Juicy, chunky, and tender Smoked Pork Belly in all its glorious natural flavors infused with the delicious smokiness of wood. A melt-in-your-mouth meaty dish you can easily prepare at home without the hassle of a hectic kitchen. You’ll surely love this fatty comfort food for your next cheat day.
Everyone in my house loves this dish, that’s no surprise to me especially since they go nuts about bacon. Don’t get me wrong, I love bacon too! That’s why there are no leftovers whenever we have this dish for dinner.
I just find the crunchy skin super satisfying especially when paired with different sauces and dishes. This easily becomes the highlight of the holidays because everyone is just waiting for it to finish cooking.
I’ll show you how I made this easy and simple smoked pork belly for your next cookout.
Is Pork Belly the Same as Bacon?
If you haven’t noticed it yet, bacon is simply a thin crosscut of pork belly. So what’s the difference between the two? Bacon is simply cured pork belly. While bacon is cooked thinly to crispy doneness, pork belly is often cooked whole, cubed, or shredded.
There are a variety of dishes you can make with this pork cut but smoking it is aromatically beautiful. In a way, smoking is a form of curing that turns regular pork belly into delicious bacon.
So prepare your palates because we’re gonna make something delicious.
How to Buy Pork Belly?
Is it your first time buying pork belly at the butcher? It helps if you know the butcher personally but just in case you don’t, this list might help. Here’s some points to look at when buying pork belly.
- Skin On or Off: Depending on what you’re going to do with the pork, you can opt for either. I buy skin-on pork belly when I feel like making a roast. I often go for skinless pork belly whenever I use a smoker so that the flavors penetrate easily.
- Silky Fat: The fat for this type of pork cut should be silky white anything less than that would be bad meat. Go for a slightly thinner layer of fat when buying cuts like this because you want the fat to render.
- Streaks of Meat: The streaks of meat for pork belly is one of the most important signs you want to look at. I prefer thicker and redder layers of meat because I get more value for my money that way. Red meat on pork belly is a clear sign that it’s fresh.
- Select Boneless: Speaking of value for money, go for boneless pork belly, which means no ribs attached. You don’t need the bone to keep the meat moist because you’ll have the rendered fat to do that.
What smoker to use?
I’ve tried a lot of smokers, big and small, and I personally think it all depends on your preference. Personally, I think that there’s no one specific way to perfectly smoke pork. I prefer mixing and matching different smoking methods and flavors to get the best taste.
So here are some of my preferred techniques for this recipe:
My Choice: Pellet Smoker
Pros
Easily Tenderize – The long smoking period is totally worth it because of how tender the meat becomes. You’ll activate the natural flavors of the pork which makes it tasty as it is.
Flavored Wood Chips – Feel free to mix and match different woodchip flavors using this smoker.
Indirect Heat – This uses indirect heat which means that the heat source is distant from the meat.
Con
It eats up space – One unit is too bulky. This becomes a concern especially if you don’t have much backyard space available.
How to use a Pellet Smoker?
Placing the Meat – You will simply place the meat in a rack indirect to the heat source. This will make sure that your meat will cook evenly without one side burning.
Installing the water pan -Add a pan with half a cup of water to the smoking chamber to prevent it from drying out. This method also infuses the flavor of the wood chips in the pork. (I think Hickory flavored wood is a safe bet for smoked pork belly but feel free to mix and match.)
Catching the heat – Close the lid and start cooking!
Verdict: By far, this is the easiest way to smoke. It automatically feeds the heater with pellets and fans the heat around the chamber. No need for the dirty work, just check the meat from time to time!👍
I, myself, use a Traeger Pellet Smoker for my smoked pork belly because it’s so versatile. I often get my woodchips from Traeger as well but Kingsford’s woodchips are also a great alternative.
Charcoal Grill
Pros
- Compact Unit – I can fit it right in my shed and doesn’t take up much space.
- No Electricity – Go green with this smoker because you don’t need electricity for this method. You can enjoy your smoked pork belly even when you’re in the great outdoors.
- Low Cost – It’s really budget-friendly in terms of maintenance, and it’s waaay easier to clean!
Con
- Direct heat – although technically it’s indirect. the heat source is in the same chamber as the meat. this can lead to roasting rather than smoking which burns one side of the meat.
A simple compact charcoal grill can also be used for smoking. This is the perfect smoker for you if you don’t have much space in your backyard. However, I wouldn’t wear white when using this if I were you. Aside from the hot coals, you’re using to cook pork, it’s also super easy to stain your shirt with soot.
This smoking method uses charcoal which cooks the meat with low but direct heat. Flavored wood can also be used for this method to infuse a smoky aroma to the center.!
Barbecuing vs Smoking: The difference between barbecuing and smoking is that smoking uses slow and indirect heat so that all sides cook perfectly.
How to use your charcoal grill as a smoker?
- Heat the charcoals – Place the hot charcoals on one extreme side of the grill.
- Catch those dripping juices – Add a tin catch just below the grill so you can catch any juices that drip off.
- Picture Perfect Placement – Place the pork cuts on the other side of the grill farthest from the coals and the water pan beside it. It’s easier if you have a bigger grill.
- Trap the heat – You want all that heat to cook your meat.
Verdict: I like using this method though because it’s the most convenient. I don’t need a bulky unit in my backyard. 👍 All I have to do is take my favorite wood flavor and use it along with charcoal.
Electric Smoker
Pros
- No direct heat – We won’t be using an open fire for this smoker but instead its woodchips and some heating rods.
- Its own thermometer – It has a built-in thermometer to tell the temperature inside the smoker.
Cons
- Longer smoking time – It cooks longer and slower because of the low maximum temperature.
- Electric consumption – I think you should expect a higher electric bill when using this smoker. Power outages get super annoying especially when you’re in the middle of smoking
- Tastes different – Without the authentic smoke from a burning woodchip, you’ll sense a slight difference in the taste. Also, if you don’t preheat the smoker. you’d probably taste a bit of plastic from the manufacturing in your dish.
Electric smokers use wood chips to produce smoke via heating rods to produce the smoke. It also uses convection to heat food which gives the food a different flavor due to the lack of fire.
The parts are generally similar to a bullet smoker with the wood tray substituting the fire chamber.
How to use an Electric Smoker?
- Preheat the smoker: Pre-smoke the unit with the woodchips of your choice.
- Attach the water pan: Once it reaches the desired temperature, place the water pan inside the lowest space inside the unit.
- Perfect Placement: Place the pork in the racks and close the lid or door to start cooking it.
NOTE: If you’re a first-time user of this type of smoker, I suggest seasoning your grill with cooking oil. This prevents any residue from the manufacturing to stick to your food.
Verdict: Electric grills tend to cook at a lower temperature which means they would cook longer.
Recipe Ingredients
The magical thing about pork belly is that when you smoke it long enough, its natural flavor easily comes out. In other words, it’s tasty enough as it is. A simple rub of salt and pepper is enough to make it irresistible.
However, you can also play around with flavors to make it extra special. Here’s what you’ll need for that extra tasty feeling:
- Pork Belly – Although I prefer buying them skin-on, I trim away the skin before seasoning or smoking the meat. This helps the meat cook faster and lets the smoky flavor penetrate the meat better. Don’t throw away the skin, you can use that for other dishes.
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Creole Seasoning – This is my favorite homemade spice mix because it goes with different meats. You can also try other seasonings if you want to play around with flavor. Make yours at home with my simple Creole Seasoning Recipe.
- Oil – If you brined your pork belly, you’re sure to keep each slice moist. However, if you didn’t use wet brine for your meat, basting it in oil helps retain moisture in the meat. You can exchange this with Barbecue Sauce for more flavor.
Seasonings to Use
Aside from creole seasoning, Jerk Seasoning is also a good choice for smoked pork. It has its own unique smokiness that’s perfect for different kinds of meats.
If you prefer a fresh earthy tone to your meal, A rub of Italian Seasoning will do just the trick. The herby flavors of the seasoning blending with the natural juices of the pork contrast the smoky taste.
Lastly, you can also try this homemade Sazon Seasoning to give your pork belly a kick of heat. Ohhhhh! This combination just spells out F-L-A-V-O-R!
How Long to Smoke Pork Belly?
Like what I say in most of my smoking recipes, “focus on the temperature, not the time.”
I know it can be hard to wait for something as tasty as this but trust me, it’s all gonna be worth it. You can even play around with the time to have that bacon-like firmness or fall-apart goodness of pork shreds.
Once the internal temperature reaches 165 F, you can take it out of the smoker and rest it. Resting it for at least 10 minutes lets the natural juices of the meat settle back into the pork.
I personally let it sit in the smoker for about 15 – 30 more minutes just to get that melt-in-your-mouth tenderness. The general concept about smoking pork is that the more you keep it in the smoker, the more tender it gets.
Tips and Tricks in Smoking Pork Belly
- Keep the skin: In smoking, you’ll have to slice off the fat cap including the skin but don’t throw that away just yet. You can actually use this to make chicharrón and other dishes.
- Check the thickest part: When checking the internal temperature for this dish, you’ll find the most accurate reading at the thickest part of the meat.
- Pre-cook the meat: If you insist on keeping the skin of the pork belly, I suggest to pre-cook it. Score the skin deep enough but not slicing the meat. Sous vide the pork belly before smoking to have a perfectly cooked pork belly.
Serving Suggestions
Give your finished smoked pork belly a little taste ohhhhh! But wait, here’s more, you can actually pair it with lovely dishes to make it even more delicious. Here are my top recommendations on what to pair with this dish.
- Thin bacon-like slices of this dish between slices of Brioche Bread is simply heaven.
- Scalloped potatoes complement the sweet flavor of the meat slices.
- A serving of Parmesan Crusted Baked Asparagus is perfect with the chunkiness of the pork.
- Prepare a plate of Coleslaw for a splash of freshness to complement the pork dish.
- Pickled Jalapenos as a side to smoked pork belly is just a perfect match. Pickled Onions are also great.
Sauces to Use
For any meaty smoked dish (beef, chicken, and most definitely pork), a generous amount of Homemade Barbecue Sauce works.
A touch of Remoulade Sauce is a popular pick among smoking enthusiasts. My friends describe the combination as a fancy southern fusion that they’d definitely want to take home.
I know the dish is already flavorful but I’d still give it a dose of Caribbean Pepper Sauce. The extra heat makes every bite a mouthwatering experience.
More Delicious Pork Recipes
How to Smoke Pork Belly?
Preparing the Meat
- Trim the skin: Cut off the excess skin but leave a good amount of fat on the meat
- Score the pork: Make shallow diagonal slices on the meat but do not cut through. do this again but perpendicular to the first slices to form crisscross cuts.
- Pre-season the meat: Use salt and pepper on both sides of the meat.
- Apply the seasoning: You can rub your favorite seasoning but I highly suggest using this Immaculate Bites Pork Chop Seasoning or a Homemade Creole Seasoning.
Smoke the Pork
- Pre smoke and preheat: Preheat the smoker to 225 F
- Place the pork: Place the pork firmly in the smoker, close the lid and start cooking. Baste the pork with oil every now and then. You’ll do this less often if you have a good amount of fat on the meat.
- Remove and rest: Remove the meat from the smoker once the internal temperature reaches 165 F. This would take about 3 – 4 hours.
- Slice and serve: Slice the pork from the scores you’ve made earlier, served in bite-sized pieces, and enjoy.
Smoked Pork Belly
Ingredients
- 3-4 lbs (1.3 - 1.8 kg) skinless pork belly , trim the skin if you bought skin-on.
- salt and pepper to taste
- Creole seasoning , you can replace with porkchop seasoning or your favorite dry rub.
- 1 ½ cups (432 g) BBQ sauce
Instructions
Prepare the meat
- Trim the skin: Cut off the excess skin but leave a good amount of fat on the meat.
- Score the pork: Make shallow diagonal slices on the meat but do not cut through. Do this again but perpendicular to the first slices to form crisscross cuts.
- Pre-season the meat: Use salt and pepper on both sides on the meat.
- Apply the seasoning: You can rub your favorite seasoning but I highly suggest using this Immaculate Bites Pork Chop Seasoning or a Homemade Creole Seasoning.
Smoke the Pork
- Pre-smoke and preheat: Preheat the smoker to 225 F.
- Place the pork: Place the pork firmly in the smoker, close the lid and start cooking. Baste the pork with oil every now and then. You'll do this less often if you have a good amount of fat on the meat.
- Remove and rest: Remove the meat from the smoker once the internal temperature reaches 165 F. This would take about 3 - 4 hours.
- Slice and serve: Slice the pork from the scores you've made earlier. Serve in bite-sized pieces, and enjoy.
Tips & Notes:
- Keep the skin: In smoking, you’ll have to slice off the fat cap including the skin but don’t throw that away just yet. You can actually use this to make chicharrón and other dishes.
- Check the thickest part: When checking the internal temperature for this dish, you’ll find the most accurate reading at the thickest part of the meat.
- Pre-cook the meat: If you insist on keeping the skin of the pork belly I suggest pre-cook it. Score the skin deep enough but not slicing the meat. Sous vide the pork belly before smoking to have a perfectly cooked pork belly.
- Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on the products used.
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