Maple BBQ Pork Belly Burnt Ends

Temp: 250-275

Ingredients: 1 slab of pork belly, skin off.

Binder of Choice (Mustard, Hot Sauce, Oil, Whatever)

Mop Sauce of Choice

Rubs: Meat Church Honey Hog Hot & Holy Gospel

Sauce: Meat Mitch Whomp Sauce & Maple Syrup

If there’s one appetizer that never fails to have friends and family giving you an endless stream of compliments, it’s pork belly burnt ends. What’s even better is how easy they are! You can find pork belly at most butcher shops, but I typically buy it at Costco. You can get the pork belly strips there, but I’ve found that I get a better result cutting it all up on my own. Slice it into 1x1 inch cubes. A little bigger won’t hurt if you’d like. I like to throw them all in a bowl to season, just makes clean up easier. I also use Franks red hot as my binder. It helps the seasoning stick, and gives a little punch of heat. Season well, they can take it! Now it’s time to throw them on the smoker at 250-275 degrees. I’m using my offset for this cook burning sugar maple splits. Once they’re on, they’ll take around 2.5 hours. You can also spritz or mop them after the first hour to add more flavour. Once you hit that 2.5 hour mark, probe them. You’re looking for them to feel probe tender. Like you’re probing into room temp butter. This will usually happen around the 203 degree mark. Don’t sweat it if they’re a little over, it won’t hurt the end product!

Now it’s time to wrap them. Grab a foil pan and toss em’ all in. Take 2 tbsp of butter and add it on top. Then add in 3-4tbsp of maple syrup. Dark syrup usually works best here as it’s got a richer maple flavour. After that, coat in your favourite bbq sauce. I used Meat Mitch Whomp sauce for mine. You want just enough sauce to cover them all well. Now cover the top with foil and take them back to the smoker for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes pull them out and let rest with the lid off until they’re cool enough to eat. Now get ready for the barrage of compliments from all your family and friends!