What are Burnt Ends
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The word “burnt” doesn’t evoke thoughts of a sumptuous meal. Nonetheless, pork or beef burnt ends are delectable. They have a hit of smoke, plenty of tenderness, are juicy, and kind of sexy. You can make these marvelous morsels as a great appetizer for any gathering. And if there are leftovers (the operative word here being IF,) you can use the meat in dishes like tacos or as a salad topping.
What Exactly are Burnt Ends?
Glad you asked! Burnt ends seem to be a favorite cooking style in the Southern US, specifically Kansas. The traditional meat comes from the point of a smoked brisket cut into 1 ½” cubes. As it smokes, the meat develops a charged bark from natural sugars, protecting the texture and moistness within. The whole process leaves you with bite-sized sticky pork bliss, sometimes called “meat candy.”
Chef’s Tip
Before you cook, sneak some pieces and set them aside for yourself. This dish disappears very quickly
Ingredients for Pork Burnt Ends
- 2 lbs pork belly
- 1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Dry Rub **
** Here are some options from CusoCut’s list of all-natural spices
Gravel: Sea salt, dehydrated onion, minced garlic, black pepper, sea salt, garlic, bell pepper, hatch green chili
Hot Honey: Honey powder, salt, brown sugar, paprika, chili powder, granulated garlic, pepper, cayenne pepper, granulated onion
Maple Bourbon Seasoning: Brown sugar, salt, molasses granules, maple sugar, bourbon whisky, smoked paprika, granulated garlic, granulated onion, black pepper, cinnamon, ginger, cayenne, allspice, nutmeg
Roasted Onion Garlic: Roasted Granulated Garlic, Salt, Molasses Granules, Toasted Onion Granulated, Rosemary, Dehydrated Onion, Tamari Powder
Ingredients for Burnt End Sauce
- ⅓ cup Dark brown sugar
- ¼ cup Apple cider vinegar
- 1 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- ¾ tsp Celery Salt
- ¼ tsp smoky paprika
- ¼ tsp coarse ground black pepper
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ¼ tsp chipotle powder
- ¼ tsp mustard powder
- 1 Tablespoon Orange blossom honey
- 1 Tablespoon Unsalted butter
Instructions
- Trim excess fat off the pork belly.
- Freeze the meat for 1/2 hour
- Carve the meat into 1 ½” cubes
- Place them in a bowl with olive oil and dry spices
- Toss and massage the rub into the pork
- You can go on to cook them now or let them sit for 2 hours in the refrigerator to enhance the flavor.
- Preheat the smoker to 240F
- Place the meat pieces on a dense wire and put the pork inside
- In about 2.5 hours, it should develop into a good crust.
- Transfer the pork pieces to a disposable foil pan.
- Add in the sauce and mix thoroughly.
- Cover the pan with aluminum foil and return the meat to smoke for another 75 minutes. At the halfway mark, stir them around to maintain an even coating.
- Check the pork using a meat thermometer for doneness (200F)
- Take off the foil and let the pan sit on the grill for 15 minutes, thickening the sauce.
- EAT!
PitMaster’s Memo: Tips & Tricks
A few things can help with your success. First, you may not find pork belly. A pork shoulder works just fine. Two pounds of pork belly can feed two to three people.
If you’re questioning choices in smoking wood, look to cherry or other fruit woods.
Sides
- Blistered Shishito Peppers
- Carmalized Swee potato chips with chipotle
- Honeyed popovers
- Olive oil pasta salad
- Pickle tray
Dessert
- Banana pudding
- Gelato
- Fruit cobbler
- Grilled maple pineapple pieces
- Vanilla sundae
From the Bar
- Bourbon
- Cider
- Porter
- Whisky sour
- Zinfandel
