How to Smoke Pork Belly, the Best Bite of BBQ

This article was published in partnership with 5-hour ENERGY

Grilled chicken thighs, smoked pork butt, brisket, and ribs are probably on heavy rotation in your household, be it in a smoker, charcoal grill, or gas grill. But are you missing out on the best bite in BBQ? Today we're covering how to smoke pork belly, a fatty cut of pork that's the raw material for bacon before it’s cured, smoked, and sliced.

“Pork belly is the ultimate meat—fatty, tender, sometimes steak-like,” says Alejandro Najar, executive chef at The Butcher’s Cellar in Waco, TX. “It's such a versatile cut of meat almost every country has a recipe for it.”

Italy has pancetta, essentially a cured-but-not-smoked bacon, and Asian cultures often pair it with sweet and salty sauces, but BBQ enthusiast and fire fanatic Jordan Morris proposes cubing, smoking, and saucing the belly for a smoky, sweet indulgence he calls pork belly burnt ends.

Below we highlight tips and tricks for smoking pork belly and walk you through Morris’ preparation so you can take the belly beyond bacon.

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How to Smoke Pork Belly

Whole pork belly can be purchased either with the skin on or off. The skin can require extra attention to be cooked properly, but is essential if you're looking for a maximally crispy chicharron-like exterior on your finished product.

For his pork belly burnt ends recipe, Morris uses pork belly with no skin, then cuts the belly into 2-inch by 2-inch cubes to speed cooking. Just as you would with pork shoulder, Morris then rubs the cubes with a binder, such as mustard, and covers them with a spice rub.

From there, he smokes the cubes at 250 degrees until rendered and tender with an internal temperature in the 180- to 190-degree range. This should take between 2 and 3 hours when cubed, 4 to 5 hours if you choose to leave the belly whole for smoking.

The cubes are then tossed in a sweet sauce comprising brown sugar, a splash of cola, ¼ cup of BBQ sauce, and enough butter to loosen the mix to properly coat the cubes. Morris tosses the cubes in a chafing dish, which then serves as a cooking dish that goes back on the smoker for another hour until the cubes are tender with a lightly caramelized exterior.

The finished cubes can be served on their own as a BBQ appetizer, chopped for a taco filling, or on a sandwich. They’re also the perfect ingredient for a BBQ sundae set on a base of mashed potatoes and drizzled with barbecue sauce.

Other Ways to Smoke or Grill Pork Belly

Whether cooked on a charcoal grill or pellet smoker, pork belly responds well to classic low-and-slow heat, which allows the fat to render and gently poach the meat. However, the way the belly is finished and sauced creates a multitude of potential dishes.

Jack Yoss, VP of culinary for Hai Hospitality and Loro Asian Smokehouses in Texas, says their fusion preparations blend traditional Texas barbecue techniques with Asian sauces. 

“We take the smoking and preparations seriously and keep that part of the process true to central Texas-style BBQ smoked over post oak," Yoss says. "It’s how we sauce, glaze, and finish the dishes where we put our unique spin on it.” Try finishing pork belly with sweet, salty, and spicy Asian sauces such as nam jim, hoisin, sweet chili, curry sauce, gochujang, or even miso sour pickles, Thai herbs, and more.

Content creator and food entrepreneur Jack Cuso has a Chicharrones Burnt Ends preparation similar to Morris’ pork belly burnt ends but with the skin on for a crispy-crunchy texture. Scored skin-on belly gets smoked for 3 hours and crisped at 450 degrees, then sprinkled with hot honey spice rub like Cuso Cuts Great Tasting Hot Honey BBQ Seasoning Rub.

Despite the diversity of possible treatments, many chefs we spoke with still default to a more traditional barbecue preparation. Try the simple method favored by Food Network personality and Omaha Steaks executive chef David Rose: Dry brine in a simple BBQ spice rub of brown sugar, paprika, black pepper, celery, garlic, and salt, then slow smoke over hickory wood until done.

Unlike other tougher cuts such as pork shoulder, pork belly can also be cooked quickly for barbecue flavors without waiting hours. “It can be sliced thin so it can cook quickly without much time spent on the grill creating too many flareups," says Nguyen. Make sure to season well either with a spice mix or a marinade.”

Why You Should Smoke Pork Belly

Pork belly is the fattiest cut on a hog, which makes it a rich and decadent treat that stays delicious and juicy through a variety of cooking methods. 

“Prepare this using any kind of cooking method—smoke it, grill it, fry it, boil it,” says Najar. "Pork belly, in my professional opinion, is the easiest of the pork cuts."

Pork belly is also a fairly affordable cut, especially when purchased whole. Big box groceries such as Costco often carry it, as well as better butcher counters, but not all grocery stores that outsource their butchering will carry it.

While forgiving to cook, the sheer volume of fat in the belly means the richness needs to be balanced, and that fat content creates some challenges when cooking near flames.

“Pork belly is probably one of the most flavorful and delicious cuts on a pig, but it can be difficult to perfect when cooking outside,” cautions Albert Nguyen, chef at the Institute of Culinary Education’s New York City campus. “The most sought-after quality of the pork belly is the delicious amount of fat to meat ratio [approximately 30 percent fat]. This is also what makes it difficult to manage.” Dripping fat can cause flare-ups on the grill which can spike temperature, char outsides, and leave off-flavors.

At the same time, rendering the fat is essential to avoid your finished product being greasy or too fatty. "You have to be careful when cooking pork belly to render the fat properly. If you don’t, it can be too rich for some people,” says Serge Krikorian, executive chef/managing partner at Vibrant Occasions Catering.

Essential Gear for Smoking Pork Belly

Lavatools Javelin Instant Read Digital Thermometer

An instant-read meat thermometer gives highly accurate probe temperature readings in a few seconds and is essential equipment for proper grilling. Lavatools Javelin is a very affordable model that Jordan Morris uses. “The revolution from my parents’ generation to my generation is cooking to temperature instead of cooking to time,” says Morris.

Four Roses x Ooni Bourbon Barrel Honey

Four Roses x Ooni Bourbon Barrel Honey is a collab from none other than the famed bourbon maker and pizza oven master. It's one of the easiest ways to amp up smoked meats. Sweetness is the perfect foil to the richness of pork belly and the subtle smokiness of this bourbon barrel-finished wildflower honey makes a great finishing drizzle or BBQ sauce ingredient.

Fire & Smoke Society Pork Perfect Spice Rub

Fire & Smoke Society Pork Perfect Spice Rub is a general-purpose rub that perfectly blends heat and spice. Give your pork belly a generous rubdown before you smoke, or use it as a post-cooking flavor booster—alone or blended into a finishing sauce.

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