Recipe

Smoked Pork Belly Bites with Molasses and Sour Orange

Name: Smoked Pork Belly Bites with Molasses and Sour Orange
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 255 min
Total time: 290 min
Ingredients: 1.2 kg fresh pork belly skinless , uniform thickness with balanced layers of meat and fat; 1 tablespoon (15 ml) neutral oil; 10 g fine salt; 2 teaspoons garlic powder; 1 teaspoon ground cumin; 1 teaspoon sweet paprika; ½ teaspoon dried oregano; ½ teaspoon black pepper; 70 g mild-flavored cane molasses; 120 ml sour orange juice; 60 ml water; 1 tablespoon (15 ml) apple cider vinegar; 25 g tomato paste; 50 ml hot water

Skinless pork belly cubes slow-smoked and glazed with cane molasses and sour orange. A Cuban-flavored barbecue appetizer.

CiberCubaNovember 6, 2026

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Preparation25 min
Cooking4 h 15 min
Total time4 h 50 min
Servings6 servings as an appetizer
DifficultyMedium

This recipe is a Cuban adaptation of pork belly burnt ends, those smoked and glazed pork belly bites that have become famous in American barbecue. It is not a traditional island dish: it is a fusion that takes the slow-smoking technique and brings it to flavors we recognize at home immediately, such as sour orange, garlic and cumin from mojo, plus the sweetness of cane molasses.

The result is skinless pork belly cubes, tender inside with a glossy amber coating. Note: these are not chicharrones (fried pork rinds). Here we do not seek puffed or crispy skin, but juicy bites that melt in your mouth, ideal for placing in the center of the table at a party, a birthday, or a Sunday barbecue in the yard.

Method

Preparation (active work)

Prepare the grill for indirect cooking. Place the charcoal on one side and leave the other side free for the meat, with a tray underneath to catch fat. Stabilize the temperature near the grate between 120 and 130 °C (248-266 °F). If you want more aroma, add a small piece of fruit wood over the coals.
Cut and season the pork belly. Pat it very dry with paper towels and check that it has no skin. Cut into cubes about 4 cm (1½ inches) in size. Mix the oil with the salt, garlic powder, cumin, paprika, oregano and pepper, and distribute the mixture over all sides of the cubes.
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Smoking (cooking)

Smoke the pork belly. Place the cubes spaced apart on an auxiliary steel grate suitable for grilling and put it in the indirect heat zone. Cover and smoke for about 2½-3 hours, until the surface is golden and the seasoning well adhered. If you notice the heat is stronger on one side, rotate the grate.
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Prepare the glaze while smoking. In a small saucepan, heat the molasses, sour orange juice, 60 ml water, vinegar and tomato paste. Cook over low heat for 5-8 minutes, stirring, to integrate and thicken slightly. It should remain fluid, not like hard caramel. Set aside approximately one third in a clean container and reserve it for the end.
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Covered phase and final glazing (cooking)

Cook covered until very tender. Transfer the pork belly to a metal tray, add the 50 ml hot water and the remaining two thirds of the glaze. Seal tightly with aluminum foil and return to the indirect zone at 130 °C (266 °F) for 60-90 minutes. It is ready when a probe enters easily. As a reference, the internal temperature usually hovers around 92-96 °C (198-205 °F), but guide yourself mainly by texture.
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Glaze and let it shine. Uncover carefully (steam will escape) and remove excess fat and liquid. Toss the cubes with the clean reserved glaze. Return the tray to the indirect zone, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes, until the coating adheres and shines. If the glaze is too thick, thin it with water one tablespoon at a time. Do not put the molasses over direct flame, as it will burn.
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Resting and serving

Rest and serve. Let rest 10 minutes off the heat and serve in a small platter for sharing, with toothpicks if desired.

Tips and variations

Equipment needed: charcoal grill with lid or smoker, auxiliary steel cooking grate, metal tray, heavy-duty aluminum foil and thermometer. Optional: a small piece of fruit wood suitable for smoking.

Time organization: active work is about 25 minutes (preparing the fire, cutting, seasoning and making the glaze). Cooking totals about 4 hours and a quarter between smoking, covered phase and final glazing, followed by 10 minutes of resting. Depending on cube size and fire stability, cooking may extend to 4-5 hours.

If you cannot find sour orange: substitute the 120 ml with 80 ml of sweet orange juice and 40 ml of lime or lemon juice.

The molasses matters: use mild-flavored cane molasses. Very concentrated black treacle can leave the glaze bitter.

Do not use bacon: the recipe calls for fresh pork belly; cured bacon does not work as a substitute because it is already salted and cured and will not achieve the same texture.

Meat doneness: the reference internal temperature hovers around 92-96 °C (198-205 °F), but texture is what matters: the probe should enter like butter.

To serve: sides are optional and not part of the recipe.