STICKY BOURBON BELLY PORK BITES

You probably know all about Burnt Ends, the rather delicious extras you get from a Smoked Brisket project. Well here is an equally delicious belly pork version which is good enough to take centre stage! This three in one recipe was developed by chef Matt Lord, specifically to team with our beautiful Plum smoking chips. Not only does it deliver delicious melt-in-your-mouth sticky, slow hot smoked pork bites but also a homemade Pork Rub and an unctiously moreish BBQ Sauce, Although there are lots of off-the-shelf alternatives for both rub and sauce, these homemade versions are packed with wonderful ingredients designed to really make the pork flavour ‘sing’.

1. Source a joint of belly pork from your butcher – you need to ask for the thicker end. Remove the bones and skin. Generously sprinkle the outer side of the skin you’ve removed with salt and put to one side for cooking later. Matt has a great suggestion that you keep the ribs for another cook.

2. Cut the pork belly into large cubes about 5cm or 2″ in size and coat well with the pork rub (find the full recipe for the rub below).

Pork Belly Bites Preparation

3. Soak the plum chips for 20 minutes in water and then place a large handful in a steel smoker box or in a double foil pouch.

4. Prepare your BBQ or smoker for offset indirect cooking, heaping the coals to one side of your grill base or using one of the semi circular charcoal baskets supplied with many BBQ grills and placing at one edge. You are aiming for an internal cooking temperature of 120 to 130 degrees C.

Plum chips in the Hot Smoked smoker box

5. Once up to temperature, place the chips-filled smoker box onto your hot coals and add the belly bites directly to the grill rack on the offset or opposite side of the grill. Hot smoke for 1 hour.

6. After smoking, remove the bites and place on a baking tray. Add the butter in knobs, sprinkle over the sugar and drizzle with hot honey (Try one of our JD’s Hot Honey products and choose from regular, smoky and spicy versions). Mix gently.

Pork belly bites. Adding butter and Hot Honey

7. Cover the tray tightly with tin foil and return to the grill for another 90 minutes. Your heat source by now will be tailing off, but that’s exactly what you need, a slow, prolonged but protected exposure to gentle heat, all the better for the most tender results.

8. Meanwhile mix up your homemade BBQ sauce (recipe below) and add the Bourbon.

9. Remove the foil and pour the sauce over the pork, use tongs to help ensure each piece is thoroughly coated.

10. Now check the internal cooking temperature is around 95 degrees C – top up your coals slightly if the heat has dipped too low. Place the salted skin, skin-side down, on the grill rack to crisp up. Return the baking tray containing the bites to the grill and cook for a further 30 minutes until the belly pieces are sticky and very tender.

Pork Belly Bites finished dish

11. Break up the crackling and sprinkle over the bites and you’re ready to eat! You can pull the meat to add to burgers or just eat as is with some crunchy BBQ sides.

BBQ Rub

1. Place all the ingredients except the sugar in a blender or spice grinder and grind to a rough powder. Add the sugar and mix well.

2. Place in an airtight container and store in a cool dry place.

BBQ Sauce

1. Place the sugar, syrup and vinegar in a pan with the garlic and spices. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes

2. Add the remaining ingredients and bring back to the boil. Simmer gently for 10 minutes and allow to cool.

3. Store in an airtight container in the fridge. A Kilner Jar is great for this or a glass bottle with stopper.