Smoked pork belly is good on its own but delectable when topped with a bourbon and citrus barbecue sauce. These Bourbon Pork Belly Burnt Ends are easy to make and mouthwatering. You will be pleasantly surprised by how well the sweet citrus sauce perfectly complements the pork belly’s rich and savory taste.

Pork belly is what it sounds like, the belly of a hog. This cut is high in fat and low in lean meat, and most times, it is cured and turned into bacon. Pork belly burnt ends are cooked in a smoker to render as many layers of fat as possible. The result is smoky but equal bites of fat and lean.

Use this Kansas City Rub for Pork for this pork belly burnt end recipe. You might want to make a large batch of this stuff to keep on hand.

What you’ll need to make Bourbon Pork Belly Burnt Ends:

Pork belly, 4 pounds, and 1- 1 1/4″ thick
Kansas City Rub for Pork or your favorite dry rub
Blood oranges or blood orange juice
Regular oranges
Real maple syrup (sub with brown sugar)
Ketchup
Bourbon
Soy sauce
Chili powder
Unsalted butter
An instant-read meat thermometer

Wood Recommendations:

Maple, Pecan, Apple, or Oak. You can also use a combination of woods if preferred. If you prefer a strong smoky flavor, use hickory or oak wood.

How to Make Pork Belly Burnt Ends

Prepare your grill for 275 degrees F. Add smoke wood (chunks, chips, or pellet) of choice.
If there is a large fat cap on the pork belly, trim it down slightly to 1/2″ thick. Crosshatch the fat with a sharp knife. Do not penetrate the meat.
Combine the rub ingredients in a small bowl. Apply to both sides and edges of pork belly.

Pork Belly on the Smoker

Place pork belly fat side down in the smoker, close the lid, and let it go for 3 1/2-4 hours.
Once the internal temperature of the pork belly reaches 180 degrees, F. carefully remove the pork belly and wrap it in aluminum foil. Place it back into the smoker and let it go until the internal temperature reaches 200 degrees F.

Making the Bourbon Sauce

To prepare sauce: Add blood orange juice, regular orange juice, maple syrup, and bourbon to a saucepan.
Simmer over medium-high heat for 2 minutes, stirring often.
Add soy sauce, ketchup, and chili powder to the mixture, and reduce heat to medium.
Let the sauce simmer and thicken, stirring often. It will bubble up on the sides; keep an eye on it. Reduce heat to low if needed. The sauce should simmer for a good 5 minutes.
Next, stir in the 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter, remove the pot from heat and let the sauce stand for 5 minutes. The bourbon pork belly sauce should be a tad runny, sticky, and syrup-like.

Glazing the Bourbon Pork Belly Burnt Ends

Remove pork belly from foil, and carefully place onto a cutting board. Cut into 1 1/4 inch cubes.
Place pork belly cubes into the aluminum pan, and pour BBQ sauce over the top, making sure all pieces are well coated.
Cover the pan with foil, and place it into the smoker for 30 minutes. Remove foil and cook for an additional 30-40 minutes until the sauce has reduced slightly and caramelized on the surface.
Remove from grill, let stand for 10 minutes, and serve with toothpicks for the perfect appetizer. Use in sandwiches, nachos, or serve as the main course.
Store leftovers in an airtight container for 4 days in the fridge.

Tips:

Use fresh orange juice for this Bourbon Pork Belly Burnt Ends recipe. The blood oranges are essential for both color and flavor.
How to serve. This bourbon pork belly can be quite rich, so serving it as an appetizer with other snackable items and cocktails is recommended. Or, make tacos, and serve with a side of grilled corn.
Use a low sodium soy sauce if preferred or tamari for dietary restrictions such as gluten sensitivity.
Real maple syrup is essential to this pork belly recipe. I recommend avoiding maple-flavored syrups or pancake syrups for this dish. The real stuff is so worth it, and it has a milder but deliciously sweet flavor.

If you like this recipe and want to take it to the next level, try our recipe for Pork Brisket. It might just be the next big thing in barbecue.

Check out all our best grills and smoked appetizer recipes!

Bourbon Pork Belly Burnt Ends

Low and slow-cooked pork belly is delicious all on its own, but when you top it with an bourbon and citrus barbecue sauce, that is truly a marvelous thing.

5 from 5 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Appetizer, Main Dish

Cuisine: American BBQ

Keyword: bbq appetizer recipes, bbq recipes, bourbonbbq, pork belly burnt ends, smoked pork belly

Prep Time: 25

Cook Time: 5 10

Total Time: 5 35

Servings: people

Calories: 164kcal

Author: Derrick Riches and Sabrina Baksh

Ingredients

1 slab pork belly 4 pounds, and 1- 1 1/4″ thick
Aluminum foil two 20″ long pieces
1 disposable aluminum pan 9 x 11
For rub:
1/4-1/3 cup Kansas City Rub for Pork or your favorite bottled rub
For BBQ glaze:
2 small blood oranges juiced (yields 1/4 cup of blood orange juice)
2 oranges juiced (yields ½ cup orange juice)
1/2 cup real maple syrup
3/8 cup ketchup 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons
1/4 cup bourbon
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon chili powder mild
2 tablespoons butter unsalted

Instructions

Prepare your grill for 275 degrees F. Add your wood chips or chunks of choice.
If there is a large fat cap on the pork belly, trim it to 1/2" thick.
Combine the rub ingredients in a small bowl. Apply to both sides and edges of pork belly.
Place pork belly fat side down in the smoker, close lid, and let it go for 3 1/2-4 hours.
Once the temperature reaches 180 degrees F. carefully remove the pork belly and wrap it in aluminum foil.
Place it back into the smoker, close lid, and cook until the internal temp reaches 200 degrees F.
To prepare sauce: Add blood orange juice, regular orange juice, maple syrup, and bourbon to a saucepan.
Simmer over medium-high heat for 2 minutes, stirring often.
Add soy sauce, ketchup, and chili powder to the mixture, and reduce heat to medium.
Let the sauce simmer and thicken, stirring often. It will bubble up on the sides, that's fine; just keep an eye on it. Reduce heat to low if needed. The sauce should simmer for a good 5 minutes.
Next, stir in the 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter, remove the pot from heat and let the sauce stand for 5 minutes. The sauce should be a tad runny and syrup-like.
Remove pork belly from foil, and carefully place onto a cutting board.
Using a sharp knife, cut pork belly into 1 1/4" cubes.
Place cubes into the aluminum pan, and pour sauce over the top, making sure all pieces are well coated.
Cover the pan with foil, and place into the smoker for 30 minutes. Remove foil and cook for an additional 30-40 minutes until the sauce has reduced slightly and caramelized on the surface.
Rest pork belly for 10-12 minutes before serving.
Store leftovers in an airtight container for 4 days in the refrigerator.