Saucy Rossy BBQ
Pork

Asian-Inspired Smoked Pork Belly Short Ribs

Pasture-raised pork belly short ribs marinated in a sweet-salty blend of soy, hot honey, and garlic, then smoked low and slow until sticky and lacquered.

Time~4 hrs Prep15 min YieldServes 4 CategoryPork Watch4:51
Asian-Inspired Smoked Pork Belly Short Ribs — watch on YouTube

Watch the full cook on YouTube

Method

  1. 1Cut the pork belly short rib plate into 3-bone segments.Three-bone segments cook evenly and are easy to handle. Pork belly short ribs are the belly-side rib plate, so every bone carries a thick cap of belly fat over it.
  2. 2Mix the W Sauce, Stingin' Hot Honey, soy sauce, minced garlic, and chili flakes into a marinade.Whisk the marinade properly before the ribs go in. Soy brings salt and glutamates, honey brings sugar for lacquer, garlic and chili the aromatics.
  3. 3Add the ribs and marinade to a ziplock bag, coat fully, and give them a long soak in the fridge.A long soak in the fridge is doing brining work as much as flavouring. The salt in the soy sauce penetrates and helps the meat hold moisture through a four-hour cook.
  4. 4Set the Pit Boss smoker to 250°F with a blend of hardwood pellets.250F is the right pace for a cut this fatty. Belly fat needs time and gentle heat to render rather than seize.
  5. 5Smoke the ribs low and slow for 3–4 hours, until they build a deep mahogany bark and a sticky, lacquered glaze.Three to four hours builds bark and lets the sugars in the marinade caramelise into a lacquer. Watch the colour, because a marinade this sweet can go from mahogany to burnt quickly if the pit runs hot.
  6. 6Rest briefly, then slice and serve.Rest briefly, then slice. These are rich enough that small portions go a long way.

Watch it on YouTube

What each ingredient is doing

Pork belly short rib plate
The belly-side rib plate, so every bone carries a thick cap of belly fat over it. It is far fattier than a loin-side rib and needs time at moderate heat to render properly. Vessel Meats in Dartmouth, NS supplies the pasture-raised version used here.
Soy sauce
The backbone of the marinade. It brings salt, which does brining work over a long soak, and glutamates, which deepen savouriness. It is also what darkens the surface.
Hot honey
Sugar for the lacquer and heat behind it. The sugar is what caramelises into the sticky finish over four hours, and what will burn if the pit runs hot.
W Sauce
Bare and Burton's Worcestershire-style sauce. Anchovy, tamarind and vinegar bring savoury depth plus acidity to balance the honey.
Fresh minced garlic
Fresh rather than powdered, because it is going into a wet marinade where it has hours to infuse.
Chili flakes
Dry heat layered over the hot honey's sweeter heat. Two different kinds of chili work better together than more of one.

Temperature guide

StageTempWhat it means
Smoker temperature250°F / 121°CGentle enough that belly fat renders instead of seizing.
Total time3–4 hoursUntil deep mahogany bark and a sticky lacquer.
Internal target195–203°F / 91–95°CWhere the fat and collagen in a belly rib have fully rendered.
The real testProbe tenderA probe should slide between the bones with no resistance.
Rest10 minutesBrief, because these are served hot and sticky.

Pitmaster tips

  • Pork belly short ribs are the belly-side rib plate, so every bone carries a thick fat cap. They need more time at moderate heat than a loin-side rib to render properly.
  • Give the marinade a long soak, overnight if you can. The salt in the soy sauce does brining work and helps the meat hold moisture through four hours in the smoke.
  • Watch the colour, not just the clock. A marinade this sweet can go from mahogany to burnt fast if the pit drifts hot.
  • 250°F is the sweet spot. Lower and the fat renders too slowly for the time available; higher and the honey scorches before the collagen is done.
  • Probe tender is the real test. Temperature gets you close, but a probe sliding between the bones with no resistance is what tells you the fat and collagen have gone.
  • Do not skip the rest, but keep it short. These are meant to be eaten hot and sticky.
  • Reserve some marinade before the ribs go in if you want a brushing sauce at the end. Never brush with marinade that has held raw pork.
  • Serve small portions. Belly ribs are extremely rich and a three-bone segment feeds more than it looks.
  • If the bark is setting too dark before the ribs are tender, wrap in foil for the last hour to stop the colour and drive the render.
  • A hardwood blend rather than a single heavy wood suits this. Soy and honey are assertive and hickory alone can crowd them.

If it goes wrong

The outside burnt before they were tender
The pit ran hot, or the sugar in the marinade caught. Hold 250°F and wrap in foil for the last hour if the colour is running ahead of the tenderness.
They are greasy rather than sticky
The fat has not fully rendered. Belly ribs need to reach 195–203°F and probe tender, so they are not done at 180°F the way a loin rib might be.
They are tough
Pulled early. Collagen conversion takes time at temperature, so give them another 45 minutes and probe again.
The glaze is not sticky
Not enough sugar reduction time, or the ribs were wrapped for too much of the cook. Unwrap for the last 30 minutes to let the surface tack up.
They taste too salty
Soy sauce is very salty and a long soak drives it in. Cut the soy with water next time, or shorten the marinade to 4–6 hours.
The marinade did not stick
The ribs went into the smoker wet. Let the excess drip off so the surface can dry and form a pellicle that smoke and glaze will cling to.

Ways to change it up

Gochujang
Swap some of the honey for gochujang. Fermented depth and a slower, rounder heat.
Five-spice
Add star anise, cinnamon and clove notes to the marinade for a Chinese barbecue direction.
Ginger and sesame
Fresh grated ginger in the marinade and toasted sesame oil at the end.
Finish over direct heat
A minute per side over hot coals after the smoke for char on the lacquer. Watch closely, it is sugary.
Rice bowls
Slice the meat off the bones over steamed rice with pickled cucumber and scallion.

What to serve it with

  • Steamed rice to carry the richness.
  • Pickled cucumber or quick-pickled onion against the fat.
  • Scallion and toasted sesame over the top.
  • Something crunchy and sharp, a slaw or a herb salad.
  • Cold beer, and plenty of napkins.

Storage & reheating

Cooked belly ribs keep 3–4 days refrigerated. Store them whole rather than sliced. The fat will set solid when chilled, which is normal and re-melts on reheating.

Reheat covered at 275°F with a splash of water until the fat has loosened and the meat is hot, about 20 minutes. Microwaving works but the lacquer goes soft. If you want the sticky surface back, finish 3–4 minutes under a broiler.

They freeze well for up to three months, wrapped tightly. Belly fat protects the meat from freezer burn better than a lean cut does. Thaw overnight in the fridge. Leftover meat pulled off the bones is excellent in fried rice or a bun.

FAQ

What are pork belly short ribs?

The rib bones from the belly side of the pig, sold as a plate with a thick cap of belly meat and fat over them. They are much fattier than loin-side ribs, which is why they are cooked longer at moderate heat: the fat and collagen both need time to render.

How long do pork belly short ribs take to smoke?

Three to four hours at 250°F. Time is a guide, not the target. You are looking for a deep mahogany bark, an internal temperature around 195–203°F, and a probe that slides between the bones with no resistance.

Can I marinate them overnight?

Yes, and it is better for it. The salt in the soy sauce does brining work over a long soak, helping the meat hold moisture through four hours in the smoke. If the result comes out too salty, cut the soy with water rather than shortening the soak.

Why did the outside burn?

The marinade carries honey, and sugar burns well below the temperature collagen needs to break down. Hold the pit at 250°F, and if the colour is running ahead of the tenderness, wrap in foil for the last hour to stop the bark while the render finishes.

Can I brush the leftover marinade on at the end?

Not the marinade the raw pork sat in. Reserve some before the ribs go in if you want a brushing sauce, or boil the used marinade hard for several minutes first.

What internal temperature should they reach?

195–203°F, the same window as beef short ribs and for the same reason: that is where collagen has converted to gelatin and intramuscular fat has rendered. Below that they will be tough and greasy rather than tender and sticky.

Know your cook

More information, cause recipe back stories are stupid

No 500-word life story — just the good-to-know stuff on what’s actually in this cook. Here’s the rundown on every real ingredient, health and nutrition wise.

Beef
Beef is a complete protein and one of the best food sources of highly absorbable heme iron, zinc, and vitamin B12 — key for energy, immunity, and healthy blood. Fattier BBQ cuts are calorie-dense, so lean trimming and sensible portions keep it balanced.
Pork
Pork is a protein-rich meat that's especially high in thiamine (vitamin B1) — more than most other meats — plus B6, niacin, and selenium. Tenderloin and loin are lean; shoulder and belly are richer, so portion the fattier cuts.
Chili peppers
Chili peppers are low in calories and high in vitamin C and antioxidants, and their heat comes from capsaicin, which may give metabolism a small nudge. Dial the amount to your spice tolerance.
Garlic
Garlic adds big flavour for almost no calories and contains sulphur compounds (like allicin) long studied for heart and immune benefits. It's one of the healthiest ways to season a cook.
Honey
Honey is a natural sweetener that adds gloss and flavour; it's still sugar, so it's used sparingly. In raw form it carries trace antioxidants and beneficial compounds.

General nutrition info only, not medical or dietary advice — portions, brands and add-ons change the numbers.

Cook this next

← All recipes  ·  All 38 pork recipes