind of burnt ends.I don't like a lot of fat or sweets but instead of ground formed bacon I am giving it a shot soon.LIKES
Richie
 
Thanks Richie,

My wife HATES fat, but she still eats a few of these. The fat is rendered to the point that is doesn't have the chewy fat consistency that most folks object to. Sometimes she will pull the fat section off the burnt end, when she does I get a treat!

I have done then with thinner Belly (all I could get from Publix in SoFla) but they are definitely better with bellies around 1 1/2 inches thick.
 
Those look great Pete!!!. Thx for posting the steps, Something I have been contemplating doing. I was always thinking they would be too fatty but those look amazing. Definitely tipping the scales in favor trying them your way. Point for that. Congrats on the carousel ride.
 
I was always thinking they would be too fatty but those look amazing.

Thanks, don't get me wrong they are fatty but the fat has completely rendered into melt in your mouth goodness. It's nothing like that fat you find in pulled pork.
 
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