Pork Belly BBQ Bites (aka Pork Belly Burnt Ends)

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Pork Belly Bites are a luscious smoky treat. They are cubes of pork belly seasoned, smoked, braised, and sauced. They are delicious and can be served just the way they are. But they are also exceptional in ramen or in BLT cocktail skewers.

This particular recipe comes from my second book. In that book, I address the controversy of whether or not these delicious, wiggly nuggets of pork should be called "pork belly burnt ends."

I don't take offense to someone using the term "pork belly burnt ends". Yeah, it's not the same thing as "burnt ends" but neither are today's "burnt ends". The original burnt ends were the end scraps and bits that were cut off of the brisket during slicing. Kansas City is the home of burnt ends and in an article in 2013, the Kansas City Star mourned the passing of burnt ends.  That's because burnt ends today use the entire brisket point cut into cubes and often doused in sauce and are just an interpretation of the original. -The Offset Smoker Cookbook (Ulysses Press 2019)

So you can call these delicious pork pillows pork belly burnt ends if you like, as far as I'm concerned. Here's how I made this batch of Pork Belly BBQ. Bites.

Sugar Honey Iced Tea Glazed Double Smoked Ham

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I double-smoked a spiral-sliced ham for our youngest son's Friendsgiving today. The ham was as impressive as ever, which I attribute to our tried and true Sugar Honey Iced Tea Ham Glaze.

Notice the rack below the ham. If you run out of glaze (you shouldn't), you can just lift the ham out for a second and pour out the "run-off" that has collected in the steam pan and brush it back on. 

Sugar Honey Iced Tea Ham Glaze

This has been the go-to ham glaze around our home for years because it has Southern flavor, and it is simple with just a few ingredients. The warm, sweet and spicy flavor profiles balance perfectly with the saltiness of the ham.

Let's talk about the 800-pound gorilla in the room. Yes, as a kid, we'd exclaim "sugar honey iced tea" instead of saying the s-word. We thought about it and considered changing the title, but some of our "Pirate Ship" friends tried the recipe, loved it, and insisted it is the shit! (pardon my French), thus the name stuck.

Sugar Honey Iced Tea Ham Glaze

Published 12/21/2021

A warm, sweet, and spicy glaze complements the ham's saltiness for a Southern-style ham.

HPBA's Why I Grill - Winter Edition

[FTC Standard Disclosure] This post is sponsored by the Hearth, Patio, and Barbecue Association as part of their #WhyIGrill series.

I'm excited to be working with Hearth, Patio, and Barbecue Association to share #WhyIGrill during the shorter days and cold nights of winter. I also teamed up with HPBA to share a new recipe that we created for Smoked Beef Short Rib Tamales with Jalapeno Cheddar Grits with Fire Roasted Tomato Sauce .

Comfort food is taken to the next level - Smoked Beef Short Rib Tamales, Jalapeno Cheddar Grits, and rustic Fire-Roasted Tomato Sauce

#WhyIGrill In The Winter

Sure it's cold but that doesn't mean it's time to pack up the grills until Spring. Like most of my friends, we grill and BBQ year-round for a variety of reasons.

• The short and sweet reason is that I want my food to taste as good in the winter as it does during the summer.
• Another reason is that I think that getting outside is one of the best ways to fight off those winter blues.
• Perhaps the best reason for grilling during winter is because of the yummy comfort foods that come with winter, such as; chili, stews, pot roasts, and these tamales. 

For tips on grilling during the winter, check out this link at WhyIGrill.org.

Let's talk about making those delicious tamales. The full recipe is at WhyIGrill [ENTER LINK] while this post is like the commentary at the end of movie credits. 

Smoking Beef Short Ribs