Poor man’s pork burnt ends use a lean, inexpensive pork loin to make glazed, caramelized cubes in a fraction of the time of a full pork butt. They are leaner than belly or shoulder burnt ends, so the trick is not to overcook them. Set your dinner time below and we will plan the cook backward to the minute.
What are poor man’s pork burnt ends?
Pork loin is lean and cheap, and while it will never be as rich as belly or shoulder, cubing and glazing it makes a quick, crowd-pleasing burnt-end-style bite. You smoke the loin, cube it, glaze with barbecue sauce and butter, and set the cubes back on the smoker just long enough to caramelize without drying out.
Time, temperature, and technique
Smoke the loin at 225 to 250 F until it reaches about 140 to 145 F internal. Cube it, toss with butter, brown sugar, and sauce in a pan, and return to the smoker for 20 to 30 minutes to set the glaze, pulling at a safe 145 F. Because loin is lean, watch it closely; the calculator above plans the timing precisely for your weight and dinner time so you do not overshoot.
Tips for the best pork loin burnt ends
- Do not overcook. Pork loin dries out fast past 150 F; pull at 145 F.
- Butter in the glaze pan adds the fat the lean loin lacks.
- Keep the cubes on the larger side so they stay juicy.
- A short glaze is all you need; you are caramelizing, not cooking further.
Frequently asked
What temp is pork loin done? 145 F internal with a short rest, per USDA. A faint pink smoke ring is normal and safe.
How long do they take? Roughly 2 to 3 hours total. The calculator sizes it to your weight.
Are these as good as belly burnt ends? They are leaner and lighter. For maximum richness, go with pork belly burnt ends; for a lean, budget-friendly bite, loin is the pick.
See every variation in our Smoked Burnt Ends guide.
Pork loin prices: retail vs wholesale
Pork Loin costs about $2.16 a pound at the grocery store this week and $1.25 a pound wholesale. The lowest advertised price is in the South Central at $2.06 (285 stores). USDA data: grocery ads running Oct 3-9, wholesale trades through Oct 9.
$2.16/lb national grocery ad average for Loin Roast, Boneless (ads running Oct 3-9, 524 stores)
$1.25/lb wholesale, Pork loin, boneless center-cut – USDA boxed-cut trades, Oct 5-Oct 9, 2,520,636 lb traded. The shelf price also covers cutting, packaging, labor, shrink and the store’s margin, and a supplier quotes above this for their margin, spec and delivery.
Dashed line: national average $2.16
See prices for every cut → · How much should you buy? · Cooking for money? Price the whole job
Source: USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (Market News + LMPRS mandatory reporting), tracked daily by MeatSmokingCalculator. Retail = advertised grocery feature prices; wholesale = national boxed primal values. Not a quote – your store and supplier will vary.
Where pork loin finishes. Pull temperature on one thermometer, against the safety floors; the faint ticks are every other cut on the chart.
Times & temperatures
| Style | Method | Pit temp | Approx time | Pull / done temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Classic | Slow and Low | 225°F / 107°C | ~40 min/lb | 145°F / 63°C |
| Classic | Hot and Fast | 300°F / 149°C | ~22 min/lb | 145°F / 63°C |
| Poor Man's Pork Burnt Ends | Slow and Low | 250°F / 121°C | ~1.8 hr + ~60 min finish | 150°F / 66°C |
📊 See the full smoking times & temps chart for every cut →
Keep these numbers. Save a card with pork loin’s pit temp, time and pull temp, or put them on your own site.
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Written by John Kirker, who built the first meat smoking calculator in 2011. Times come from cooks we have actually run and logged; temperature and feel decide the finish, never the clock alone.
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