Pork and apples are a fall classic. This recipe for smoked pork belly burnt ends with applesauce is inspired by another classic — my dad. When I was growing up, he made these pork chops with applesauce that were so freakin’ delicious, they just blew my mind. I’m grateful he introduced me to this pairing and set me up to give you this perfect pork belly recipe for fall.
Since making a proper applesauce uses a ton of apples, I’m taking advantage of Kroger’s current apple promotion. When you select a next-day, 1-hour time slot with the Kroger Delivery blue truck icon, you get a free 3-pound bag of Kroger brand apples! This promotion applies to select varieties and the minimum order purchase is $35. It’s so worth it to be able to make this recipe AND have the convenience of Kroger’s speedy delivery. Extra time for you to watch the game on a Sunday or chill by the firepit!
Post sponsored by Kroger
Table of Contents
- Why You’ll Love Smoked Pork Belly Burnt Ends with Applesauce
- Smoked Pork Belly Burnt Ends with Applesauce Ingredients
- Easy Apple Slaw
- How to Make Smoked Pork Belly Burnt Ends with Applesauce
- What to Serve with Smoked Pork Belly Burnt Ends with Applesauce
- Leftovers and Reheating
- For More Pork Belly Burnt Ends
- FAQs
- Flavor X Fire & FOOD X Fire
- Smoked Pork Belly Burnt Ends with Applesauce Recipe
Why You’ll Love Smoked Pork Belly Burnt Ends with Applesauce
I’ve said it many times: burnt ends are basically the definition of BBQ. People can’t resist this crowd favorite. And you know what else people can’t resist? Pork belly cubes. Pair those two amazing flavors together and you’ve got meat candy that will disappear from your game day spread or the dinner table in no time flat. Typically, burnt ends come from the point end of a beef brisket. But, I’m always stoked to use this technique with another cut of meat, like in this pork recipe.
These cubes of pork belly are like bacon, except thicker. We still get that rich and smoky flavor, but because of the pork belly texture, it’s versatile enough to stand up to this burnt ends recipe. We also take our applesauce to the next level with apple cider, maple syrup and lemon juice to boost the flavor.
First time making burnt ends? Because I know you’ll want to make them again! Check out my best burnt ends roundup for more ideas!
Smoked Pork Belly Burnt Ends with Applesauce Ingredients
- Pork: We’ll season our cubed pork belly with your favorite BBQ seasoning and yellow mustard.
- Crutch: Since we want our smoked pork belly burnt ends with applesauce to be nice and tender, we’ll braise them in a crutch. Our braising liquid is made up of unsalted butter, brown sugar, BBQ sauce and maple syrup.
- Applesauce: Thanks to Kroger’s delivery, we’ve got plenty of apples for this sauce. We’ll also add lemon juice, apple cider, brown sugar, maple syrup and cinnamon sticks.
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Easy Apple Slaw
Since we’ve got all these apples, we might as well boost that apple flavor in our BBQ side! I love to make an apple slaw to go with pork. For your dressing, mix together 1/4 cup mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon each of kosher salt and black pepper and 1/2 teaspoon sugar. Cut 1 green apple and 1 red apple into matchsticks. Then, stir them into a large bowl with a bag of shredded coleslaw mix, a couple of sliced scallions and a handful of chopped parsley. To finish your slaw, stir the dressing into your vegetables, then serve.
How to Make Smoked Pork Belly Burnt Ends with Applesauce
Making the Applesauce
First, heat up a fire for medium heat and direct cooking (about 350 degrees Fahrenheit). Then, place a cast iron skillet on the grill grates with 8 peeled, cored and sliced apples, juice from a medium lemon, 1 cup apple cider, 2 cinnamon sticks and 1 cup of water.
Slowly simmer these ingredients over the fire until you’ve softened the apples, which should take about 25 minutes. If the sauce is getting too thick, add more water. Once you’ve softened the apples, add 1/2 cup of brown sugar and 2 tablespoons maple syrup and remove the cinnamon sticks. Then, blend or mash to your desired thickness (I used an immersion blender for this), then pull the skillet off the grill and keep the sauce warm.
Preparing the Pork Belly
Using a sharp knife, cut 2 pounds of pork belly into 2-inch cubes. Next, slather your pork cubes with 1/4 cup yellow mustard. Then, thoroughly season pork belly with 1/4 cup of your favorite BBQ dry rub. Place your pork cubes evenly spaced out on a baking wire rack and set aside.
Next, preheat your smoker for medium-low heat (250 degrees F). Top with wood chips or wood chunks (I like apple wood with pork) for added smoke flavor.
Smoking the Pork Belly Burnt Ends
Once you’ve got your fire going, place your pork belly onto the smoker and cook for 2.5 hours. Once the pork belly cubes are around 160-180 degrees F, pull off and place in a disposable aluminum pan. Top with butter cubes from 1.5 sticks unsalted butter, 1/2 cup of your favorite barbecue sauce, 1/2 cup of brown sugar and 2.5 tablespoons maple syrup. Cover with foil. Then, place the foil pan back in the smoker for 1.5 hours, or until the internal temperature of the pork belly is 205 degrees F.
Once the pork belly reaches temperature, open up the foil and discard any excess liquid. Place back the foil pan back on the smoker and add a little more BBQ sauce and maple syrup. Leave the foil pan uncovered to caramelize for 15 minutes and get that nice bark. Once the caramelization cooking process finishes, pull the pan off the grill and let the pork belly cool for 5 minutes.
When the burnt ends are done resting, serve this dish with applesauce on the bottom and burnt ends on top. Enjoy your perfect plate of smoked pork belly burnt ends with applesauce!
What to Serve with Smoked Pork Belly Burnt Ends with Applesauce
Since burnt ends are BBQ at its finest, stick with your favorite BBQ sides. Potato salad, cornbread (or white bread), coleslaw, baked beans, collard greens or macaroni are a great way to round out your meal. You could also go with the apple slaw in the tips here, which pairs perfectly with pork and emphasizes the apple flavor in this recipe.
Leftovers and Reheating
If you have any smoked 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 350 degrees F for about 10-15 minutes. For the leftover applesauce, store in a separate airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days.
For More Pork Belly Burnt Ends
FAQs
Basically, the biggest difference between pork belly and bacon is that bacon is cured for preservation purposes and pork belly isn’t. And while bacon comes in long strips, pork belly comes as a brick of meat so you can use it in more ways than just pan frying. Both cuts come from the belly of the pig, although some butchers make cuts from other parts of the pig, like jowl bacon, back bacon, cottage bacon and slab bacon.
Check with your local butcher! You can also find pork belly at your local grocery store.
Kroger delivery is incredibly convenient, and the company serves most of the country! Check out this Pickup & Delivery page on the website for more info.
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Smoked Pork Belly Burnt Ends with Applesauce
Ingredients
Pork Belly:
- 2 lbs Pork Belly cubed
- ¼ cup Favorite BBQ Seasoning
- ¼ cup Yellow Mustard
Crutch:
- 1.5 Sticks Butter unsalted & cubed
- 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
- 1/2 cup Favorite BBQ Sauce
- 2.5 tbsp Maple Syrup
Applesauce:
- 8 Apples peeled, cored & sliced
- 1 medium Lemon juiced
- 1 cup Apple Cider
- 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
- 2 tbsp Maple syrup
- 2 Cinnamon Sticks
Instructions
Applesauce:
- Heat up a fire for medium heat and direct cooking (about 350F)
- Add a cast iron skillet with all your apples, lemon juice, apple cider, cinnamon sticks and 1 cup of water. Slowly simmer over the fire until the apples softened (about 25 minutes). Add more water if the sauce is getting too thick.
- Once softened, add the brown sugar and maple syrup and remove the cinnamon sticks. Blend or mash to your desired thickness.
- Once done, pull off and keep warm.
Pork Belly:
- Start by cubing your pork belly into 2” cubes. Next, start slathering your cubed pork belly with yellow mustard then thoroughly season with your favorite bbq 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 cubes, bbq sauce, brown sugar and maple syrup. 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 and maple syrup. 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 with applesauce on bottom and burnt ends on top.
