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Kuhlman Cellars

BBQ Pork Belly Bites

BBQ Pork Belly Bites
Recipe Date:
September 24, 2021
Cook Time:
06:00:00
Difficulty:
Medium
Measurements:
Imperial (US)
Pork Belly is the brisket of the pig, rich in fat and when slow cooked on a BBQ pit, rewards those with a scrumptious dinner. You will want a BBQ, smoker or pellet grill for this one to get authentic smoke flavor and to set a good bark. Pair this meal with mashed potatoes and gravy or cheddar and blue cheese grits, fresh salad and green beans.
Ingredients
  • 4 lbs Boneless, skinless uncut Pork Belly
  • Olive Oil
  • 1/4 cup SPG seasoning, or your preferred BBQ rub
  • 1 stick, butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup Crown Maple Syrup
  • 1 cup Brown sugar
  • 1 1/4 cups Stubb's BBQ sauce (or use your favorite)
  • 1 large, disposable aluminum foil pan
  • heavy duty aluminum foil
  • 1 or 2 bakers rack, with sufficient area to hold each pork cub separated from each other
Directions

The night before, prepare your Pork Belly.

  1. Most pork belly comes with the skin removed, make sure yours does as well.  In addition, most pork belly already has the fat trimmed to the right amount, so you should not need to make any additional trimming.
  2. Cut the pork belly into ~1.25" cubes.
  3. Spread the cut pork belly cubes into a shallow pan and drizzle with enough olive oil to lightly coat each one.  This provides a "binder" for the seasoning to adhere to.
  4. Sprinkle an ample amount of SPG (sale, pepper, garlic) or your favorite BBQ rub to get a generous covering on each pork cube
  5. Put the pork in a 1-gallon heavy-duty zip lock baggy, remove air and let it marinate overnight in the fridge

Plan on about 6 hours total for the pork belly bites to be ready to eat.  Working backward from your dinner time, start your BBQ with enough time to accommodate cooking.

  1. Remove the seasoned pork belly from the fridge and arrange slightly separated on a baker's rack.  Note: using a baker's rack will facilitate arranging the pork cubes on the grill and make it super easy to handle
  2. Start your BBQ grill.  Bring it up to 225*.  If using a pellet grill, consider using a smoke tube to get the extra smoke flavor and to assist with bark formation.
  3. Once the grill is at temperature, put the pork onto the grill and smoke for about 3 hours, or until the internal temperature is about 165*
  4. Do not mop, check or otherwise disturb the cooking - remember, when you are looking you ain't cooking!

As the cook progresses, prepare the braising sauce:

  1. In a microwave-safe dish, combine the butter, brown sugar, Crown Maple Syrup, and BBQ sauce.  
  2. On low power, microwave the mixture 1 minute at a time, stir, and repeat until the sauce is fully melted and warm.  Do not make the sauce hot, just warm it enough to melt the butter and dissolve the brown sugar.

Once the pork cubes are at 165* (time varies, but about 3 hours):

  1. Remove the pork from the grill.  Raise the grill temperature to 275*
  2. Transfer to pork to a shallow, disposable aluminum pan, then pour the braising sauce over the pork.  Use a large spoon to ensure complete coverage of all cubes.
  3. Seal the top of the foil pan with a sheet of aluminum foil
  4. Put the dish on the grill which should now be 275*
  5. Cook undisturbed for about 90 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 205*

Once you reach 205*:

  1. Remove the pan from the grill, leaving the BBQ set at 275*. 
  2. Carefully transfer the pork from the pan back to the baking racks with some space between each cube. 
  3. Put the pork on the baking rack back on the grill for about 20 minutes or until the glaze sets.
  4. Once the glaze sets, remove the pork belly bites from the grill and put them in a serving dish where they can rest for 15 minutes.

Serve hot with your desired sides!

Include a big, tannic red to stand up to the rich Pork Belly fat and glaze!