Go Back
–+ servings
Print Pin
4.89 from 9 votes

Smoked Korean Pork Belly Burnt Ends Tacos

The combination of sweet brown sugar, soy, and sesame oil, with Korean chili pepper, blends perfectly with the smoky pork belly to create a truly craveable flavor profile that will keep you coming back bite after bite.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 5 hours
Servings 8
Author Chris Riley

Ingredients

Water Bowl (optional)

  • ½ lime sliced
  • 1 tbsp whole black peppercorns
  • 6 cloves garlic slightly smashed

Spice Rub

  • 3 tsp brown sugar
  • 3 tsp gochugaru (Korean red chili flakes)
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 1 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp sesame seeds
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • 2-3 lb pork belly skin removed, 1.5” chunks
  • ½ cup butter softened
  • 2-3 tbsp honey

Sauce

  • ⅔ cup brown sugar separated
  • ⅔ cup soy sauce
  • 3 tbsp rice wine vinegar
  • 2 tbsp sesame oil
  • 3 tbsp ginger minced
  • 6-8 cloves garlic minced
  • ½ tsp gochugaru (Korean red chili flakes)

Tacos

  • 16 corn tortillas
  • Korean style kimchi
  • Green onions sliced
  • Sesame seeds toasted
  • Lime chunks

Instructions

  • Heat the smoker up to around 250 F. Combine lime, peppercorns, and garlic in the water bowl and fill up about halfway. If your smoker doesn’t have room for a water bowl, feel free to leave this step out.
  • Meanwhile, make the spice mix by combining the brown sugar, gochugaru, sea salt, black pepper, sesame seeds, and garlic powder. Sprinkle generously over the pork belly chunks. Use your fingers to rub the spice mix into the meat. If your smoker’s grates are far apart, the pork belly chunks can be placed on a metal cookie rack to be smoked.
  • As an optional step, place the water bowl on the bottom rack or designated spot. Set the prepared meat fat side up, on the cookie rack if necessary, onto the top rack in the smoker box. Strain the woodchips and add them to the heating source or designated spot. Close the smoker.
  • Smoke the meat for about 2 hours, resisting the urge to check too often. Refill wood chips as needed. Check for color. It should have built up a solid, dark, amber bark with a few spots looking seared. The bark should feel heavily caramelized, crunchy, and tough, yet still juicy on the inside. If it isn’t quite dark enough, smoke for another 30 minutes or so.
  • While the meat is smoking, mix together ingredients of the sauce, reserving ⅓ cup of the brown sugar. Whisk the sauce in a saucepan over low heat just long enough to melt the sugar. Set aside to let flavors combine. Combine the softened butter and honey, and set aside.
  • Once the pork belly has reached the desired “burnt” or charred color, pull it out of the smoker. Brush the meat with the honey butter mix. Sprinkle the chunks with the reserved ⅓ cup brown sugar. Place the meat into a deep aluminum pan, cover in aluminum foil, and place back in the smoker.
  • Smoke for another hour, and check for doneness. It should feel almost as soft as butter when probed. If it hasn’t achieved optimal tenderness, continue to smoke for another 30 minutes.
  • When desired consistency is reached, take meat out of the smoker. Remove the aluminum foil. Pour the Korean-style sauce over the meat. Smoke, uncovered, for another 20-30 minutes.
  • While the pork belly finishes up, prepare the taco ingredients. Temp the burnt ends. They should have reached 200 F by now. Take the burnt ends out of the smoker and let them sit for a few minutes. Use two forks to shred the pork belly into smaller pieces.
  • Build the tacos starting with 2 warmed corn tortillas, lay in the pork belly, top with kimchi, green onions, sesame seeds, and a squirt of lime juice. Enjoy!

Video