Teriyaki Pork Belly Burnt Ends

Sweet and smoky come together for these Teriyaki Pork Belly Burnt Ends. Cube them up or serve them on wooden skewers, either way, they won’t last long. Side of rice? Naw. That just takes up unnecessary space in your stomach for more pork.

This recipe was originally created in collaboration with Derek Wolf at Over The Fire Cooking.

Dark, Sweet, Soy Pork Candy

Read that headline, because it’s the best description I can think of. Every juicy bite of the smoked pork, coated in sweet teriyaki sauce will have your eyes rolling back. You’ll be wondering “Where has this been? Who cares? It’s here now“.

There’s no magic story to this idea, I simply wanted to create a new flavor for pork belly burnt ends while also using the smoker to cook the sauce. Thinking about my Smoked Orange Chicken Lollipops, the East-Asian inspiration hit me like a brick. Honestly, I don’t think I’ve had teriyaki pork… anything before.

Testing this was extremely fun, as most BBQ recipes are. Nailing the teriyaki sauce recipe was the first step, which was tested on numerous pounds of bacon for a quick study. Making the sauce was extremely easy, it’s all about balance with the aromatics such as garlic and ginger.

Prepping the Pork Belly for skewers

This was a really fun spin on pork belly burnt ends. These teriyaki pork belly skewers just hit different, like a sticky BBQ popsicle that you didn’t realize you’ve been missing all summer.

Make sure that you use a pork belly with the skin removed. Save the skin for chicharrones if you have to remove it. We sliced the pork belly in half, length-wise. Next, the pork belly was sliced into 1 1/2″ strips, knowing that they will shrink down during the smoking process.

Season the pork belly generously on all sides with the simple BBQ seasoning:

• ½ cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup salt
• 2 tbsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp paprika
• 1 tbsp garlic powder

This blend is meant to add a base layer to the pork, creating a really nice bark and highlighting the meaty flavors. The homemade teriyaki sauce will come through later, punching the pork with hits of aromatics and spice. Feel free to use this blend as a base for any type of smoked pork recipe.

Can I just make pork belly burnt ends?

Yes, you certainly can. Slice the pork into even-sized cubes, around 2″ each to make sure they stay moist. The process will be very similar, might take slightly less time for the smoking portion.

Smoking the Pork Belly

You’ll need to use a smoker for this recipe, no ovens are allowed. I don’t want to pretend there’s an oven-alternative as this is meant to be a spin on pork belly burnt ends. Get a smoker!

Preheat your smoker for indirect grilling, around 225-250F. I highly recommend using a wire rack to transfer the pork belly in/out of the smoker, and also for seasoning it. These USA pans are incredibly helpful and come with a massive wire rack. Get one, you’ll end up dedicating it to BBQ as we do:

Smoke the pork belly for about 3 hours, until the temperature is around 165-180F. It doesn’t need to be exactly we’re going to be temping the pork at the end to make sure it’s finished to your preference.

Don’t forget the homemade teriyaki sauce! The best time to make it is when the pork is smoking away.

Homemade teriyaki sauce has to be one of the easiest, and tastiest versions of any storebought sauce I can think of. (It’s tough, homemade Alfredo might be a better example only because the jars are so awful.). Add everything into a small saucepot and cook it until it thickens up, can’t be that hard right?

Homemade Teriyaki Sauce

• ½ cup soy sauce
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 3 tbsp mirin
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger grated
• 2 garlic cloves grated
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp chili flakes
• ¼ cup water mixed with 3 tsp cornstarch

There’s always a trick. OK, this is more of a tip: If you want a thinner sauce, skip the cornstarch. The cornstarch slurry is what thickens it, also creating that nice shiny glaze, commonly found in a lot of different Eastern Asian sauces. Leave it out though if you want to make this sauce and glaze chicken on the grill, or plan to stir fry veggies.

Pork Belly Burnt Ends, Teriyaki-style

Smoked pork belly skewer recipes are starting to hit more online, smoking the pork with metal skewers inside. Leave out the skewers for this recipe. Eventually, we’ll be smoking the pork with butter and homemade teriyaki sauce, wrapped up in a foil pan. You don’t want to deal with blazing hot, sticky skewers when you’re trying to prepare the dish. The pork will be soft afterward and you can simply use a skewer at the end.

Add the pork belly, teriyaki sauce, and butter to a foil pan. Wrap it up tight and place it back in your smoker. We’re going to take the pork up to 200-205F, which should take between 60-90 minutes or so. It’s not exact, so after an hour you can temp your pork and feel it. Look to see that it’s softer, very tender. If it’s still extremely firm and would take a knife to cut, but it back in.

Garnish and Skewer

Teriyaki isn’t the same without some simple toppings. Sesame seeds and green onions are highly recommended, but we kicked it up with some thinly sliced red chiles for that extra punch and color of course.

Serve immediately if possible. Your guests have been patient enough, and the lifespan on burnt ends goes down quickly once you remove them from the heat.

Teriyaki Pork Belly Burnt Ends

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5 from 2 reviews

Sweet and smoky come together for these Teriyaki Pork Belly Burnt Ends. Cube them up or serve them on wooden skewers, either way, they won’t last long. Side of rice? Naw. That just takes up unnecessary space in your stomach for more pork.

• Total Time: 5-6 hours
• Yield: 12 people 1x

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Pork belly

• 4–5 lb pork belly, skin removed
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup salt
• 2 tbsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp paprika
• 1 tbsp garlic powder

Homemade Teriyaki Sauce

• ½ cup soy sauce
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 3 tbsp mirin
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
• 2 garlic cloves, grated
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp chili flakes
• ¼ cup water mixed with 3 tsp cornstarch

Other

• 4 tbsp butter, unsalted
• Chopped cilantro garnish
• Chopped scallions garnish
• Sesame seeds garnish

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

1. Preheat your charcoal grill or smoker for indirect grilling, aiming for 225-250F.
2. Slice the pork belly into manageable strips. I recommend cutting the pork belly in half, lengthwise first. Then slice off 1 1/2″ strips all the way down until you have around 12-16 pork popsicles, ready to be seasoned.
3. Mix the rub ingredients together. Season all sides of the pork belly generously, allowing it to rest at room temperature for 20-30 minutes.
4. Place the pork belly pieces in the smoker. I recommend using a wire rack for easy transfer if possible. Smoke for 3 hours.
5. At least 30 minutes before the pork belly is done with the first phase, make the teriyaki sauce. Mix the water with the cornstarch to create a slurry. Mix all ingredients together in a small pot, capable of being heated over the coals.
6. Warm the sauce over the heat, whisking occasionally for about 6-10 minutes depending on the heat source. Once it thickens, remove it from the heat immediately and allow it to cool.
7. Remove the pork belly from the smoker at the 3-hour mark. It should be around 160-180F internal temperature. Place it in a small foil pan, and add the sauce with the butter. Stir to combine, and wrap the pan tightly with heavy-duty foil.
8. Place the pan back on the smoker for another hour, up to 90 minutes. The pork should be around 200-205F and probe tender.
9. Serve on skewers, garnishing with sesame seeds, cilantro, and scallions.

Notes

You can also make traditional burnt ends using this recipe, simply cut the pork into smaller pieces and follow the same instructions. Remember to use your judgement, go by feel, not just temperature and time.

• Author: Brad Prose
• Prep Time: 30
• Cook Time: 5 hours
• Category: Pork
• Method: Smoking
• Cuisine: Barbecue

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