Pork Belly Burnt Ends with Maple and Bourbon

One more shot of the finalized and served dish.

5 from 20 votes

Pork Belly Burnt Ends with Maple and Bourbon

Learn to make the most epic Maple Bourbon Pork Belly Burnt Ends! This recipe is smoky, sweet and savory all at the same time.

Prep Time20

Cook Time4 15

Total Time4 35

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: people

Author: Derek Wolf

Ingredients

Pork Belly:

2 lbs Pork Belly cubed
Maple Bourbon Seasoning or your favorite pork rub
½ cup Brown Sugar
6 tbsp Butter
Oil as needed

BBQ Sauce:

⅓ cup Cowboy Prairie Fire BBQ Sauce or your favorite bbq sauce
2 tbsp Maple Syrup
2 tbsp Bourbon

Instructions

Start by lathering your cubed pork belly with oil then thoroughly season with my Maple Bourbon seasoning or your favorite pork rub.
Set in the fridge for 1-2 hours.
Using Cowboy Charcoal, fill one chimney full of coals, light and let preheat for your smoker for low heat (250F).
Top the hot coals with 1-2 Cowboy Hickory Pit Logs for added smoke flavor.
Add your pork belly onto the smoker and cook for 2.5 hours.
Once done, pull off and place in an aluminum foil pan & top with butter and brown sugar.
Place back in the smoker for 1.5 hours or until they are 205F internal.
Heat up your bbq sauce along with the maple syrup and bourbon.
Simmer over low heat until thick (about 10 minutes).
Lather your pork belly in bbq sauce, crank up the heat in the smoker and let caramelize for 5-10 minutes.
Pork Belly Burnt Ends is ready, now pull out of the smoker and enjoy!

Video

Notes

Why Are They Called Burnt Ends?

Burnt ends traditionally come from smoked brisket. Since a proper brisket has a lot of fat, it takes hours in the smoker to get deliciously tender and develop a nice bark. This process meant the ends would cook faster than the rest of the brisket and get crispy. And there you have it: burnt ends. According to Kansas City barbecue legend, pitmasters used to cut the ends from the brisket and give these meat treats away for free! But, when people started lining up just for the burnt ends, they became the sought-after mouthwatering dish we use today.

We use the term here for slow-cooked, caramelized cubes of meat, even if they're not coming from a brisket point. The pork belly version is still so freakin' delicious. I've got lots more ideas for burnt ends in this recipe roundup. Give them a try and let me know your favorite!

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