EMBER Pork Belly Lollipops with Bright Orange Pepper Drizzle & Crackling Crumb

Pat the pork rind dry really well, because any moisture will slow down the puffing and leave you with sadness instead of crunch. Lightly oil it, season with salt, then cook at 190-200°C until puffed and crisp. Let it cool fully, then crush it by hand or pulse it briefly into a coarse crumb. Mix through the smoked paprika, brown sugar and a small pinch of salt. Set aside for later.

Slice the pork belly into long strips around 2.5-3cm wide. Try to keep them fairly even so they cook at the same pace. Coat the strips all over with EMBER rub, making sure you get every side covered. Leave them to sit for 20-30 minutes while the grill comes up to temperature. This gives the rub time to tack up and helps build better colour in the smoker.

Set the Ninja FlexFlame to 135-150°C. Lay the pork belly strips directly on the grill and smoke for 60-90 minutes. You’re looking for the rub to set, the outside to darken up nicely, and the fat to start rendering. At this stage you are building flavour and colour, not trying to make the pork fully tender yet.

While the pork is smoking, blend the roasted red peppers, orange juice, orange zest, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, salt and chilli flakes until smooth. Give it a taste and tweak it if needed with a bit more vinegar for sharpness or a little honey if the peppers or orange are leaning too bitter. Simmer it gently in a pan for a few minutes until it thickens slightly, then let it cool and transfer it to a squeezy bottle or spooning jug.

Place the smoked pork strips into a foil tray. Add the butter, honey, dark brown sugar and apple juice. Cover the tray tightly with foil and return it to cook at 160°C for 25-35 minutes. The pork should be tender, glossy and flexible, but still firm enough to hold together when skewered. Remove the pork carefully and reserve the braising liquid, because that liquid is gold and forms the backbone of your glaze.

Let the pork cool just enough so you can handle it without juggling hot meat like a lunatic. Thread each strip onto a skewer.

Pour 300ml of the reserved braising liquid into a pan. Add the BBQ sauce, honey, apple juice and apple cider vinegar. Simmer gently until the glaze turns glossy and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. You want it rich and sticky, not reduced into cement. The braising liquid brings porky sweetness, while the vinegar keeps it from becoming too heavy.

Pour the glaze into a deep glass or Yeti-style cup so you can dunk the skewers properly. Dip each skewered pork belly piece fully into the glaze, lift it slowly and let the excess drip away. Place the glazed skewers back on the Ninja at 190-210°C for 5-10 minutes until the glaze tightens up, turns sticky and gets that proper lacquered BBQ finish.

Plate the pork belly lollipops and run 2-3 clean lines of the bright orange pepper drizzle over the top. Finish with a light scattering of crackling crumb and finely sliced spring onion. You want crunch, freshness and that bright hit right at the end to cut through all the rich pork and sticky glaze.