BBQ Pork Belly Burnt Ends

Directions

• Trim any very loose or dangling bits off of the pork belly. Then cut the belly into strips that are about 1 1/2 inches wide. Finally, cut each long strip into 1 1/2 inch chunks.
• Make a simple binder by combining honey mustard and apple cider vinegar. Use approximately 1 part vinegar to 3 parts mustard. Whisk thoroughly together.
• Place pork cubes into a large bowl and drizzle lightly with the mustard/vinegar mixture. Toss the pork to coat them evenly.
• Generously season the pork cubes on all sides with a sweet & savory pork rub. Toss the cubes to ensure even coverage, and apply some more rub if needed.
• Lay the seasoned pork cubes out on wire baking racks, ensuring that the fat cap side is facing up.
• In a smoker pre-heated to between 275-300 degrees Fahrenheit, cook the pork. Just place the entire wire racks into the smoker. Cook for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, or until the internal temperature reaches 200 to 205 degrees. Note: The pork will form a dark colored bark, which is expected. However, if the outside of the pork cubes begin to actually burn, remove them from the smoker at that time.
• Transfer the pork cubes to a large foil pan. Lay several pats of butter all over top. Somewhere between 10 and 16 pads of butter will be fine. Then sprinkle brown sugar all over top. Approximately 1/4 cup of brown sugar is about the right amount. Lastly, drizzle honey all over top. Just makes sure some honey gets on each piece of pork.
• Tightly seal the pan with aluminum foil, and place the pan into the smoker. Cook for another 1 hour, or until the pork bites are incredibly tender.
• Remove the pan from the smoker and remove the foil on top. Drizzle some St. Louis-style BBQ sauce (or any kind of BBQ sauce you have) over top. Don’t go on too heavy; they should be lightly coated and not swimming in sauce. Toss the cubes around to ensure even coverage.
• Return the pan to the smoker one last time, uncovered. Cook for 15-20 minutes. This step is to cook on the sauce and lightly caramelize it.
• Remove pan from smoker, and allow a few minutes to cool before eating.