Cube 3 lb of skinless pork belly into 1.5 inch pieces, season, and smoke at 135°C (275°F) for 2.5 hours. Transfer to a foil pan with butter, brown sugar and sauce, cover and cook 1 hour, then uncover and glaze 30 minutes until sticky.
Method
Cube it evenly
Trim the belly square and cut it into 1.5 inch cubes. Even sizing matters more here than in most cooks, because small pieces will render to nothing while large ones stay tough. Skin off; it will not crisp in this cook.
Season all six faces
Toss the cubes in rub until every face is coated. Lay them out on a wire rack with space between them so smoke reaches all sides.
Smoke at 135°C (275°F) for 2.5 hours
Rack straight onto the grate, indirect. You are looking for a set, mahogany bark and a good amount of rendering. The cubes will have shrunk noticeably and the fat will look translucent rather than white.
Braise in butter and sugar
Move the cubes into a foil pan. Scatter over the butter, brown sugar and honey, pour in the sauce, and toss to coat. Cover tightly with foil and return to the cooker for an hour. This is the phase that renders the remaining fat and takes them properly tender.
Uncover and set the glaze
Take the foil off, toss again, and cook uncovered for 30 minutes until the liquid has reduced and each cube is lacquered rather than swimming. They should be sticky enough to hold their coating when lifted.
Rest briefly and serve hot
Ten minutes in the pan. These are extremely rich, so serve them as a small plate with something acidic rather than as a main.
Notes worth knowing
- If the cubes are tender but the sauce is thin, keep going uncovered. If the sauce is thick but the pork is tough, cover and give it longer.
- Cherry wood gives the deepest colour on pork belly, which matters for a dish this visual.
- Skimming the rendered fat off before the final glaze stops them turning greasy.
Common questions
Are these actually burnt ends?
Not traditionally. Real burnt ends are the twice-cooked point of a brisket. Pork belly burnt ends borrow the technique and the name, and they are far quicker and cheaper to make.
Can I use pork belly with the skin on?
Remove it. Skin needs either very high dry heat or long rendering followed by blasting to crisp, and neither happens in this cook. It will just end up leathery.
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