Pork Belly Burnt Ends, Sandwich Salad, and a Bourbon Root Beer Float
The Perfect Summer Combo
I’m not sure when burnt ends first entered the scene, but I associate them with Kansas City BBQ. I do know that lately it’s become popular to riff on the burnt ends. I’ve seen recipes that call for chuck roast burnt ends and even hot dog burnt ends. One that caught my attention, though, is the riff that uses pork belly, so I had to try it.
You can buy a slab of belly and trim it up yourself, but the Neighborhood Market near my house carries pre-trimmed pork belly that’s sliced into strips, which makes it easy to cube them. From there, a little spice, a little time, some sauce and a disposable baking pan will get you to deliciousness. While the beauty of BBQ is that you can get creative in myriad ways, here’s my approach. Feel free to go in your own direction, though.
Pork Belly Burnt Ends
Cube up however many pounds of pork belly you want and put them in a large bowl. Hit them with a binder, I used yellow mustard, though you can also use oil or mayo. Toss them to get them evenly covered, then add a healthy dose of your favorite rub, making sure to get them all coated. Place them on wire racks and take them to your smoker until you get a nice bark. For me, it was about 2 hours running at 225. Remove the racks and place the cubes into the disposable baking pan, add your favorite BBQ sauce, about a cup of brown sugar, and about half a stick of butter, stir, and cover with aluminum foil. Put them back on the smoker for a few hours until they’re tender, then take the foil off and give them another twenty minutes or so for the sauce to thicken up.
From there, you can eat them as is, but I made a sandwich with mine. Instead of slaw, though, I went with a sandwich salad that went viral last summer, but which I avoided because it uses mayo and was often paired with Italian subs. I don’t typically go for mayo with Italian meats as it’s generally an abomination. Nevertheless, as I like to be adventurous with my foods, I decided to give it a try. And, boy, am I glad I did, because it’s delicious. Here’s how I made it.
Rich’s Sandwich Salad
In a bowl, add roughly:
1/2 a cup of mayo
1 Tbs red wine vinegar
Salt
Pepper
1 tsp or so of garlic puree
Stir that up and then add to the bowl:
1 bag of shredded iceberg. (You can also shred your own lettuce, but I was being lazy.)
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
1/4 cup of diced dill pickle
1/4 cup of diced pickled banana peppers
5-6 diced Calabrian chiles
Stir that all together and let it chill in the fridge for a few minutes. Put it on your favorite sub or, as I did, toast a bun, put on some burnt ends, and top with that instead of slaw. The acidity imparted by the vinegar and the various pickled things turns the mayo into a binder, somewhat obscuring the flavor, so it works perfectly with a variety of sandwiches, even ones you wouldn’t normally add mayo to.
After such a rich and savory meal, you need something sweet, though. Since it’s summer and you were outside getting hot while smoking your meat, you want something cool. But also since you were smoking meat, you probably want a beverage of an adult nature. For that, I give you the bourbon root beer float, a concoction I first had while working at a restaurant in Nashville called Tayst.
While Chef Jeremy has gone on to other ventures since then and Tayst only exists in our memories, he hasn’t abandoned his love of ice cream. These days, he has a seasonal place called Fryce Cream which features soft serve ice cream paired with french fries with various seasonings and toppings.
Nashville may be a little far for me to drive for that, I can at least remember my days waiting tables and serving bourbon root beer floats by making them at home. It’s as easy, and delicious, as it sounds.
Bourbon Root Beer Float
Put a couple of scoops of good vanilla ice cream in a tall glass (Tillamook Old Fashioned Vanilla for me)
Add a shot of your favorite bourbon (I went with Early Times Bottled in Bond)
Top with a good root beer, like a Sprecher’s
Enjoy