Affiliate disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, PitPrimer earns from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you. Product availability subject to change.
Real burnt ends come from the point of a smoked brisket, which means you need to smoke an entire brisket to get a batch — a real investment of time and money for what amounts to a side dish. Pork belly burnt ends get you the same sticky, caramelized, twice-cooked result from a cut that’s cheaper, faster, and doesn’t require committing to a 12-hour brisket cook first.
Buy skinless pork belly, cut into cubes before smoking
Ask for skinless pork belly — skin-on works but adds a step most home cooks skip anyway — and cut it into roughly 1.5-inch cubes before it goes on the smoker, not after. Pre-cutting means more total surface area gets seasoned and smoked, which is where most of the flavor in this dish comes from.
- QUALITY CONSTRUCTION: Knives are crafted with high-carbon Japanese steel for easy edge maintenance and a razor sharp blade that…
- SUPERIOR DESIGN: Built to last ergonomic handles with textured finger points offer a non-slip grip with added comfort, durabili…
- BEST USE: For separating meat from the bone. Ideal for deboning chicken, ham, and fish, or trimming fat and sinew
Season heavier than you would a whole roast
Because every cube has multiple exposed cut faces instead of one continuous surface, a rub that would be plenty on a whole pork shoulder reads as under-seasoned here. Coat generously on all sides — this is one of the few cuts where over-seasoning is genuinely hard to do.
- Sweet & Smoky Rub is a blend of chipotle peppers, cinnamon, garlic & onion
- Brings irresistible sweet and smoky flavor to all that you’re are grilling
- Shake or rub generously on pork, chicken, steak, salmon, shrimp or vegetables
Smoke at 250°F until the cubes hit about 195°F
Spread the cubes on a wire rack in a single layer, not touching, and smoke at 250°F for roughly 2.5-3 hours until they reach around 195°F internal — noticeably higher than most pork temperatures, because you want the fat rendered through, not just cooked.
- Upgraded Convenient Handle: Design with handle on both sides which make the baking rack easy to transport while cookies are sti…
- Fits A Half Sheet Pan: Measure size 16 x 10 Inch fits into most of standard ovens and half baking sheet pan tray. This wire coo…
- Oven Safe Up to 500 °F: This oven rack is made of metal wire with black non-stick finish, food grade material, corrosion-resist…
The second cook is what makes these “burnt ends,” not the smoke
Toss the smoked cubes in BBQ sauce, brown sugar, and a little butter in a foil pan, then put them back on the smoker uncovered for another 45-60 minutes. This second pass is what caramelizes the sauce into a sticky glaze and gives burnt ends their name and their texture — skip it and you just have smoked pork cubes, not burnt ends.
- PRINTED KINGSFORD SIDE DESIGN COOKOUT READY: Disposable aluminum pans feature a Kingsford print on the sides, making them stand…
- HEAVY-DUTY BUILD HOLDS SHAPE THROUGH COOKING: Firm all-purpose foil pans maintain their shape during cooking, baking, steaming,…
- ROOMY 14 x 11 INCH MULTI-USE SIZE: Each pan measures 14.48 x 10.7 x 2.83 inches, providing ample room for casseroles, grilled v…
Serve them hot, straight from the pan
These don’t hold well once they’ve cooled — the glaze firms up and loses the sticky texture that makes them worth making in the first place. Time the second cook to finish right around when people are ready to eat, not an hour ahead.
