Pork Belly Mac & Cheese (Featuring Jess Ferrin’s Mac & Cheese Recipe)

Comfort Food Collab: Mac & Cheese Meets BBQ

When you take Jess Ferrin’s famous mac and cheese — creamy, smoky, and bubbling with rich cheese — and top it with sticky pork belly burnt ends, you get the ultimate BBQ comfort food.

This dish is all about layers of indulgence: silky cheese sauce, tender noodles, and bite-sized cubes of caramelized pork belly “meat candy.” Whether you’re firing up the smoker or baking it in the oven, this collab recipe is built to impress.

👉 Pair Jess’s base with Sweet Street BBQ Rub for candy-sweet edges or Zero Bark 30 if you want more bark and spice.

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Ingredients

For the Pork Belly Burnt Ends

• 5 lbs pork belly, skin removed, cut into 1 ½-inch cubes

• ¼ cup yellow mustard (binder)

• ½ cup BBQ dry rub (Sweet Street, Gaucho Gold, or Zero Bark 30)

• ½ cup brown sugar

• ½ cup honey

• ½ stick unsalted butter, cubed

• 1 cup BBQ sauce

For Jess Ferrin’s Mac & Cheese

• ¼ cup butter

• ¼ cup all-purpose flour

• 2 tsp mustard

• Garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and smoked paprika to taste

• ½ container half-and-half (the tall skinny carton, about 16 oz)

• 8 oz block sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

• 8 oz block Colby cheese, shredded (or all sharp, as Jess often does)

• 1 box Barilla elbow macaroni, cooked

• Extra block cheddar + Colby, shredded (for topping)

• Smoked paprika, for garnish

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Instructions

Step 1: Pork Belly Burnt Ends

1. Coat pork belly cubes in mustard and rub.

2. Smoke at 250°F for 2.5–3 hours until bark forms (~165°F).

3. Move to a pan, add brown sugar, honey, and butter. Cover and cook 1.5–2 hours until tender (~200°F).

4. Toss with BBQ sauce, cook uncovered 20–30 minutes to caramelize.

Step 2: Jess Ferrin’s Mac & Cheese

1. On stove over medium-low, make a roux with butter + flour. Whisk until smooth.

2. Add mustard, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and smoked paprika. Whisk.

3. Slowly add half-and-half, letting it barely simmer — don’t boil. Let it thicken.

4. Whisk in shredded cheese blocks until melted and creamy. (Never pre-shredded — Jess insists!)

5. Stir in cooked Barilla elbow macaroni.

6. Transfer to a baking dish, top with extra cheese + smoked paprika.

7. Bake (or smoke) at 350°F for 30–45 minutes until golden and bubbly.

Step 3: Build the Dish

• Spoon mac and cheese into a skillet or bowl.

• Top with pork belly burnt ends.

• Add a drizzle of BBQ sauce or hot honey for extra shine.

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Tips for BBQ-Level Mac & Cheese

• Respect the cheese. Always shred from the block for meltability and flavor.

• Don’t over-boil the sauce. Keep it just under a simmer to stay silky.

• Presentation matters. Cast-iron skillets make this dish camera-ready for Instagram.

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Final Bite

🔥 This isn’t just mac and cheese. It’s BBQ royalty: Jess Ferrin’s perfected mac base crowned with sticky, smoky pork belly burnt ends.

📦 Want to make it sing? Grab your rubs from the Meat Street Store and turn your mac into the talk of the cookout.