Cluck & Squeal Canadian Pork Belly Ribs with Rib Formula and Tasty Hot
Pork Belly Ribs are a custom cut. Don't be afraid to ask your local butcher to cut some for you. Trust us, they are some of the most tender delicious cuts of pork meat you can cook.
Recipe by Marc Cardinali. From Cluck & Squeal.
Prep: 15 min
Cook: 5 hr
Rest: 20 min
Serves: 4–6
Cook temp: 250–275°F / 120–135°C
Method: Smoker or oven
Ingredients
- Pork belly ribs (a custom cut, so ask your local butcher)
- Cluck & Squeal Rib Formula Seasoning & BBQ Rub, for a liberal coating
- A binder, optional: avocado oil, olive oil or mustard
- Pure Canadian amber maple syrup, for basting (we like White Meadows Farms)
- Cluck & Squeal Tasty Hot, to taste (optional)
Directions
1. Fire Up the Cooker
Set up your smoker (or oven) for indirect heat at 250–275°F / 120–135°C.
2. Season
Lightly coat the pork belly ribs with a binder if you like (avocado oil, olive oil or mustard), then season liberally with Cluck & Squeal Rib Formula. Let them dry-marinate while the cooker comes up to temperature.
3. Smoke & Build the Bark
Cook until the fat renders, the bark sets and the internal temperature reaches about 160°F / 71°C.
4. Wrap & Push Through
Wrap the ribs in foil or butcher paper and return them to the cooker until probe-tender, at an internal temperature of 195–203°F / 90–95°C.
C&S Tip! Wrapping is optional, but it speeds up the cook and keeps the meat extra moist and tender.
5. Glaze, Rest & Dive In
For extra bark, unwrap and crank the heat for the last few minutes, brushing on amber maple syrup. Rest the ribs until they come down to about 165–170°F / 74–77°C, then dive in! Add a touch of Tasty Hot for a quick hit of heat.
Tips & variations
Direct-heat option. Smoke direct on a high rack, 14–18 inches above the coals, at 275–300°F for 2½–3½ hours, turning every 30 minutes until the fat renders and the ribs start to become tender.
Spiked spicy maple. Heat maple syrup with a splash of bourbon or whiskey, stir in some Tasty Hot and use it as your finishing baste.
No probe? Use your BBQ senses: when they're tender, a toothpick slides in with little resistance.
More recipe notes
Pork ribs with the pork belly attached!
Pork Belly Ribs are a custom cut with both spare rib and pork belly, which is essentially uncured bacon. Don't be afraid to ask your local butcher to cut some for you. Seasoned with Cluck & Squeal Rib Formula and cooked low and slow, they're some of the most tender, flavourful pork you can cook.
Once you try them, you may never go back.
