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Smoked Bourbon BBQ Meatloaf Recipe

Grilling Tips

Bourbon BBQ Craft Blends™
Maple Bourbon Pork Belly Burnt Ends

Nick Nesgoda

Maple Bourbon Pork Belly Burnt Ends

Sweet, smoky, sticky, and incredibly tender, these burnt ends from ambassador Nick Nesgoda are the kind of bite that's impossible to eat just one of. Cubes of pork belly are smoked over Bear Mountain Cherry Pellets, spritzed with Dr. Pepper, then wrapped in a rich maple bourbon glaze for the perfect combination of caramelized sweetness and smoky BBQ flavor.

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Prep

15 minutes

Cook time

4¼ hours

Pellets

Bear Mountain Cherry Pellets

Serves

6–8

Steps

  1. Cut the pork belly into 2-inch strips, then cut each strip into 2-inch cubes. Place the cubes on a wire rack.
  2. Coat the pork belly with yellow mustard as a binder, then season generously on all sides with your favorite BBQ rub.
  3. Preheat your smoker to 250°F using Bear Mountain Cherry Pellets. Place the pork belly on the smoker and cook for 3 hours, spritzing lightly with Dr. Pepper every 30 minutes.
  4. Once the bark has set, transfer the pork belly cubes to a foil pan. Add maple syrup, butter, brown sugar, and BBQ sauce, making sure the pork is well coated.
  5. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and return it to the smoker for 1 hour.
  6. Remove the foil for the final 15 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken and become sticky and caramelized.
  7. Continue cooking until the pork belly reaches an internal temperature of approximately 200°F and is tender.
  8. Remove from the smoker and let cool for 5–10 minutes before serving warm.

Ingredients:

  • 1 slab pork belly
  • Yellow mustard, for binder
  • Your favorite BBQ rub
  • Dr. Pepper, for spritzing
  • Maple syrup
  • Butter
  • Brown sugar
  • BBQ sauce

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