Smoked pork belly slowly cooked over applewood. This easy homemade recipe takes that underrated meat to a new level.
This smoked pork belly recipe proves that pork and grilled meat are a natural combination. This underrated cut of pork is high in fat and perfect for slow cooking. The end result is a tender meat dish that exudes just as good, if not better, flavor than baby back ribs or even Boston butt.
The best smoked pork recipes are simple, and this is no different. Our pork belly is soaked in brine overnight for extra moisture before being seasoned with a dry rub and smoked over applewood for six hours.
From meat prep to smoking tips, learn how to smoke pork belly from scratch. let’s fry
What is pork belly?
Pork belly is a fatty, boneless meat cut from the pig’s abdomen. It is characterized by a thick layer of fat on top and a nice stripe through the muscle. This high fat content makes it perfect for all slow-cooking methods, especially for backyard BBQ smoking.
Pork belly can be quite large, literally the size of a pork belly. The portion you cook will likely be smaller and the butcher will tailor it to your needs.
Grilling a pork belly gives it a smoky flavor, while slow, low cooking removes a lot of the fat from the belly. Pork belly is moist and flavorful, and will be soft or crispy depending on how it’s cooked.
How to buy pork belly
Pork belly used to be hard to find if you can believe. Most butchers only brought pork belly, processed like bacon or pancetta. However, due to its growing popularity, pork belly is now readily available in most grocery and butcher shops. When choosing your pork belly, look for a healthy pink color and firm texture. In addition, the fat must be white.
When smoking on the grill, it is best to use a large cut. This may not be available at your grocery store. A butcher or ethnic grocery store will likely have larger pieces of pork belly that you can trim to your liking. Also ask your butcher to remove the skin.
Meat preparation
Grilling the perfect pork belly is all about the preparation. A well-cooked pork belly doesn’t require much attention once it’s in the smoker or grill. However, taking shortcuts during preparation will produce suboptimal results.
The first and concurrent step in preparing pork belly is making a dry rub. You can quickly use a store-bought dry rub, but homemade dry rubs give better results. You can also adapt the dressing to your taste and preference for spiciness.
Chances are you already have the ingredients for this dry rub in your kitchen pantry. You will need kosher salt, brown sugar, black pepper, chili powder, and smoked paprika powder. You can customize each ingredient to taste. Mix these ingredients together and set aside with a little pain.
Before applying dry massage to the abdomen, you need to remove the skin. The butcher can also do this in advance. Next, use a sharp knife to score the fat side of the pork belly in a criss-cross pattern. These cuts shouldn’t go into the meat and just cut off the fat.
Next, place the pork belly on a rimmed baking sheet and cover it with your dry dough. Using a rimmed baking sheet is essential, as the belly will ooze fluid if left to rest overnight. Be sure to dry the entire belly and all nooks and crannies (especially shadow cuts).
The salt in your dry rub acts like a dry brine. This adds extra flavor to the pork and draws out some of the excess liquid from the belly. After the pork belly is covered with the dry marinade, it should be placed in the fridge for at least 12 hours. If you have the time, 24+ hours gives you a deeper taste and the extra time is well worth it.
Smoked wood
Applewood is the perfect wood chip for smoking pork. Its lighter flavor pairs well with pork and will not overpower the flavor of the meat.
Times and temperatures
Many recipes give you a certain amount of time to smoke your pork belly. That’s not a good idea. Every pork belly is a different size and shape, and these variables have a dramatic impact on cooking time. Insert a good quality meat thermometer into the thickest part of the pork belly before closing the smoker lid.
The belly is ready when it reaches an internal temperature of 74°C (165°F). This can take anywhere from two to six hours, depending on the size of the pork belly.
Quick tips
- Before smoking, remove the pork belly from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for at least an hour.
- Use a foil pan with 1 inch of water under the pork while it cooks. This catches any drips, making cleanup a breeze. The water also prevents the meat from drying out.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is pork belly the same as bacon?
no While it often comes from the same region of the animals, there are differences between pork belly and bacon . Specifically, the bacon is sliced and cured to significantly reduce moisture. This results in very different flavors and textures between the two cuts of meat.
Writer & content creator. BBQ fanatic!
