Prep Time:  20 mins
Cook Time:  95 mins
Total Time:  115 mins
Servings:  5-6
Finished and plated Grilled Pork Belly Skewers

Want a perfect dish for a socially distanced get-together? Look to our new favorite flavor profile guy, Brad Prose of Chiles and Smoke. (Listen to the man talk about wine salt and Korean gochujang sometime — Brad knows his stuff.) With just that right level of palate complexity and texture distinction to become your new showstopper appetizer, this dish fuels coming together and sharing the good times responsibly. Drop a plate at the start of your homegating event, and the Big Game won't be all they're talking about.

Ingredients

Ingredients for Pork Belly

  • 3 lbs pork belly, skin removed
  • 3 Tbsp of pinapple ancho rub
  • 2 cups pineapple juice
  • 1 cup crushed tortilla chips
  • 1 lime, zested

Ingredients for Glaze

  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • ¼ cup honey
  • ¼ cup pineapple juice
  • ½ tsp cayenne (optional)
  • 1 Tbsp pineapple ancho rub

Items You'll Need

Instructions

Instructions for Grilled Pork Belly

  1. Start preheating your smoker to 225 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Slice the pork belly into 4- to 5-inch slivers, roughly 1-inch wide. Skewer each one of these. It’s fair to assume that 3 lbs of pork belly would yield about 10–12 skewers.
  3. Sprinkle pineapple ancho rub over each skewer — be sure to catch each side. The exact amount will vary, based on how many skewers you’re whipping up.
    Pork belly skewers after being seasoned with pinapple ancho rub
  4. That smoker’s looking pretty lonely over there, isn’t it? Feed it your skewers and cook until 195 degrees, or about 90 minutes. For best results, consider mopping or brushing them with pineapple juice about every half-hour. That’ll keep the outside nice and moist, just how it should be.
  5. After your second slathering of pineapple juice, it’s a good time to prepare the glaze. Combine all glaze ingredients in a small saucepan and bring them to a boil. Once there, cook for 3–4 minutes; you’re looking for it to begin thickening nicely. Remove from heat and allow tocool. If too thick, stir in more pineapple juice.
  6. When the initial smoking is finished, remove the skewers from the cooking surface and brush the pork belly lightly with glaze on all sides. Return to the smoker for a few minutes — you’re adding a nice caramelization to the dish.
    Pork belly skewers on the smoker grates after being glazed
  7. Combine the crushed tortilla chips and lime zest. After a few minutes, take the pork belly off the smoker, sprinkle them with this coating to add texture.
  8. Serve and enjoy!