Bacon Burnt Ends

I love Pork Belly Burnt Ends. However, as I was making some bacon, my defective gene kicked in and I wondered how burnt ends would taste made from cured pork belly (bacon). It must be done.

The first thing you need is a piece of unsliced bacon. You can just go to supermarket and buy a piece of bacon, but I was making my own anyway.

I cured a 420 gram (1 pound) piece of pork belly and put it in to cure with the rest of my bacon.

I took it out and rinsed it off. I put it on a rack to dry.

If you want to make your own slab of bacon like this, see my post:

Covid Bacons

If you are making your own slab of bacon, don’t hot smoke it. You want it uncooked. If you want a stronger smoke flavour, you can cold smoke it for a few hours.

Take a 420 gram (1 pound) slab of unsliced uncooked bacon and cut it into 1-inch (2.5-cm) cubes.

Combine:

• 15 ml (1 tbsp) brown sugar
• 7 ml (1 1/2 tsp) paprika
• 3 ml (1/2 tsp) ground dried chipotle

Toss the cubes in the spice mixture to coat.

Put the cubes on a rack. I try to get them to be fat side up but don’t worry about it too much. Put the rack in a 275 F (135 C) smoker.

Smoke for 1 hour and push a probe into a cube. You are looking for an internal temperature of about 202 F (94 C) but mostly, you want the probe to go in like it is going into butter. If this doesn’t happen, smoke it for 20 minutes and recheck. Keep smoking and checking every 20 minutes until the meat is probe tender. It took my 1 hour and 40 minutes in my Bradley P10 Smoker.

Take the cubes and put them in a roasting pan.

Combine:

• 40 ml (3 tbsp) sweet spicy BBQ sauce
• 40 ml (3 tbsp) maple syrup
• 1 to 3 ml (1/4 to 1/2 tsp) Sriracha sauce or Tabasco to taste.

Pour the sauce over the cubes and toss to coat with the sauce.

Put the cubes back in the smoker for 30 minutes to set the sauce.

Plate and let rest for 5 minutes to cool a bit and serve.

The Verdict

This is a home run. They have the same great texture as pork belly burnt ends with a salty, hammy background taste. The maple syrup in the sauce adds to the bacon profile.

I will let you know I got the hairy eyeball from She Who Must Be Obeyed as this is a fatty appetizer. It is bacon! I thought that was a plus but apparently, I am wrong. I might have to make these again with cured pork shoulder. Nah, the bacon is too good, I’ll take the nasty look.

The Old Fat Guy

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Bacon Burnt Ends

Ingredients

• 420 grams (1 pound) unsliced bacon
• 15 ml (1 tbsp) brown sugar
• 7 ml (1 1/2 tsp) paprika
• 3 ml (1/2 tsp) ground dried chipotle
• 40 ml (3 tbsp) sweet spicy BBQ sauce
• 40 ml (3 tbsp) maple syrup
• 1 to 3 ml (1/4 to 1/2 tsp) Sriracha sauce or Tabasco to taste.

Instructions

1. Take a 420 gram (1 pound) slab of unsliced uncooked bacon and cut it into 1-inch (2.5-cm) cubes.
2. Combine brown sugar, paprika and chipotle.
3. Toss the cubes in the spice mixture to coat.
4. Put the cubes on a rack. I try to get them to be fat side up but don't worry about it too much. Put the rack in a 275 F (135 C) smoker.
5. Smoke for 1 hour and push a probe into a cube. You are looking for an internal temperature of about 202 F (94 C) but mostly, you want the probe to go in like it is going into butter. If this doesn't happen, smoke it for 20 minutes and recheck. Keep smoking and checking every 20 minutes until the meat is probe tender. It took my 1 hour and 40 minutes in my Bradley P10 Smoker.
6. Take the cubes and put them in a roasting pan.
7. Combine BBQ sauce, maple syrup, and Sriracha together.
8. Pour the sauce over the cubes and toss to coat with the sauce.
9. Put the cubes back in the smoker for 30 minutes to set the sauce.
10. Plate and let rest for 5 minutes to cool a bit and serve.

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