Description
Whiskey Brown Sugar BBQ Pork Belly delivers a mouthwatering twist to your weekend grilling adventure. Slow-roasted and glazed with a boozy, caramelized sauce, this tender meat will make your backyard barbecue legendary.
Ingredients
Scale
Protein:
- 2 pounds pork belly
Flavoring:
- ¼ cup whiskey
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup BBQ sauce
- Salt
- Pepper
Instructions
- Warm your oven to 325°F. Use a sharp knife to score the pork belly skin in diagonal lines, creating a diamond pattern. Your cuts should be about ½ inch deep to help fat render properly.
- Sprinkle 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper across the entire 2-pound pork belly surface. Massage the seasoning thoroughly into every inch of meat.
- Whisk ¼ cup whiskey, ½ cup brown sugar, and ¼ cup BBQ sauce in a small mixing bowl until the mixture becomes smooth and glossy.
- Transfer the seasoned pork belly to a roasting pan with the skin facing up. Pour the entire whiskey-sugar sauce over the meat, ensuring complete coverage.
- Cover the roasting pan tightly with aluminum foil. Slide the pan into the 325°F oven and roast for exactly 2 hours.
- Remove the foil after 2 hours. Increase your oven temperature to 425°F. Return the uncovered pork belly to the oven for an additional 30 minutes.
- Check that your pork belly’s skin has transformed into a crispy, golden-brown crust. Remove from the oven and let the meat rest for 10 minutes before cutting.
- Slice the pork belly against the grain into 1-inch thick pieces. Serve immediately while the meat remains warm and crackling.
Notes
- Let the pork belly come to room temperature before scoring the skin, which helps achieve an even crispier texture.
- When selecting whiskey, choose a bourbon with caramel or vanilla notes that complement the brown sugar marinade.
- For a lower-carb version, replace the brown sugar with a sugar-free alternative like erythritol or monk fruit sweetener.
- Scoring the skin requires a very sharp knife and a gentle touch to create shallow, even cuts that render fat beautifully without piercing the meat.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Category: Pork
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 1085 kcal
- Sugar: 20 g
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 90 g
- Saturated Fat: 32 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 45 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 15 g
- Cholesterol: 85 mg