Smoked Pork Belly 101
In this episode, I will be smoking a full pork belly that I intend to use for a couple of future episodes. It is a little different cook than if we were going to eat this monster right away, but I will talk about how to do that also!
Things to know:
Is it better to cook pork belly fast or slow?
Pork belly needs a combination of slow, gentle heat to tenderize the meat, plus a shorter blast at a higher heat to crisp up the skin. That is why we first smoke the belly at 275F, then finish it off in the air fryer at 400F.
What is the best cooking method for pork belly?
Braising is a popular method, though we prefer smoking, then finishing off the skin at a high temp, either in oil or the air fryer.
Should you wrap pork belly when smoking?
If you are cooking to temperatures above 165F, wrapping at 165°F helps push through the stall and keeps meat moist. Some prefer to leave unwrapped for extra bark. For this particular recipe, we are only cooking the pork belly to 165F.
Does wrapping affect the smoke flavor?
When you wrap the meat you are smoking, you create a barrier between the wood smoke and the meat. For this reason, less smoke flavor is being imparted to the meat. But it’s not that big of a deal, because you will already have the meat exposed to the smoke for several hours before you wrap it.
Is it better to smoke with butcher paper or foil?
Unlike foil, butcher paper is very breathable and therefore lets moisture escape. This prevents the meat from over-steaming. Butcher paper not only prevents over-steaming but also protects the meat from the full impact of the smoker.
Ingredients
skin-off pork belly
your favorite rub (we are using Kosmo Q Honey Chipotle Killer Bee)
1. Preheat your smoker to 275F.
2. Liberally apply your favorite run to both sides of the pork belly. Let is set for about 10 minutes for the rub to tack up.
3. Chuck the pork belly into your smoker. If you are smoking it to cut into some slices with a bit of integrity to them, then pull the pork belly at 165F internal temp (takes about 90 minutes). If you want tender, pull apart pork belly, continue to smoke it until you hit 195F-205F which takes about 3 to 3.5 hours.
4. If you are eating immediately, loosely tent the belly and allow to rest for about 20 minutes. If you are going to slice the belly later, allow to set on the counter until it gets to room temperature, then place in the refrigerator. If you are looking for very thin slices, placing the pork belly in the freezer for about an hour right before slicing will make your life much easier!
Equipment used:
Yoder YS640S Smoker
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