Slow Smoked Dry Brined Pork Belly with Crispy Skin and Tacked BBQ Burnt Ends

This slow smoked pork belly is dry brined in salt for deep flavor, smoked low and slow until tender, then finished with crispy crackling skin. The pork is cut into burnt ends, generously brushed with a sticky, smoky BBQ sauce, and caramelized for a perfect sweet, tangy finish.

Steps

1. Pat the pork belly dry and sprinkle evenly with kosher salt. Wrap tightly and refrigerate for 12-24 hours to dry brine. 2. Remove pork belly from fridge, rinse off salt, and pat dry. Season lightly with black pepper, smoked paprika, and brown sugar. 3. Prepare your smoker to 225°F using applewood chips for a sweet, smoky flavor. 4. Place pork belly skin-side up on the smoker rack. Smoke for 4-5 hours until tender. 5. Remove pork belly, let cool slightly, then cut into 1.5-inch cubes. 6. In a bowl, mix BBQ sauce, apple cider vinegar, honey, and chili powder. 7. Toss pork belly cubes in the BBQ sauce mixture, then place in a foil pan. 8. Return pan to smoker or oven at 275°F, cook for another 1-1.5 hours until sauce is caramelized and edges are crispy. 9. To finish crispy skin, place pork belly skin under broiler for 2-3 minutes, watching carefully. 10. Serve burnt ends hot with extra barbecue sauce on the side.

1 small pork belly (about 12 oz) 1 tbsp kosher salt (for dry brine) 1 tsp black pepper 1 tsp smoked paprika 2 tbsp brown sugar 1/2 cup applewood wood chips (for smoking) 1/2 cup BBQ sauce (homemade or store-bought) 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar 1 tbsp honey 1 tsp chili powder