Category: BBQ Sauces

  • Smoked Pig Shots on the Weber Kettle

    Smoked Pig Shots on the Weber Kettle

    If you’ve never heard of smoked pig shots, you’re in for a real treat. These little bacon-wrapped cups are the ultimate game day appetizers.

    Imagine a slice of smoked sausage standing tall, wrapped with a strip of crispy bacon, and filled with a rich cream cheese mixture that melts into smoky perfection.

    That’s a pig shot! And when you fire them up on a Weber Kettle grill, you’ll wonder why you didn’t try them sooner.

    What are Pig Shots?

    A pig shot is basically a bite-sized smoked sausage “shot glass” wrapped with bacon and stuffed with cheesy goodness.

    Most pitmasters use a blend of cream cheese, cheddar, and diced jalapeños, but the filling is up to you. I also like to add a BBQ rub, like Butcher BBQ Honey Rub, to the cream cheese filling for some extra honey BBQ flavor.

    I’ve also seen everything from pineapple chunks to pulled pork folded into the mix.

    The end result? A smoky, savory, slightly spicy appetizer that disappears fast at parties, tailgates, or BBQ competitions.

    Setting Up the Weber Kettle

    The Weber Kettle is perfect for smoking pig shots because it handles indirect heat like a champ.

    To set it up, place your coals on one side and a drip pan on the other. Add a small chunk of apple or cherry wood for a touch of sweet smoke.

    You’ll want to keep the grate temperature around 250–275°F. This allows the bacon to crisp up while the filling sets without burning.

    How to Make Smoked Pig Shots

    1. Grab a sharp boning knife and slice the smoked sausage into one-third- to half-inch rounds.
    2. Wrap each piece with half a strip of thick-cut bacon to form a cup.
    3. Use a toothpick to hold the bacon on the smoked sausage base.
    4. Fill the “shot glass” with cream cheese, cheddar cheese, BBQ rub, and jalapeño (or your favorite mix).
    5. Place the pig shots on the cool side of the Weber Kettle and let them smoke for about 60 minutes.
    6. For extra flavor, glaze them with BBQ sauce during the last 10 minutes.

    We also have a video showing the entire process below:

    Tips and Variations

    • Use andouille sausage for a Cajun kick.
    • Try honey glaze for sweet pig shots.
    • Keep them upright with a toothpick if needed.
    • Want a low-carb version? Skip the glaze and stick with a keto-friendly filling.

    In Conclusion

    Whether you call them bacon-wrapped pig shots, sausage shots, or just the best smoked appetizer on the Weber Kettle, one thing’s for sure: they’re a crowd favorite.

    Fire up your grill, grab some bacon and sausage, and give these pig shots a try at your next BBQ.

    Leave a comment below and let us know how your smoked pig shots turned out!

  • Pork Belly Burnt Ends – A Game Day Favorite

    Pork Belly Burnt Ends – A Game Day Favorite

    Pork Belly Burnt Ends is a great option for your tailgating menu. Pork belly makes an amazing gameday burnt ends recipe, after all is what bacon comes from!

    They are easy to cook. Cube them, dust them with a BBQ rub, smoke them, and sauce them! Let’s talk about it.

    What is Pork Belly

    Pork belly, what is it? Pork belly is a boneless cut of meat from the pig’s belly. This is a delicious and flavorful piece of meat that is layered with fat for some amazing “bacon” flavor. The pork belly can be cooked by itself, cooked whole, cubed, or cured and made into bacon.

    After cubing the pork belly they become for pork belly burnt ends! That’s why you are reading this blog post, right?

    Pork Belly Burnt Ends - What Is Pork Belly

    Pork Belly Burnt Ends – What is so Special About Them

    Burnt ends are tender, juicy, and after properly cooked, they become candy pork belly! The term “burnt ends” often conjures images of a brisket burnt ends. After smoking a brisket, part of the point is cubed, tossed in BBQ sauce and BBQ rub. Put back on the pit for and the result is brisket burnt ends. I would argue that pork belly burnt ends might be a better candidate for burnt ends.

    Burnt Ends – Picture This

    Let me try to paint a picture. Think of burnt ends pork belly as being cubed, “marshmallowy” bacon chunks. These fluffy bacon chunks are smoked tossed with your favorite BBQ rub, I like to use Butcher BBQ Honey Rub. Then smoked with a fruit wood, like apple or cherry. Finally smothered in your favorite BBQ sauce for that sticky, tacky BBQ goodness we are looking for!

    Are you getting hungry, because I am!

    Pork Belly Burnt Ends – How to cook them?

    Ok, let’s get to back to the pork belly burnt ends recipe for your next tailgate:

    • Make sure your pork belly is cold.
    • Cut your pork belly into 1 inch by 1-inch square chunks.
    Pork Belly Burnt Ends - Pork Belly Cubes
    Pork Belly Cubes - Butcher BBQ Premium Rub
    • Toss your pork belly chunks so all sides are coated with rub.
    • Place your pork belly cubes on a wire grate
    Pork Belly Burnt Ends - Pork Belly Cubes on Grate
    • Let them rest in your refrigerator for about an hour.
    • Get your pit up to 250-275°F and use your favorite wood or flavored pellets.
    • Place your grate of pork belly cubes on the smoker.
    • Let them smoke for a couple of hours and then check to see how they are doing.
      • Your burnt ends pork belly should have formed a delicious brown colored bark.
      • If you probe them with a thermometer, they should have very little resistance.
    • Place them to a new half pan and I added the following ingredients.
      • Sprinkle about a half cup of Sugar In The Raw all – or brown sugar.
      • Squeeze about 2 ounces of Agave In The Raw over your chunks – or honey.
    • Cut up a stick of butter and place them all around the pan.
    • Cover your pan of pork belly up with aluminum foil.
      • Put them back on the pit for another 30 minutes.
    • Toss your burnt ends in that delicious au jus sauce!
      • Move them from the first pan and into a second half pan.
    • Drizzle your favorite BBQ sauce and put them uncovered back on the pit for 10-15 minutes.
      • Internal temperature should be 190-200°F.
    Pork Belly Burnt Ends - Butcher BBQ Sweet BBQ Sauce
    • Let the them rest for 15 minutes!

    In conclusion

    Burnt ends pork belly are truly BBQ candy and they melt in your mouth! Combine it with Butcher BBQ Premium Rub and Butcher BBQ Sweet BBQ Sauce and “it’s good”! Now let’s get that pit fired up at your next tailgate and smoke some pork belly candy for the win!

    Oh, leave us a comment below how you did with your cook! We love to hear from our readers.

  • How to Smoke Rib Tips

    How to Smoke Rib Tips

    Rib Tips are part of the spareribs that some pitmasters see as “scrap” meat and toss them in the trash. However, when barbequerib tips are properly cooked on the smoker, they are full of flavor, tender, and delicious! Let’s talk about it!

    What are Rib tips

    Rib tips are the “U” shaped portion of the sparerib. This portion of meat is trimmed to create the more “rectangular” shape of the St. Louis ribs. This is one of the BBQ world’s hidden gems, so don’t scrap this meat!

    Rib tips – Win-Win Situation

    One nice thing I like about rib tips is the full spare rib is usually CHEAPER than St. Louis and Baby Back ribs. So in my mind I get two cuts of meat, spare rib tips and St. Louis ribs, cheaper than purchasing St. Louis ribs alone! That’s a win-win situation for my wallet!

    How to Prepare Rib tips

    The spare rib actually has a “line” of fat that helps show you where to cut the rib tips. You will also see a slight “bend” where the bones end and where the cartilage begins.

    This is the location where you want to use a sharp knife and a disposable cutting board. Simply cut along the fat line and the remaining “scrap” meat is your spare rib tips.

    This is a beautifully marbled piece of pork that will make for some delicious pitmaster treats!

    Seasoning the Rib tips

    When it comes to seasoning, use your favorite BBQ rub. I prefer to use Butcher BBQ Honey Rub. This is a rub that is sweet and complements pork well.

    That’s it, now let it sit for 30-45 minutes while you get the smoker ready!

    Let’s Get to Cooking

    Your rib tips will smoke fairly quickly. I believe when I smoked these they cooked for about 2 hours at 250 degrees on my Hasty Bake Legacy pit.

    After about an hour some bark formed and I then cut them into 2-3 inch chunks.

    The pork rib tips went into an aluminum pan. I added some Butcher BBQ Sweet BBQ Sauce, two sticks of butter, and another dusting of Butcher BBQ Honey Rub.

    At this point you could add some brown sugar, honey, whatever flavor profile you are going for.

    Cover the aluminum pan with foil and back on the pit for another hour or so.

    Are the Rib tips Done Already

    After about an hour the rib tips should be smelling REALLY good! Use a probe thermometer and lift up a corner of the foil and check the temperature. You want an internal temp of 195-200ish. You want them to probe with very little resistance, that’s when they are done!

    Let them rest for about 30 minutes and it’s time to eat!

    In Conclusion

    Ok, there you have it. Straight forward, no nonsense how to smoke rib tips!

    Grab yourself some spare ribs and make your family two new delicious BBQ meals they will really enjoy! Remember Pitmaster Essentials is where smoke meats flavor!