I have been wanted to try smoking a belly for a while, and finally got a chance this weekend. Weirdly, when my wife found the belly at Costco, she didn't realize it was cut into strips approx. 1" wide. At first I was a little bummed, but I figured it gave me an opportunity to try a few different rubs in one cook. I used the MMD, Trader Joe's Coffee Rub, the PBC All Purpose rub, and a rub I put together using a whiskey-smoked brown sugar. They were all great, with no clear winner, but the coffee rub had a slight bitterness that for some reason I like on ribs, but was a little too pronounced for the belly. I added salt to the MMD, as I was putting all of the rubs on at the same time to sit overnight.
In such narrow strips, they only took about an hour on the PBC. I took them off about 150-160 internal, and threw them on the grill for a sear. The flare-ups were ridiculous, I was practically just cooking over a grease fire! But they came out great, incredibly juicy, but a little chewy. But the taste was over the top good. I am wondering if pulling them a little sooner, or letting them go up to 195-203, would get a better texture.
In such narrow strips, they only took about an hour on the PBC. I took them off about 150-160 internal, and threw them on the grill for a sear. The flare-ups were ridiculous, I was practically just cooking over a grease fire! But they came out great, incredibly juicy, but a little chewy. But the taste was over the top good. I am wondering if pulling them a little sooner, or letting them go up to 195-203, would get a better texture.
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