Japanese Barbecue Pork Butt Burnt Ends

Ingredients

• whole pork butt (Bone removed and butterflied, then cubed)
• white onion (Diced)
• Japanese barbecue sauce (Use the leftover sauce; more is added later)
• black pepper (To taste)
• butter (Added after the initial smoking period)
• Japanese barbecue sauce (Additional sauce for finishing)
• honey (Hot honey may also be used)

Steps

1. 1

   Remove the bone from the whole pork butt and butterfly the meat so it can be cubed.

2. 2

   Cut the butterflied pork into cubes.

3. 3

   Place the cubed pork in a large bag with the diced white onion, the leftover Japanese barbecue sauce, and black pepper to taste.

4. 4

   Seal the bag and marinate the pork for 4 hours. Overnight is better if time allows.

5. 5

   Light a drum smoker and bring it to 300°F.

6. 6

   Place the marinated pork and onions on the smoker grate once the smoker reaches 300°F.

7. 7

   Smoke the pork for 30 minutes, then flip the pieces so they cook evenly.

8. 8

   Continue smoking until the pork has developed the desired level of char, about 1 hour total at this stage.

9. 9

   Add butter, more Japanese barbecue sauce, and honey to the pork.

10. 10

    Return the pork to the smoker and continue cooking until the internal temperature is above 205°F and the meat feels probe-tender.

11. 11

    Remove the burnt ends from the smoker. The total cook time is approximately 2½ hours.

Notes

The transcript does not provide weights or volume measurements for the pork, onion, sauces, butter, or honey. It also does not specify the smoker type beyond a drum smoker or give a separate finishing duration. Hot honey is suggested as an optional variation.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• barbecue
• smoked
• pork
• burnt ends
• Japanese-inspired
• high-heat
• sweet-savory