SmokeBarbecue
Smoked pork belly slices
Thick belly slabs, not burnt ends. Smoke, then a hot finish so the fat renders and the skin side crisps.
Made it?
4 hr · 20 min hands-on · pull 190°F · rest 10 min
Ingredients
2 lb on the fire · ~1.1 lb to the table · 2 plates at 8 oz
- pork belly, 1½-inch slabs2 lb
- kosher salt2 tbsp
- black pepper1 tbsp
- brown sugar1 tbsp
Method
- 1
Rub. 250°F until 185–190°F and a probe slides, 3 hours-ish.
- 2
Hot grate or a screaming skillet to crisp, 2 minutes a side.
- 3
Rest 10. Slice. Burnt-end cubes are a different cook already here.
If you don’t have it
- pork belly → a neighboring cut on the same animal. Keep the same pull. Leaner cooks faster and dries sooner.
- pork belly, 1½-inch slabs → What you actually have, if it is the same muscle family. Skin-on: score and give it the hot finish or the skin stays rubber.
Same cook, different day
Weeknight
Less time. Same seasoning, hotter fire, watch the probe. Do not skip the rest.
On the plate
With this, try
- With this dish, try making pinto beans.
Start when a packer wraps, or at the beginning of a shoulder. Soaked beans, smoked hock, onion, chili. Simmer until creamy. Salt late.
2 hr 30 min
- With this dish, try making vinegar slaw.
Anytime. Better after an hour in the fridge. Cabbage, carrot, cider vinegar, a pinch of sugar, salt, pepper. No mayo if the meat is already rich.
20 min
- With this dish, try making skillet mac.
In the oven while a roast rests, or the last stretch of a smoke. A real béchamel, cheddar, a breadcrumb top. Do not start it at the same time as a packer and expect timing to match.
40 min