How do you cook pork belly so it’s not tough?

Smoke the slab of pork belly slowly, and then slice it and sear it to finish it off. Slow smoking allows the fat to render and retains the moisture of the pork belly. The searing helps crisp up that fat while still keeping it succulent.

How long does it take to grill pork belly?

The actual grilling only takes a couple of minutes as you’re just searing the pork to crisp it up over direct heat. The entire process of smoking and searing will take between 4-5 hours.

How thick should the slices of pork belly be?

The slices can be as thick as you like. For this recipe, it’s ½” portions but you can make 1” slices if you plan on cubing it up.

Is this the only way to grill pork belly?

No, there are other methods to grill pork belly. This process is an easy way to prepare a large slab of pork belly while rendering the fat and allowing it to remain extremely soft.

Smoked & Grilled Pork Belly - Chiles and Smoke

Name: Smoked & Grilled Pork Belly
Prep time: PT-479643H54M25S
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: PT-479643H44M25S
Cuisine: Pork
Ingredients: 4-5lb pork belly slab, skin removed; About 1/2 cup Sedona Sand All-Purpose Seasoning; (optional) 1 cup Smoky Sweet Heat Sauce

Ingredients

Scale

4–5lb pork belly slab, skin removed
About 1/2 cup Sedona Sand All-Purpose Seasoning
(optional) 1 cup Smoky Sweet Heat Sauce

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Instructions

Prepare the pork belly. Trim the pork of any excess meat or fat from the sides, and remove the skin if necessary. Place the pork fat side up on the cutting board. Using a sharp knife, make vertical slices in the pork belly 1/2 inch apart, slicing almost halfway through the meat. Season the meat generously on all sides, making sure the seasoning also gets into the cracks.
Season and rest. Place the pork belly on a wire rack uncovered in the fridge for at least 4 hours, up to overnight. This step will give you a much better bark during the smoking phase.
Smoke the pork to temp. When ready to cook, remove the pork belly from the fridge and gently pat dry any moisture on the outside. Preheat the smoker for indirect cooking at 275°F. Place the pork belly fat-side up in the smoker and cook for about 2 hours, or until it reaches 165°F internal temperature.
Rest the pork belly. Remove the pork belly and allow it to rest while you increase the temperature of the grill for searing.
(optional) Cool in the fridge. The smoked pork can be sliced, grilled, and served the next day. Chilling will also firm up the texture of the fat which remains very tender.
Slice into thick strips along the vertical slices. Sprinkle on additional seasoning to the sliced edges.
Sear the strips. Place the pork on the grill, with the exposed sides facing the coals. Grill for about 2 minutes per side, being careful for flare-ups.
(optional) Glaze the pork belly with BBQ sauce. After the first flip from searing, glaze the pork belly with BBQ sauce. Brush the sauce on the second side at the end.
Rest and serve. Allow the pork belly to rest for a few minutes before serving. These can be sliced into cubes or served as strips for tacos and sandwiches.

Notes

The pork belly can be sliced as needed, right out of the fridge. Once the pork has smoked in its initial cooking phase, cool it down before storing it in the fridge. Sear on the grill or a skillet for tender, crispy pork.

Author: Brad Prose
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Smoking Time: 2 1/2 hours
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Category: Pork
Method: Grilling
Cuisine: Pork