Smoked pork belly burnt ends is a BBQ staple. Low and slow smoked porky goodness all smothered in a sweet and buttery sauce. While this dish is delicious, let’s face it, after having 2-3 pieces you are done. It’s heavy and filling. This smoked Tequila Lime Burnt Ends recipe fixes that. It’s lighter, less sweet, savory and zesty. The tequila lime sauce is the perfect compliment to the pork as it breaks through the fat. Make these Tequila Lime pork belly burnt ends this summer, serve it with a margarita and enjoy!
For more traditional burnt end recipes, try my smoked maple bourbon burnt ends or make these classic sweet pork shoulder bites.
Are pork belly burnt ends and poor mans burnt ends the same?
The short answer is NO. Pork belly burnt ends are made of, well, pork belly. These are fattier because of the location of the cut. Poor mans burnt ends are made from beef using a chuck roast unlike the more expensive brisket. While the flavors and proteins are different, both have a rich BBQ flavor from the smoked meat, sweet and buttery BBQ sauce. Poor mans burnt ends have a lot more meat on them making them more enjoyable, in my opinion.
Ingredient List for Tequila Lime Burnt Ends.
- Pork belly: I used about 5 lbs. of pork belly. Make sure to have an good balance of fat and meat. Look for skinless pork belly. Removes a step in the process.
- Tequila: I used blanco tequila for the marinade and sauce. If you prefer not to use alcohol, replace it with water or apple juice.
- Lime: adds zestiness to the marinade helping break through the fat.
- Soy sauce: works as the salty agent in the brine and adds savoriness to the sauce.
- Seasoning: I used a taco seasoning that was the perfect compliment to the other ingredients.
- Agave: adds a natural sweetness to the sauce without overpowering the savory ingredients. A great substitute for agave is honey.
Prep the pork belly burnt ends.
I get my pork belly from Costco. It’s a large slab around 10 pounds but very well priced. For this recipe, I only used half of the pork belly and saved the rest for another day. Just wrap the unwanted piece and place it in the freezer.
When shopping for pork belly, make sure it does not have the skin on. Smoking with the skin will make the burnt ends chewing and unpleasant to eat.
Next, slice down the belly cutting long even strips and then cube them into 1-inch squares. You want them big enough for one bite.
Because these are going into a marinade, there is no need to season first.
Make a tequila lime marinade.
I wanted to add more flavor to my pork belly burnt ends and what better way than with a delicious marinade. Traditionally, you would just season the pork belly and throw it on the grill, but this tequila lime burnt ends recipe requires one more step that will take this snack to the next level!
In a large deep dish, add your favorite tequila and squeeze the lime juice. You will need the same about of tequila and lime juice, so get comfy and start squeezing. Drop in some of the lime peels in the marinade.
Next add soy sauce, minced garlic and crushed red pepper flakes. Mix the ingredients together.
I did not use any salt in the marinade since the soy sauce has high sodium levels and will do the same job. The salt helps pull moisture into the meat making it juicier. Adding other ingredients can add flavor to the protein.
Drop the cubed-up pork belly and marinate these in the fridge for at least an hour. The longer the marinade, the more intense the flavor will be.
Prep the tequila lime burnt ends.
Before you get these tequila lime pork belly cubes onto the smoker, you need to remove them from the marinade and season.
DO NOT dispose of the marinade once the pork belly is removed. Just throw out the lime peels and pour the rest into a saucepan. This will be used as the tequila lime burnt ends glaze.
Yes, we will be using a marinade that had raw pork sitting in it for at least an hour. By bringing the sauce to a boil and then simmer over low heat, the process will kill any bacteria. It is safe to repurpose and eat.
Place the marinade pork belly cubes onto a wire rack and season heavily with Dad’s Taco seasoning. It’s the perfect blend of lime, cumin and chilis. Make sure to coat all sides. There is no need for a binder since the cubes are wet from the marinade.
Time to smoke the tequila lime burnt ends.
For this Tequila Lime Burn Ends recipe, I used my Weber Searwood Pellet Smoker. I’ve been using it frequently in the last year and have really enjoyed smoking meats on this grill. It’s super convenient, works great and is easy to use.
Preheat the grill to 250 degrees and set for indirect heat for those using a gas or charcoal grill. You can also make this in the oven but will lose any of the smokiness you naturally get from making it on the grill.
Place the full wire rack on a baking sheet and on the grill it goes. The baking sheet will catch any rendered fat and marinade drippings from greasing up the grill. Keeping the pork belly cubes on the wire rack will allow airflow all around and cook it evenly.
Leave the Tequila Lime Burnt Ends on the grill for about 3-4 hours or until the internal temperature reaches 190 degrees. Do a squish test before removing them from the grill. If they seem soft and pillowy it’s time to sauce them up.
How to make a tequila lime BBQ sauce.
With the used marinade in a saucepan, add some agave and brown sugar to sweeten the tequila lime sauce and balance all the savory and zesty flavors. Don’t worry, this sauce will not be crazy sweet!
Add taco seasoning and whisk the ingredients together and bring everything to a boil. This will kill all bacteria that was transferred from the raw pork. Next, lower the heat to a simmer and cook until the sauce thickens slightly.
The heat will also cook off the alcohol making it safe to eat for kids.
Key thing to remember is that the sauce will not be tacky and gooey as most BBQ sauces. The sugar will caramelize during the cook, thickening it just enough to glaze the tequila lime burnt ends.
Dad’s Seasonings
Must have grillin seasonings!
Sauce up the tequila lime burnt ends.
This is the final stretch! Remove the smoked tequila lime burnt ends from the grill and place them into a foil pan. Pour the tequila lime sauce over the pork cubes and gently fold them in the sauce.
Place everything back on the grill for another 10 minutes to allow the sauce to penetrate the burnt ends, coat them and make them slightly tacky.
Plate the tequila lime burnt ends, garnish with some freshly chopped cilantro and enjoy!
Right way you’ll get a burst of savoriness and zestiness from the sauce and marinade. You’ll notice grabbing 3, 4, or 5 pieces without realizing you are completely stuffed.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Why are my pork belly burnt ends tough? There may be multiple issues causing burnt ends to be tough. Did you smoke it long enough at a low temperature? Do not remove smoked pork belly until the internal temperature is 190 degrees Fahrenheit. Check for softness. If firm, keep it on the grill. Did you braise it long enough or at all?
Does pork belly get more tender the longer you cook it? Yes, a long low and slow method is the best way to get tender and juicy pork belly. This allows the fat and collagen to render down and melt slowly making for a deliciously tender pull apart meat.
If you tried this Tequila Lime Burnt Ends or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the📝 comments. I love hearing from you!
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Tequila Lime Burnt Ends
This smoked Tequila Lime Burnt Ends recipe is lighter, savory and zesty compared to the classic pork belly burnt ends smothered in BBQ sauce.
Course Appetizer, Main Course, Snack
Cuisine American
Keyword tequila lime burnt ends, smoked pork belly, grillin with dad recipes, grilling with dad recipes, appetizer, burnt ends, smoked pork.
Prep Time 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time 4 hours hours
Servings 10 People
Calories 1339kcal
Pork Belly Ingredients
- 5 lbs Pork belly
- 2 tbsp Taco seasoning
Tequila Lime Marinade
- 2 cups Tequila blanco
- 2 cups Soy sauce
- 2 cups Freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 tbsp Crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 tbsp Garlic
Tequila Lime Glaze
- 1 tbsp Agave
- 1 tbsp Brown sugar
- 1 tbsp Taco seasoning
Start by slicing down the pork belly cutting long even strips and then cube them into 1 inch squares. You want them big enough for one bite.
In a large deep dish, add your favorite tequila and squeeze lime juice. You will need the same about of tequila and lime juice, so get comfy and start squeezing. Drop in some of the lime skins in the marinade. Next add soy sauce, minced garlic and crushed red pepper flakes. Mix the ingredients together. Drop the cubed up pork belly and marinate these in the fridge for at least an hour.
Remove the marinated pork belly from the brine and pour the liquid into a saucepan. Remove the lime peels.
Place the marinade pork belly cubes onto a wire rack and season heavily with taco seasoning. Preheat the grill to 250 degrees and set for indirect heat.
Place the loaded wire rack on a baking sheet and on the grill it goes. Smoke it for about 3-4 hours or until the internal temperature reaches 190 degrees. Do a squish test before removing them from the grill. If they seem soft and pillowy then they are done.
To make the tequila lime sauce, take the saucepan full of the marinade, add agave, brown sugar and taco seasoning. Whisk the ingredients together and bring everything to a boil.
Remove the smoked tequila lime burnt ends from the grill and place them into a foil pan. Pour the tequila lime sauce over the pork cubes and gently fold them in the sauce.
Place everything back on the grill for another 10 minutes to allow the sauce to penetrate the burnt ends, coat them and make them slightly tacky.
Plate the tequila lime burnt ends on a plate, garnish with some freshly chopped cilantro and enjoy!
- Use a skinless piece of pork belly for best results. The skin can get tough and chewy.
- Don’t cut the pork belly cubes too small. Remember, they will shrink as they cook.
Calories: 1339kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 120g | Saturated Fat: 44g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 13g | Monounsaturated Fat: 56g | Cholesterol: 163mg | Sodium: 2727mg | Potassium: 579mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 117IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 2mg
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