Pork belly and pork butt


 
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Paul Kerns

New member
Thanks for the advice in advance, guys.

I'm having family over this weekend for some football and BBQ. I've done a bunch of pork butts and ribs in the past, but haven't done a pork belly and want to give it a shot.

How should I do the pork belly? Do I have to cure it? What advice for rubs/spices do you have?

Also, I want to do both the pork butt and belly with the belly coming off earlier in the day. Is it ok to do both at the same time?

Thanks again
 
Do you have to cure it? No, not unless you want typical bacon. You can smoke it without curing but if not making bacon, imo, belly is better roasted to finish, i.e., smoke or otherwise cook first then roast at higher temps for texture.

Belly is quite fatty you realize, yes? How are you hoping to serve it?
 
You could smoke it @ 250 and pull @ 150 internal.

Then slice it (1cm) peices and grill indirect on the kettle to let some of the fat render. A simple salt/pepper sprinkle and you are in for a feast.
 
I cooked my first pork belly just this past weekend at a little local contest. The bellys (bellies?) they gave us the night before the event weighed about 8 lbs and they were not cured. I cut the belly into four, approx 2 lb rectangles. Marinated them overnight with a commercial teriaki and a Hawaiian marinade mix. Cooking high heat indirect, shooting for the 325-350* range, I placed the PB on the grill for 30 mins to tighten the meat up. Then I placed the bellies, fat side down in a braise mixture. I used enough liquid to come at least halfway up the side of the meat. Tightly covered with foil, and cooked them at as close to 350* as possible for three hours. If meat is fork tender they are done. Remove bellies from mixture. Now you want to crisp up the fatside by placing the PB near, or directly over the coals until it get to the crispness/color you're wanting. Use caution, it will drip grease and flare up. Finished them for a few minutes indirectly with a teriaki glaze. We were the only team to go with a non bbq type sauce and still won second place. Good Luck!
 
Thanks for the help. I got it in the fridge last night to start the curing. I have 5 days. So that looks about right.

My other question is for a 2 lbs belly, how long do you think it'll take to smoke?

Also, if I'm doing a pork butt at the same time for later in the day, can I do the belly at about 225? That's the temp I do the pork butt at. Thanks again
 
For bacon I Minion the start with just a few lit, get the wood in there and the belly on right away so it starts at rather low temps. I look to keep the temps low - only a slow rise - so the belly has maximum smoke time before I remove it ~150?. A 2lb piece of belly won't take long but it depends on your temps. I milk the time.
 
My wife wants to serve it before frying it? Is that ok? Shes thinking an appetizer.

For a two pounder at 225 degrees, what do you think for time?
 
Um, no. Not if you are cooking at 225 and plan to do nothing else.

Low/slow belly is for bacon. That, of course, one cooks again (frying or whatever) before serving. Not too interesting as an app. For typical non-bacon belly one roasts it, preferably skin on, or braises it, till tender, then crisps the surface or skin.
 
Not to hijack your thread but, Kevin, when you make bacon do you leave the skin on? I am currently curing a 6lb belly with the skin on in the fridge at home and wondering if I should smoke and slice with the skin on or remove it and do something else with it. Thanks.
 
If it's for me, yes, I leave it on. I like the texture of the bacon with the skin after cooking for serving. For bacon for others I often remove it.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Dupree:
No help here regarding your question...However,since you mentioned Pork belly....I just embarked on my first attempt at homemade bacon. If interested I am starting from here:

http://www.imafoodblog.com/ind...cure-and-smoke-bacon </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Thanks, Dupree (and Kevin, of course). Bacon has been festering in the back of my mind and now, with the help of your link and Kevin's comments, I'm just hot to get started. I've seen the pork bellies at my butcher and just was uncertain how to proceed (and had too much on my plate to look it up). Now it seems simplicity itself and since my dissatisfaction with processed bacon has been growing steadily, there's just now holding me back. Especially with all the rain that is preventing me from completing the re-finish of my deck. (Picture 5 - 8 normal-sized large decks -- I built it myself and saw no reason to stop. I even have new plans for extending and roofing more so that I can increase my grilling/smoking area.)

To add something on this thread's topic, Paul, I have a little concern that you and your wife are not thinking along the right lines for your pork belly (unfried "raw" bacon as an appetizer?). I hope you'll explain differently or change your thinking.

Rich
 
... or you could do it the way I did. It's still grilling and it's perfect for an appetizer. I went with the teriaki version, but I'd bet a pig candy version would be tasty as well.
 
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