These honey chipotle pork belly burnt ends are basically my grilling heaven. That’s because they pull together my favorite things — hot honey, pork belly cubes, beer — in one freakin’ delicious dish. Add in Samuel Adams for our spicy honey barbecue sauce and you’ve got a real winner for your next tailgate or party. I used Just the Haze IPA, which brings a symphony of flavors without the buzz. It worked out perfectly for these pork belly burnt ends!
Post sponsored by Samuel Adams
Table of Contents
- Why You’ll Love Honey Chipotle Pork Belly Burnt Ends
- Honey Chipotle Pork Belly Burnt Ends Ingredients
- Why Use a Crutch
- JUST DROPPED.
- How to Make Honey Chipotle Pork Belly Burnt Ends
- What to Serve with Honey Chipotle Pork Belly Burnt Ends
- Leftovers and Reheating
- More Pork Belly Burnt Ends
- FAQs
- Honey Chipotle Pork Belly Burnt Ends Recipe
Why You’ll Love Honey Chipotle Pork Belly Burnt Ends
Burnt ends have historically been reserved for brisket, but there are so many other versions you can make. Salmon, bologna, hot dogs, and of course the traditional beef have all gotten the burnt ends treatment in my backyard. But I absolutely love making burnt ends with pork belly, since the layers of fat render over the slow cook for a perfect meat candy. This version brings in my Cowboy Candy Seasoning, honey and pureed chipotle peppers for tons of layers of flavors.
The key with these honey chipotle pork belly burnt ends is smoking until the pork is ready. Don’t necessarily go by the cooking times I’ve listed here, as some pork goes faster or slower. Once you hit 165 degrees Fahrenheit, then cover the pork cubes for the crutch. Then, go back to the smoker and cook until it’s super tender to the touch!
Looking for more pork belly? Check out my recipes for Elote Pork Belly, Pork Belly Cinnamon Rolls, Fried Pork Belly Tacos, Sriracha Bourbon Pork Belly and Al Pastor Pork Belly Tacos.
Honey Chipotle Pork Belly Burnt Ends Ingredients
- Pork Belly: We’ll season cubes of pork belly with my Cowboy Candy rub and yellow mustard as our flavor base.
- Crutch: If you’re not familiar with a crutch, it’s an awesome smoking technique. We’ll put the partially cooked pork belly cubes in a foil pan and cover the bin with heavy-duty aluminum foil. For this crutch, I’m using unsalted butter, brown sugar, honey, and the honey chipotle BBQ sauce we’re making from scratch for this recipe.
- Honey Chipotle BBQ Sauce: This sauce is just incredible. Grab some ketchup, a can of Samuel Adams Just the Haze IPA, honey, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, chipotle puree and Worcestershire sauce.
Why Use a Crutch
Placing the honey chipotle pork belly burnt ends in a covered foil pan with basting ingredients has a ton of benefits. Here’s why I’m using a crutch in this recipe. These reasons are also why I’ve used it in a bunch of others, like ribs and pulled pork sandwiches.
- Speedier cooking: When we cover the burnt ends in foil, we create a sealed, moist environment that helps them power through the stall (when the meat stops rising in temperature due to evaporation).
- Tender, juicy meat: The crutch traps steam and moisture, preventing the pork belly from drying out during the long cooking process. Plus, the crutch helps break down the collagen and connective tissue, giving you that tender texture that everyone loves in pork belly.
- Extra flavor: By adding honey chipotle BBQ sauce to the crutch, we’re essentially braising the pork belly burnt ends in those flavors. The burnt ends absorb all that sweet, spicy, rich goodness. We’re also creating a built-in glaze, since all those ingredients in the crutch break down and meld together. When you uncover them for the final 30 minutes, that glaze caramelizes beautifully on the smoker for a serious umami flavor hit.
THE COWBOY COLLECTION
JUST DROPPED.
Cowboy butter brings rich, garlicky heat. Cowboy Candy brings sweet fire with a brown sugar kick. Both built to perform over the fire – just like we like it.
How to Make Honey Chipotle Pork Belly Burnt Ends
Prepping the Pork Belly
Let’s start this freakin’ delicious recipe by using a sharp knife to cut your 2 pounds of pork belly into two-inch cubes. Then, slather your cubed pork belly with 1/4 cup yellow mustard and thoroughly season with 1/4 cup Cowboy Candy. Place your pork belly evenly spaced on a wire rack set inside a baking sheet and set aside.
Preheat your smoker for medium-low heat (about 250 degrees F). Top with wood chips or wood chunks for added smoke flavor. Once you’re at temp, place your pork belly onto the smoker and cook for 2.5 hours.
Making the Honey Chipotle BBQ Sauce
While the pork belly burnt ends are cooking, we’ll make the honey chipotle BBQ sauce. First, preheat a saucepan over medium heat (about 350 degrees F). Then, add 1 cup ketchup, 1/2 cup Just the Haze IPA, 1/3 cup honey, 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 2 tablespoons chipotle puree and 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce to the pan. Whisk everything together and bring to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat. Cook for 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened. Blend the mixture if you want a completely smooth sauce.
Finishing the Pork Belly Burnt Ends
Back to the pork belly burnt ends! Once the internal temperature is around 160-180 degrees F, pull them off the smoker and place in an aluminum foil pan.
Top the cubes of pork belly with 2 sticks butter, cut into cubes; 1 cup of the honey chipotle BBQ sauce, 1/2 cup brown sugar and 2.5 tablespoons honey. Cover with foil and place back in the smoker for 1.5 hours or until the internal temp of the pork belly pieces is 205 degrees F.
Once the pork belly is done, open up the crutch and discard any excess liquid. Place back on the smoker and add more BBQ sauce.
Leave the honey chipotle pork belly burnt ends uncovered to caramelize for 15 minutes. Then, pull off and let cool for 5 minutes. Serve and enjoy!
What to Serve with Honey Chipotle Pork Belly Burnt Ends
Your favorite classic BBQ sides are a perfect way to make a real meal out of these honey chipotle pork belly burnt ends. Coleslaw, baked beans, cornbread, mac and cheese, pickles, grilled asparagus or zucchini or a simple green salad would be incredible alongside this meat candy. And grab yourself a Samuel Adams too!
Leftovers and Reheating
If you have any honey chipotle pork belly burnt ends left, wrap them in aluminum foil and then store them in an airtight container for 3-5 days in the refrigerator. Then, reheat them in the oven at 250 degrees F for about 20-40 minutes.
More Pork Belly Burnt Ends
FAQs
Use a meat thermometer! It’s the best way to get accurate readings and to ensure you get the best honey chipotle pork belly burnt ends. ThermoWorks makes some great tools, and the Thermopop is an affordable and useful option.
You can find it at most supermarkets. If you want to make your own, just open a can of chipotle peppers and blend them in your food processor. Then, push the mixture through a fine mesh strainer to get rid of some of the liquid and the seeds. If you leave the seeds in, your puree will be REALLY spicy!
Absolutely! I’d follow the instructions for leftovers and reheating and reheat them at 250 degrees F for 20-40 minutes. If you’re short on time, you could bump up the temp to 350 degrees F and only leave them in for 10-15 minutes instead.
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Honey Chipotle Pork Belly Burnt Ends
Ingredients
Pork Belly:
- 2 lbs Pork Belly cubed
- ¼ cup Cowboy Candy
- ¼ cup Yellow Mustard
Crutch:
- 2 Sticks Butter unsalted and cut into cubes
- 1 cup Honey Chipotle BBQ Sauce
- 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
- 2.5 tbsp Honey
Honey Chipotle BBQ Sauce:
- 1 cup Ketchup
- 1/2 cup Sam Adams Just the Haze IPA
- 1/3 cup Honey
- 2 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
- 2 tbsp Brown Sugar
- 2 tbsp Chipotle Puree
- 1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
Instructions
Pork Belly:
- Start by cubing your pork belly into 2” cubes.
- Slather your cubed pork belly with yellow mustard then thoroughly season with my Cowboy Candy Rub. Place your pork belly on a baking wire rack evenly spaced out and set aside.
- Preheat your smoker for medium-low heat (250F). Top with wood chips or wood chunks for added smoke flavor.
- Add your pork belly onto the smoker and cook for 2.5 hours.
- Once they are around 160-180F, pull off and place in an aluminum foil pan & top with butter pads, Honey Chipotle BBQ Sauce, brown sugar and honey. Cover with foil and place back in the smoker for 1.5 hours or until they are 205F internal.
- Once the pork belly is done, open it up and discard any excess liquid. Place back on the smoker and add more BBQ sauce. Leave uncovered to caramelize for 15 minutes. Once done, pull off and let cool for 5 minutes
- When done, let cool for 5 minutes then serve and enjoy!
BBQ Sauce:
- Preheat a skillet over medium heat (about 350F)
- Add everything to a saucepan and whisk together. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat, then cook for 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened. Blend if you want it completely smooth.
