As winter slowly fades away and spring and summer begin to arrive in Whyte Ridge, it’s time to
fire up the barbeque! One of my favourite things to prepare, is pork belly burnt ends. They’re
always a hit and are incredibly easy to make, with the pork belly literally melting in your mouth
after just four hours of cooking. I use my Big Green Egg, but they could just as easily be made
on your gas grill or pellet smoker, as long as you use indirect heat and smoking chips for that
extra burst of flavour.
To enhance your pork belly burnt ends experience, I recommend pairing them with a wine that
screams barbeque – Zinfandel. Also known as Primitivo in Italy and Tribidrag in Croatia,
Zinfandel is an excellent match for most barbeque dishes. Zinfandel’s red fruit intensity (think
blackberries), lots of body, and typically a higher alcohol content, pairs it well with the fattier pork
belly. California is renowned for producing superb Zinfandel wines, with Lodi being the most
famous location. Zinfandel is readily available at your local wine store. For your burnt ends
pairing, try one of these great Zinfandel options: McManis $24,99, Ghost Pines $22.99, or
Smoking Loon $17.99.
Recipe
1. Cut 3 pounds of pork belly into 1- to 2-inch cubes.
2. Season generously with your preferred rub.
3. Place the seasoned pork belly cubes onto a wire rack (this makes it easier to put
them on and take them off all at once).
4. Cook the cubes on indirect heat at 250°F for 2 hours, adding smoking chips if
desired.
5. Remove the cubes from the smoker and transfer them to a foil pan, arranging them
in a single layer.
6. Coat the cubes well with your preferred sauce, adding more seasoning if desired.
7. Cover the pan with foil.
8. Continue cooking for another 1.5 hours on indirect heat at 250°F.
9. Remove the foil cover and stir, to ensure the cubes are evenly covered in sauce.
10. Cook for an additional 30 minutes on indirect heat at 250°F until the coating
becomes sticky and thick.
11. Enjoy!
By: Stu Charles