SmokED Pork Belly combines everything we love in good BBQ … smoky flavor of slow barbecued pork dripping with finger lickin’ juiciness.

Pork belly is what bacon is made from! It is prevalent in most butcher shops and warehouse clubs. With it more readily available, it’s a great option for making some delicious BBQ. Plus, it’s easier to smoke than other meats, which will give you more confidence in showcasing your skills to a gathering you may want to amaze.
 
I use pork belly with the skin removed, and I definitely recommend it. Having the skin removed will allow the smoke and flavor from the rub to better penetrate the meat. I buy my belly with the skin already removed at Costco. 

Prep Time      15 mins
Cook Time     8 hrs.
Resting Time 15 mins
Total Time     8 hrs. 30 mins
Servings:        8 people

Ingredients

• 4 pounds slab pork belly uncured
• 2 cups apple juice divided use
• ½ cup BBQ Sauce
• ¼ cup SmokED Stuff Par Rub
• ¼ cup SmokED Bunker Rub

Instructions

Step 1: Rinse and Dry

1. Rinse the pork to remove anything that shouldn’t be there.
2. Pat it dry with a paper towel and lay on the cutting board.

Step 2: Prepare Pork Belly and Rub Down

1. Using a sharp knife, score the top layer of fat on the pork belly in 1-inch squares. Don’t cut too deep, just barely into the muscle.
2. Season liberally with 1) SmokED Bunker Rub and 2) SmokED Stuff Par Rub on all sides.
3. Start the smoker (or oven) and let it get up to temp. You want the temperature to be between 225°F and 240°F.
4. The amount of time it takes the smoker to get to temp will allow the SmokED Salt in the rubs to start drawing moisture out of the meat. This is called “Dry Brining”. After a few minutes, the surface of the meat will start to look wet. This is the moisture in the meat being pulled to the surface where it will mix with the rub and create a paste.

Step 3: Smoke

1. Choose a smoking wood that pairs with pork well. Apple, Hickory, Mesquite, and Cherry wood are good choices but in reality, you can use whatever smoking wood that you like and have available.
2. I use a high-quality lump charcoal as the fuel and mix in 4 or 5 chunks of smoking wood for flavor.
3. Once your smoker is preheated and you have selected the wood you will use and it is producing “blue” smoke, you are ready to place the pork ribs in the smoker.
   • “Blue” smoke is almost imperceptible … not the heavy smoke appearing when the smoker is first lit.
   • If the smoker is producing “dirty” or “white” smoke, it will impart a bitter taste to the meat. I find that it takes about 20 – 30 minutes after lighting the smoker for “blue” smoke to appear.
4. Place the seasoned pork belly on the grill and smoke until the internal temperature reaches 165°F (about 6 hours).
5. Spritz with the apple juice every hour while it is cooking.
6. Once the belly reaches 165°F, remove from the grill and wrap in heavy duty aluminum foil with ½ cup of the apple juice.
7. Seal the edges of the foil completely and return to the grill until the internal temperature reaches 200°F.
8. Carefully remove the belly from the foil and drizzle with the apple juices from the foil.
9. Return the pork belly to the grill and brush with BBQ sauce.
10. Cook on the grill for 10 more minutes to caramelize the BBQ sauce.
11. Remove the finished pork belly to a cutting board and let it rest for 10-15 minutes before serving.
12. Slice into cubes to serve.
13. Begin bragging (loudly) to your spouse, kids, and/or guests that this is quite possibly the best SmokED Pork Belly ever concocted on planet Earth.