First try at pork belly burnt ends

[Kanco Connection]

Here we go. Got guys coming over for steak and bourbon. Thought I'd try something new as an appetizer, so giving Malcom Reed's pork belly burn ends a try.

8# belly. Too big for my PBC, so cut off a little over half. Tried to cut into cubes but didn't do a great job of that--not symmetrical. Hope it doesn't matter.

https://i.imgur.com/7q1T2Fgl.jpg

Seasoned w Killer Hogz The Rub and put on a circular wire rack

https://i.imgur.com/PR5Zp35l.jpg

On the PBC it goes...

https://i.imgur.com/1FyhfKJl.jpg

Running at about 275 with 50/50 lump and Weber briqs.
I'll update in a moment...

[Smokey Lonesome]

:pop2::pop2:

Doing this next week on the PBC. Following closely!

[Kanco Connection]

They went for about 2:10 and got some color... (I checked the IT, just because I was curious--they were about 170)

https://i.imgur.com/fE6ek2Xl.jpg

Unfortunately, I didn't oil the rack, so they wanted to stick a little bit--lost a little bit of bark but not too much..

https://i.imgur.com/VH1gzKml.jpg

Stacked them in a half-size disposable pan, topped with brown sugar, honey, and butter

https://i.imgur.com/MyQhVrGl.jpg

Back onto the PBC, covered. I'll give it another 90 minutes and check at that time...

[Bubblehead]

Been wanting to do this. Watching closely!

[EyeBurnEverything]

Curious how these turn out, or rather are supposed to turn out? Do they have soft fat or crispy fat like a thick cut bacon? Could you just take a slab of bacon, cube it into chunks, deep fry it a bit, then coat with rub and finish like you would with burnt ends?

[Kanco Connection]

Curious how these turn out, or rather are supposed to turn out? Do they have soft fat or crispy fat like a thick cut bacon? Could you just take a slab of bacon, cube it into chunks, deep fry it a bit, then coat with rub and finish like you would with burnt ends?

Fair questions. Not quite done yet. Been about 1:40 and getting pretty tender but going to let them go another 15-20. Guys are almost here, so won’t be able to post soon. I’ll post results tomorrow....

[hurricanedavid]

I’ve used his recipie 2x and both times have been straight money.:thumb:

[Dr. Weld]

Nice, looking good.. I made about 40 lbs of pork burnt ends this last month alone and picked up another 10lbs today. The queen loves them. SHe loves them so much, I have to make them for her company potluck next week. Yeaaaa.

[EyeBurnEverything]

Nice, looking good.. I made about 40 lbs of pork burnt ends this last month alone and picked up another 10lbs today. The queen loves them. SHe loves them so much, I have to make them for her company potluck next week. Yeaaaa.

Where are you buying your pork belly in PA? Its $5.99/lb in these parts of PA woods. That's a little too rich for my wallet for a potluck.

[Smokey Lonesome]

Where are you buying your pork belly in PA? Its $5.99/lb in these parts of PA woods. That's a little too rich for my wallet for a potluck.

Costco in the Pottstown/King of Prussia area near Philadelphia carries them. I forget the price though. I buy them two at a time for bacon. They are typically about 10 lbs.

Otherwise, Asian grocery stores sometimes carry.

[EyeBurnEverything]

Costco in the Pottstown/King of Prussia area near Philadelphia carries them. I forget the price though. I buy them two at a time for bacon. They are typically about 10 lbs.

Otherwise, Asian grocery stores sometimes carry.

They opened a Costco a year ago in the lehigh valley which is closer to me then philly. I wen't there, and they don't even Carry Packers. Only flats for $5.99/lb. Needless to say, i laughed at the butcher and left the store. I am so glad i did'nt buy a $60/yr membership.

[Dr. Weld]

Where are you buying your pork belly in PA? Its $5.99/lb in these parts of PA woods. That's a little too rich for my wallet for a potluck.

There’s a few meat markets around me. Price varies from $4-$5 a lb. today’s was 4.50 ish.

Do you have butcher shops or meat markets around your area?

[EyeBurnEverything]

There’s a few meat markets around me. Price varies from $4-$5 a lb. today’s was 4.50 ish.

Do you have butcher shops or meat markets around your area?

Yes i do. They charge the same price as Costco and other chain wholesale. Its sad to say the least. I am not willing to pay $6/lb for pork, especially if i am willing to cure and cold smoke it myself.

[TravelingJ]

Nice, looking good.. I made about 40 lbs of pork burnt ends this last month alone and picked up another 10lbs today. The queen loves them. SHe loves them so much, I have to make them for her company potluck next week. Yeaaaa.

I can understand that. Pork Belly Burnt Ends have to be the most raved about thing I cook. My girlfriend loves it. And, since we are Keto, it's right in our diet. We have been known to eat the leftovers cold, straight from the fridge.

We have it for around $4 a pound at our local Sams, so it's super cheap to cook. You lose a lot of weight to the cook, but I save the rendered fat and use that later at least.

[Kanco Connection]

Out of the braise, and added the BBQ/apple juice/Frank's/apple jelly glaze that Malcom Reed recommends. Put back onto the smoker for about 10-15 minutes to thicken it up a little. And pulled:

https://i.imgur.com/bHRPyQPg.jpg

They were a huge hit. Very good overall. The guys loved them and so did my wife. That's what matters. I'd give it an A- effort. The reason I can't give it higher is that some pieces were perfect and tender and A+, and others were a little tougher (not tough, but tougher). Not sure what the deal was.

Don't get me wrong, even the "bad" ones were better than pretty much anything else you can eat, but the best ones were just so much better--among the best food I've ever made. I'm not sure why the difference in tenderness. Maybe just my poor job at slicing, resulting in some more symmetrical than others? Maybe the belly really has that much difference in parts of the meat? I don't know.

Anyway, it was a success. The only things I would change are:

1. I'd use my best, sharpest knife, and make a more concerted effort at making them into even-sided cubes.
2. I'd oil my wire rack so that there wouldn't be any sticking.

The end result was very good, thanks to Malcom Reed. Give this a try, if you haven't already. Thank you for taking a look.

[Dr. Weld]

Out of the braise, and added the BBQ/apple juice/Frank's/apple jelly glaze that Malcom Reed recommends. Put back onto the smoker for about 10-15 minutes to thicken it up a little. And pulled:

https://i.imgur.com/bHRPyQPg.jpg

They were a huge hit. Very good overall. The guys loved them and so did my wife. That's what matters. I'd give it an A- effort. The reason I can't give it higher is that some pieces were perfect and tender and A+, and others were a little tougher (not tough, but tougher). Not sure what the deal was.

Don't get me wrong, even the "bad" ones were better than pretty much anything else you can eat, but the best ones were just so much better--among the best food I've ever made. I'm not sure why the difference in tenderness. Maybe just my poor job at slicing, resulting in some more symmetrical than others? Maybe the belly really has that much difference in parts of the meat? I don't know.

Anyway, it was a success. The only things I would change are:

1. I'd use my best, sharpest knife, and make a more concerted effort at making them into even-sided cubes.
2. I'd oil my wire rack so that there wouldn't be any sticking.

The end result was very good, thanks to Malcom Reed. Give this a try, if you haven't already. Thank you for taking a look.

Freeze 20-30 mins the pork before you cut it. Not rock solid, just solid that you can cut it into cubes easier.

Yes oil the rack, you want that bark on them. Lol

They look good though..

[Dr. Weld]

I can understand that. Pork Belly Burnt Ends have to be the most raved about thing I cook. My girlfriend loves it. And, since we are Keto, it's right in our diet. We have been known to eat the leftovers cold, straight from the fridge.

We have it for around $4 a pound at our local Sams, so it's super cheap to cook. You lose a lot of weight to the cook, but I save the rendered fat and use that later at least.

We are Keto too, so they have been getting cooked often. I like them, but she loves them. Lol. She eats them cold too. Lol.

What do You do with the fat?

[BillN]

Nice work there they look delicious.

[Victory]

I made them for the first time last week. I left about 1/4 of them unsauced. The dry ones were way better. But I typically am not a fan of sauced meats

[Dr. Weld]

I made them for the first time last week. I left about 1/4 of them unsauced. The dry ones were way better. But I typically am not a fan of sauced meats

The queen likes the unsauced ones a bit better too. She will eat both, but prefers the unsauced ones.

[Smokey Lonesome]

Maybe adjust the amount and/or thickness of the final glaze so they tack-up a little more. Will be interesting to try next week.

They look fantastic!

[LordRiffenstein]

Wow, that look amazing, I have to try this ASAP!

[cholloway]

Was wondering if there was something else I could do with the pork belly
I have curing in the fridge... I had forgotten about this recipe.
Thanks!

[Pig_Farmer]

Freeze 20-30 mins the pork before you cut it. Not rock solid, just solid that you can cut it into cubes easier.

Yes oil the rack, you want that bark on them. Lol

They look good though..

This is real close to what I do. Slice the belly when partially frozen. It makes it so much easier.

[cfrazier77]

That looks great, you nailed it.

[Bob C Cue]

Nice work Kanco! Did you consider hanging first and then cubing?

[cowgirl]

Looks delicious!!

[Smoke Rising]

It could be that you did nothing wrong. The primary muscles that make up the lean portion of bacon are evenly distributed in the middle of the belly. Unless you bought a center cut belly, as you go toward the flank and shoulder ends this distribution is not equal with one muscle gaining in size and the other shrinking. The tenderness at the flank end is not the same as it would be on the shoulder end.

Either way, what you made looks awesome!

[mwmac]

Your burnt ends look so good that I got motivated to try them today. Just put 6 lb of a lean belly on the smoker. Thanks for posting your cook...

[jdtTX]

I did some a couple weeks ago that turned out great. Lane's Qnami for 2 hours at 275, then into foil with more rub and butter for a couple hours. Tossed them in Blues Hog competition sauce and put them back on long enough to set the sauce.

https://i.imgur.com/8gLnQ1Y.jpg

[Pedro7]

Looks great!!! These are awesome on the PBC. We've done them a few times and always are a crowd favorite.

[razorbrewer]

I can understand that. Pork Belly Burnt Ends have to be the most raved about thing I cook. My girlfriend loves it. And, since we are Keto, it's right in our diet. We have been known to eat the leftovers cold, straight from the fridge.

We have it for around $4 a pound at our local Sams, so it's super cheap to cook. You lose a lot of weight to the cook, but I save the rendered fat and use that later at least.How are you making them Keto? There's lots of sugar in this recipe.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

[Ron_L]

How are you making them Keto? There's lots of sugar in this recipe.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

I was wondering the same thing :-D Probably a sugar free rub and no sauce.

[TravelingJ]

Anyway, it was a success. The only things I would change are:

1. I'd use my best, sharpest knife, and make a more concerted effort at making them into even-sided cubes.
2. I'd oil my wire rack so that there wouldn't be any sticking.

Those look fantastic! I still get a bit of sticking, and it always makes me sad. Evenness in size really does help the cooking.

We are Keto too, so they have been getting cooked often. I like them, but she loves them. Lol. She eats them cold too. Lol.

What do You do with the fat?
Save it in a mason jar, use it in a pan when things call for butter or oil, and I get a slight smokiness on occasion.
How are you making them Keto? There's lots of sugar in this recipe.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk
Oh, good point. I guess I should say I use this concept, heh.
I was wondering the same thing :-D Probably a sugar free rub and no sauce.
Close. I make my own BBQ sauce using this recipe (http://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/gates-sons-kc-bbq-sauce-16745?mode=us&st=true&scaleto=1). Gates was one of our favorite sauces, so I use the no-sugar added Heinz, and Swerve for the sugar. I've tried the sauce before using other brands of low carb ketchup, or making my own ketchup, or even using Stevia, but they all had an aftertaste. This ends up tasting VERY similar to Gates.

So, when I pan the burnt ends, I use my sauce, more 0 carb rub, butter, and some Walden Farms apple butter. They have been a hit, even when I'm sharing them with full-carb friends.

[chingador]

I was wondering the same thing :-D Probably a sugar free rub and no sauce.

Same here.

[Kanco Connection]

Thanks for all the kind words and information. I’ll be making them again!

[Kanco Connection]

Nice work Kanco! Did you consider hanging first and then cubing?

Didn’t consider that. Maybe a good way to do it? But I know Malcom Reed advocated getting a nice bark on the cubes before braise and glaze, so not sure...sounds like a good mission for the PBCAT, Bob!

[ssv3]

Looking killer Kanco! I want to try pork butt burnt ends lookin at your cook.

[Joshw]

Looking killer Kanco! I want to try pork butt burnt ends lookin at your cook.

Funny you said that. I bought some country style ribs today, and am planning on doing them burnt end style for the rib TD. I don't see why pork butt wouldn't work too, and a lot cheaper than belly.

[ShadowDriver]

I've had mixed results from past experiments along these lines.

You really nailed it, man... and you're making me want to give it another go.

Appreciate the banter and different options for different diet needs.

[Kanco Connection]

Looking killer Kanco! I want to try pork butt burnt ends lookin at your cook.

Man, that sounds good. Count me in!

[tom72]

I'm going to be making these for the first time this weekend. Thanks for posting this!

[Kanco Connection]

I'm going to be making these for the first time this weekend. Thanks for posting this!

You’re very welcome, Tom. I look forward to your cook!

[ssv3]

Funny you said that. I bought some country style ribs today, and am planning on doing them burnt end style for the rib TD. I don't see why pork butt wouldn't work too, and a lot cheaper than belly.

Inject! :wink: If you weren't already planning too. I was a non believer until I injected my last pork butt. :shock: May be a biatch with it cut to CSR's but I'd do it.

I suppose in how you're going to approach it.

[Joshw]

Inject! :wink: If you weren't already planning too. I was a non believer until I injected my last pork butt. :shock: May be a biatch with it cut to CSR's but I'd do it.

What did you use for an injection? I have only injected butts once. I didn't notice much difference. I used a recipe from Chris Lilly. I also picked up a couple of butts, and a pork shoulder. They were on sale.

[ssv3]

What did you use for an injection? I have only injected butts once. I didn't notice much difference. I used a recipe from Chris Lilly.

Oakridge Game Changer brine. I just added to my post that depending how you're going to approach it. ie cubing afterwards.

[Joshw]

Oakridge Game Changer brine. I just added to my post that depending how you're going to approach it. ie cubing afterwards.

Thanks, I will give it a try. Been wanting to try some injections. I was looking at Kosmos and Butchers. Just couldn't make up my mind. Been wanting to try some Oakrdige products too, so this will be a good intro.

[ssv3]

Thanks, I will give it a try. Been wanting to try some injections. I was looking at Kosmos and Butchers. Just couldn't make up my mind. Been wanting to try some Oakrdige products too, so this will be a good intro.

TD sponsor is Oakridge now. Just sayin' :thumb:

Haven't tried pork butt burnt ends myself but I sure want to. Got ideas swirling in my head. :mrgreen:

[Joshw]

TD sponsor is Oakridge now. Just sayin' :thumb:

Haven't tried pork butt burnt ends myself but I sure want to. Got ideas swirling in my head. :mrgreen:

I haven't either. Just kind of popped into my head today. We think too much alike. I think I have everything worked out in my head. Don't want to give away, too much, then it wouldn't be a surprise.:-D

I hadn't noticed the sponsor had changed. Just ordered some Game Changer from Amazon. It takes longer, directly from Oakridge, and I am hoping to cook them this weekend.