# Pork Belly Burnt Ends with Dr Pepper Huckleberry Glaze



## Preacher Man (Dec 17, 2018)

Been seeing PBBE's on here and decided to make some for a men's Christmas party.

Started with a 5 lbs Pork Belly (skin off) that I found for $1.88/lb. I cubed them a little smaller than most I've seen because I wanted them to go farther at the party. About 1"x1".







Seasoned with a little BBQ rub and tossed em up to coat every side. Arranged the little nuggets on the MES30 and lit my AMZNPTS with Applewood pellets.






Smoked 'em at 250°-275° for 3 hours, until the color was where I wanted them.






Removed them and arranged them in an aluminum pan. I then covered them with a stick of butter, a couple of handfuls of brown sugar, and a good squirt of honey. Wrap 'em tight with foil and back in the heat.






After 1 hour and 15 minutes in the braising liquid, I removed them from the liquid and put them in another aluminum pan. I then drizzled them with a Dr Pepper Huckleberry glaze. The glaze consisted of my 10-2-4 BBQ Sauce, more Dr Pepper, and Huckleberry Jam. (I canned the jam this summer after a great huckleberry harvest).





I didn't really measure anything out for the glaze, but this will get you a nice glaze if you're making your own:
1 c. BBQ sauce
1/4 c. Dr. Pepper
1/4 c. Huckleberry Jam
Combine everything in a pan and heat on medium to med-low until everything is blended and smooth. Pour over your burnt ends and give 'em a toss to coat everything.

15 minutes back in the heat uncovered and they glazed up really well.










I think this is how you know you nailed it.


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## chilerelleno (Dec 17, 2018)

Mmmmmm, just ate a late lunch and am salivating looking at these.
Nice cook.
*Like!*


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## jaxgatorz (Dec 17, 2018)

They look awesome and that glaze sounds great !!


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## SonnyE (Dec 17, 2018)

I like how you cook Preacher Man!
"until the color was where I wanted them"
"I then covered them with a stick of butter, a couple of handfuls of brown sugar, and a good squirt of honey."
"The glaze consisted of my 10-2-4 BBQ Sauce, more Dr Pepper, and Huckleberry Jam."

Excellent! *Big Like* on this!

When I went shopping for Pork Bellies the first time, somebody had sliced all the bellies into strips, and packaged them. No good for bacon.
The Real butcher was appologetic about the pork bellies being butchered that way.
He got me some bellies for maken bacon in a couple of days.
But now I can see how those hack bellies can be used.
Do they need cured? Or just go for them?


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## ab canuck (Dec 17, 2018)

Those are / were some very appetizing morsels of goodness!!! I like the glaze as well. Nice job. LIKE...


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## yankee2bbq (Dec 17, 2018)

Great job!  
Like!


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## Preacher Man (Dec 17, 2018)

SonnyE said:


> Do they need cured? Or just go for them




 SonnyE
 Nope, no cure needed.


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## SonnyE (Dec 17, 2018)

Preacher Man said:


> SonnyE
> Nope, no cure needed.



Thanks, Preacher Man! That is what I was hoping you'd say.


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## AP514 (Dec 18, 2018)

Preacher Man said:


> The glaze consisted of my 10-2-4 BBQ Sauce


Is this a mix of your own and if so what is it ?


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## SonnyE (Dec 18, 2018)

AP514 said:


> Is this a mix of your own and if so what is it ?



Dr. Pepper years and years ago use to have 10-2-4 as times to drink Dr, Pepper "The friendly Picker Upper."
It sticks today with many of us.


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## Preacher Man (Dec 18, 2018)

AP514 said:


> Is this a mix of your own and if so what is it ?


I stole the old slogan from Dr Pepper and used it to name my sauce. It's a pretty basic BBQ sauce recipe that I make with a reduction from the Dr Pepper.

I toyed with either naming it "10-2-4" or "23 Flavors".


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## gmc2003 (Dec 18, 2018)

Those BEs look mighty tasty. I can see why they disappeared. Nice Job.

Point for sure.
Chris


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## Bearcarver (Dec 18, 2018)

Looks Mighty Tasty, Preacher Man!!
Nice Job.
Like.

Bear


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## BKING! (Dec 18, 2018)

I’m a firm believer that pork belly if given plenty of tlc during cooking can be a delicacy. Good work!


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## ksblazer (Dec 18, 2018)

Good looking pork belly burnt ends

Always like seeing burnt end pictures on this forum. They make me want to smoke up a batch every time.


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## BKING! (Dec 18, 2018)

ksblazer said:


> Good looking pork belly burnt ends
> 
> Always like seeing burnt end pictures on this forum. They make me want to smoke up a batch every time.


Same


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## SonnyE (Dec 23, 2018)

Alright Preacher Man!
In the smoker is my "Burnt Ends".
After butchering, I combined them with some Chef Merito Chicken seasoning, some SPOG shook from my SPOG shaker, and a good sprinkling of my Sonny's Secret Seasoning. (My infamous BBQ rub mix)
4.26 Pound slab of Pork Belly sliced down, and cut up. Maybe 3-4 ounces of trim. Not much, just the ugliest stringy stuff.
Filled 3 matted racks of my MES 30. Apple Dust in the Mailbox send out the flavor.
I couldn't tell you how much of anything, and don't care. It was eye and nose. If it looked good, if it smelled good, it hasta be good.
No Dr. Pepper here. And no wild Huckleberry Jam. So I'm going to wing that.
Got some home canned Blackberry Jam, and Blackberry syrup. Might cut that a smidgen with some wild cherry Pepsi.
And I always keep stocked up on my Clover Honey.

The hearth is glowin, the Smokers Smoke is lazily rollin, And I'll be goin, now.
Got beans to do, and Jerky ready to pack, Christmas is comin, I ain't got time to slack.
But I stopped for a Breather, and for a Brew, and thought I'd drop you a line, or two.
Thanks for the inspiration, Merry Christmas, and a _very_ Happy New Year!


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## SonnyE (Dec 26, 2018)

And POOF! The Burnt ends vanished at the Christmas Eve Family and Friends Party.
No Dr. Pepper or Hucklebery jam. Just some Sweet Baby Ray's and a generous squeeze of Clover Honey.
I'm gaining taste buds of smoked delights around here.
Thanks to All I'm learning from SMF.com!

I'm turning into a regular Suzy Homemaker... :confused::eek:

Thanks for the help and inspirations Preacher Man!


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## Preacher Man (Dec 26, 2018)

SonnyE said:


> And POOF! The Burnt ends vanished at the Christmas Eve Family and Friends Party.


I have no doubt that they did! And just like that you showed everyone what a little time, patience, smoke, and inspiration can do for a party.

Too bad you didn't save me at least one. I'll guess I'll have to make more myself...


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## SonnyE (Dec 26, 2018)

Going in for the Glazing run...
BBQ sauced, Brown Sugared, and Honey'd. Tossed to coat.
Didn't use the Black Berry stuff this time.
I warmed and served in a smaller crock pot. The DIL had 3 servings! She has never done that before!

You are welcome to print this picture and taste it. But when I've tried that I think it changes the flavor.....








I never take enough pictures....


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## Preacher Man (Dec 26, 2018)

That glaze looks like it's thickening up nice!


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## SonnyE (Dec 26, 2018)

When I set my timer on my phone, I accidentally set it for 15 _hours._
It seemed like it was an awful long 15 minutes, and when I finally rinsed my hands and dried them to take a look is was a hugely over long time.
But still, the glaze looked OK. Just dark.
Still, I liked the taste.
I could eat a meal of these Burnt ends as the main meat. Delicious!


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## katemail13 (Dec 27, 2018)

These sound amazing.  I made burnt ends today (second time), and they are so delicious!  The huckleberry twist is interesting!


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## Preacher Man (Jan 29, 2019)

If anyone was wanting to try out the Huckleberry glaze, I found this at Cabela's this evening and I figure you can find it at your local Cabela's or Bass Pro, too. I haven't tried it myself (I'm partial to my homemade jam), but I plan on using it in my next run of PBBE's just to see how it does.


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## Bearcarver (Jan 30, 2019)

Preacher Man said:


> If anyone was wanting to try out the Huckleberry glaze, I found this at Cabela's this evening and I figure you can find it at your local Cabela's or Bass Pro, too. I haven't tried it myself (I'm partial to my homemade jam), but I plan on using it in my next run of PBBE's just to see how it does.




Cool,
Not a bad price either, for that big a jar!!!

Bear


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## SonnyE (Jan 30, 2019)

Thanks for the tip, Preacher Man!

If there was any berries here, I'm sure they'd be gone before even the birds could get them.... 
Now, your true recipe could be done. (Dr. Pepper, Honey, and Brown Sugar is readily available to me...)
Thanks!


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## disco (Jan 30, 2019)

I love everything about these burnt ends, particularly the glaze! Big Like!


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## Murray (Feb 1, 2019)

We have Huckleberries in the area, hit and miss though, seems conditions have to be just right to get  a crop worth picking. Blueberries we have tons in the cut blocks. Any reason Blueberry Jam couldn’t be substituted for Huckleberry Jam? My wife saw your pictures and burnt ends are now on the “Honey Dew List” Sure looks good!!!


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## Preacher Man (Feb 1, 2019)

I think the blueberry jam would make an excellent substitute! Let me know what you think.


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## Bearcarver (Feb 2, 2019)

Preacher Man said:


> I think the blueberry jam would make an excellent substitute! Let me know what you think.



Yeah, The ones in PA are almost identical.
For most of my life I thought I was picking & eating Wild Blueberries in Pike County, PA. (My favorite hunting and fishing area)
Whenever they were in season, the woods up there was full of them.
Then thanks to the Internet, I found out they weren't Blueberries at all---They were Huckleberries.
Looked & tasted just like Blueberries to me.

Bear


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## gmc2003 (Feb 2, 2019)

Bearcarver said:


> Yeah, The ones in PA are almost identical.
> For most of my life I thought I was picking & eating Wild Blueberries in Pike County, PA. (My favorite hunting and fishing area)
> Whenever they were in season, the woods up there was full of them.
> Then thanks to the Internet, I found out they weren't Blueberries at all---They were Huckleberries.
> ...



I think they're interchangeable in New England. 

Chris


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## Murray (Feb 2, 2019)

Bearcarver said:


> Yeah, The ones in PA are almost identical.
> For most of my life I thought I was picking & eating Wild Blueberries in Pike County, PA. (My favorite hunting and fishing area)
> Whenever they were in season, the woods up there was full of them.
> Then thanks to the Internet, I found out they weren't Blueberries at all---They were Huckleberries.
> ...


I find Huckleberries aren’t quite a sweet as Blueberries but tend to grow taller and bigger making Huckleberries easier to pick. My wife treats them the same for baking and/or jams. In any case, fresh wild Huckleberries are way better than store bought Blueberries IMO.


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## Preacher Man (Feb 2, 2019)

I grow blueberries in my backyard and pick huckleberries in the mountains. I think their tastes are extremely similar. The difference to me is that a huckleberry is like a blueberry on flavor steroids, and maybe a tad more tart.


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## Bearcarver (Feb 2, 2019)

Preacher Man said:


> I grow blueberries in my backyard and pick huckleberries in the mountains. I think their tastes are extremely similar. *The difference to me is that a huckleberry is like a blueberry on flavor steroids, and maybe a tad more tart.*




I agree with those things.
I would say Huckleberries are a lot smaller, but I have only seen, picked & ate Wild Huckleberries.
And I have never seen Wild Blueberries (that I know of).

I would imagine if someone grew home grown Huckleberries they would be bigger too.

The wild Huckleberries I have picked in Pike County, PA only average about 1/4" in Diameter.

Bear


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## Murray (Feb 2, 2019)

Whether it’s Blueberries or any wild berries for that matter, to me picking berries is an excuse to get out in the bush. Family time without the distractions of electronic devices. Our rules, one cell phone allowed, turned off, for emergencies only. Pack a picnic lunch, load up the boat, truck or ATV’s and get out with the family. Last summer there were 4 generations in the Blueberry patch, a Black Bear was also interested in the same patch. We gave the bear a wide berth and watched it for 15 minutes. The Grandchildren still talk about the bear and it seems that was the highlight of their visit to the cabin. A little off topic, nothing to do with smoking meat other than harvesting ingredients that will end up on some smoked meat.


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## Murray (Feb 2, 2019)

Bearcarver said:


> I agree with those things.
> I would say Huckleberries are a lot smaller, but I have only seen, picked & ate Wild Huckleberries.
> And I have never seen Wild Blueberries (that I know of).
> 
> ...


In our neck of the woods (Alberta foothills) Huckleberries are bigger than most strains of Blueberries, about the size of a thumb nail, comparable to small grapes.


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## Bearcarver (Feb 2, 2019)

Murray said:


> In our neck of the woods (Alberta foothills) Huckleberries are bigger than most strains of Blueberries, about the size of a thumb nail, comparable to small grapes.




The ones in the Pocono Mountains in PA are Low Bushes, and the berries aren't much bigger than Elderberries.

Bear


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## Bearcarver (Feb 2, 2019)

Murray said:


> Whether it’s Blueberries or any wild berries for that matter, to me picking berries is an excuse to get out in the bush. Family time without the distractions of electronic devices. Our rules, one cell phone allowed, turned off, for emergencies only. Pack a picnic lunch, load up the boat, truck or ATV’s and get out with the family. Last summer there were 4 generations in the Blueberry patch, a Black Bear was also interested in the same patch. We gave the bear a wide berth and watched it for 15 minutes. The Grandchildren still talk about the bear and it seems that was the highlight of their visit to the cabin. A little off topic, nothing to do with smoking meat other than harvesting ingredients that will end up on some smoked meat.




Yup---Bears Love all kinds of Berries!! 

Bear


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