Anyone smoked a whole belly?

[aris]

I have a pork belly - with all the meat, and ribs (though it doesn't extend to the loin), rind on.

Anyone smoked a whole one of these? Rind off I would think, trim some fat, rub, and smoke - but what about timings? I'm not sure if the standard 3-2-1 would work here.

[keith157]

I'd do as you suggest and take the skin off, as to timings, the 3-2-1 is designed for thick ribs albeit maybe not that thick, So I'd start it as the 3-2-1, you know what texture you are trying for, something like pulled pork, but a tad firmer. Check it at 3 then periodically till you get what you want and adjust the 2-1 accordingly.

[aris]

I'll give that a go - thanks. I may have to cut it in half to fit - it's a porker

[robgunby]

Ooooh sounds lush. I've never done it with the bone still in, so I judge done-ness by feel, I don't know how feasible that is with bone in belly. Spose you just probe it instead. Last time I did a piece of belly it was about 6lb (rough guess) and took about 9 hours from memory. http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7344/1222 ... d2762d.jpg

I made scratchings from the rind. I find this is one of the biggest challenges of cooking so much barbecue pork - I make too many scratchings and have to resist eating them all!

With doing it bone on - is the plan to make huuuuuge meaty ribs?

[aris]

9 hours eh? Ok, maybe I need to plan this a bit different Did you foil it?

[robgunby]

Nah, it just didn't need foiling. So much fat I could be remembering the nine hours wrong, it could well have been less.... I should have noted it down really for future reference. As a really, really vague rule of thumb, I generally smoke big cuts for 1 1/2 hours per lb, so 7-9 hours would figure about right. It was quite a big piece of belly.

[FlashGordon]

Ive done something very similair - id say 8-9hours. well worth it though. Nothing has ever filled me up quite so much as trying to polish them off. Its probably why i ended up with gout before i was 30.

[keith157]

Rob you know you can freeze scratchings? I tried it to emulate those lovely Christmas nibbles M&S produce

[robgunby]

That would involve walking 10 feet from my kitchen to my freezer without eating them Keith.....

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[keith157]

Agreed, but also a walk of 10 feet next month when you really fancy some Morrison's sell huge pieces of pork skin, with sufficient fat to nicely render down