Beef Belly Pastrami Burnt Ends
Porter Road beef belly brined for two weeks, crusted in my pastrami rub, smoked at 250°F until tender and finished in a wrapped pan with butter and honey.
I've done a fair bit of brisket pastrami and wanted to try it with beef belly. I had the idea to treat it just like pork belly and make burnt ends. I served them over Memorial Day weekend and people were raving.
The process
The belly came from Porter Road. It came frozen solid, so it brined for about two weeks, flipped every few days. Then it got a heavy coat of my homemade pastrami rub and smoked at 250°F until tender.
Butter and honey
I didn't plan on it at first. But when I tried some test pieces, the rub was overpowering and the pepper was way too strong. So I finished them in a wrapped pan with butter and honey, and that took the spice level down by about 10 notches.
The texture isn't quite as good as pork belly burnt ends, since the brine tightens up the meat, and they're extremely fatty. But they're packed with flavor.
Watch the cook
Beef
Beef Belly Pastrami Burnt Ends
Porter Road beef belly brined for two weeks, crusted in my pastrami rub, smoked at 250°F until tender and finished in a wrapped pan with butter and honey.
Print- Prep
- 20 minutes, plus about 2 weeks brining
- Cook
- 6–7 hours
- Total
- About 2 weeks
- Yield
- 8–10 servings
- Method
- Wet cure, smoked
- Wood
- Your choice
Instructions
- Make the brine, simmer to dissolve the sugar and cool it completely.
- Submerge the beef belly and refrigerate for about 2 weeks, flipping it every few days so it cures evenly.
- Rinse well and pat dry. Coat with mustard and a heavy layer of pastrami rub.
- Smoke at 250°F until the bark is set.
- Cut into cubes and put them in a pan with butter and honey. Toss to coat and wrap the pan tightly.
- Return to the smoker until the cubes are tender.
- Rest for 10 minutes and serve.
Pitmaster Notes
- Brining time depends on surface area. Smaller or thinner pieces cure faster.
- Don't skip the butter and honey. They balance out the heavy pepper crust.
- Always follow the dosage on your curing salt package.
Product links are things I actually used. Some are affiliate links, and as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Times and temps are my starting points. Every cooker and every cut runs a little different, so cook to temperature and feel, not the clock.
