Chili-Rubbed Pork with Apricot Glaze

Thanksgiving prep. Year three at the cottage. The menu evolves slightly each year — the turkey and gumbo are constants, unchangeable, load-bearing walls of the Thanksgiving structure. But I'm adding something new this year: a smoked pork belly, rubbed with brown sugar and cayenne, smoked for six hours until it's tender and caramelized and so rich that a single slice could fuel a marathon. It's not traditional. It's not on Mama's approved list. But I'm bringing it anyway because (a) it's delicious, (b) Pierre will eat the entire thing, and (c) culinary tradition is a living thing, and living things grow.

Drove to Thibodaux on Wednesday. The cottage was ready — lights up (Pierre), porch swept (Mama), gumbo started (Mama, since 5 AM, because Marie-Claire Beaumont believes that gumbo needs a twelve-hour head start on the rest of the meal and she may be right). The house smelled like home smells: gumbo and coffee and the particular fragrance of a cypress house on a bayou in late November, which is cedar and water and time.

Danielle had her spreadsheet. I had my cooler. Angelle had her green bean casserole (Claude has been silent about okra for two years running). Pierre had himself and a wooden cross he'd been carving — a gift for Mama, a crucifix for the kitchen wall, hand-carved from a piece of cypress driftwood he found on the bayou. When he gave it to her, Mama held it and said, "Pierre, c'est beau," which is the most words she's directed at Pierre's woodwork in years, and Pierre turned red and nodded and left the room, because Beaumont men feel things deeply and express them rarely.

That smoked pork belly I mentioned — the one not on Mama’s approved list — needed a glaze that could hold its own against twelve-hour gumbo and a kitchen full of Beaumonts who take their food personally. This chili-rubbed pork with apricot glaze is the recipe that earned its place at the cottage table: sweet enough to caramelize into something Pierre would demolish, spicy enough to prove that new traditions belong right next to the old ones. It’s what happens when you decide that the Thanksgiving menu deserves to keep growing.

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 6 hours | Total Time: 6 hours 15 minutes | Servings: 8

Ingredients

4 pounds pork belly, skin removed
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 cup apricot preserves
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Instructions

Make the rub. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, chili powder, cayenne, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper. Mix well.
Season the pork. Pat the pork belly dry with paper towels. Apply the rub generously on all sides, pressing it into the meat. Let it sit uncovered in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight for deeper flavor.
Prepare the smoker. Preheat your smoker to 225°F using hickory or pecan wood chips. Place a water pan in the smoker to maintain moisture.
Smoke the pork. Place the pork belly fat-side up on the smoker grate. Smoke for 5 to 6 hours, maintaining a steady temperature of 225°F, until the internal temperature reaches 195°F and the exterior is deeply caramelized.
Make the apricot glaze. While the pork smokes, combine apricot preserves, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, soy sauce, and red pepper flakes in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until smooth and simmer for 5 minutes until slightly thickened. Set aside.
Glaze and finish. During the last 30 minutes of smoking, brush the pork belly generously with the apricot glaze. Apply a second coat 15 minutes later for a lacquered finish.
Rest and serve. Remove the pork from the smoker and let it rest for 15 minutes. Slice into 1/2-inch pieces and serve with remaining apricot glaze on the side.

Nutrition (per serving)

Chili-Rubbed Pork with Apricot Glaze — The New Addition to the Beaumont Thanksgiving Table