Directions:

Combine all the cure ingredients except the maple syrup and set aside.

Unpackage your pork belly. Rinse, pat dry, and do any trimming that you may want. Rub the surface of the pork belly with the maple syrup and apply the curing rub liberally to both sides of the meat. Place the meat and any leftover maple syrup in a 2 gallon Ziplock bag or vacuum seal bag and remove as much air as possible. Place the meat in the refrigerator for 8 to 10 days, flipping the bag over once a day during the process.

After the pork belly has cured, remove it from the bag, rinse it completely and pat dry. Place on a rack in the refrigerator overnight for at least 12 hours or as long as 48 hours.

Preheat your Kamado Joe grill to 200-225 degrees and add several chunks of your favorite smoke wood. I prefer a mix of maple and hickory for bacon. Set up for indirect cooking with your heat deflectors in the lowest position and the grill grates in the highest position. While your grill is warming up, combine the following ingredents:

¼ cup cracked black pepper
1 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp onion powder
½ tsp ground clove

Take your pork belly out of the refrigerator. Drizzle some more maple syrup on the surface and then coat with the seasoning rub you just made. Let this sit on the counter until your Kamado Joe has preheated.

Place the meat on the grill and smoke until you reach an internal temperature of 150 degrees in the thickest part of the meat. My 8 pounder took 3 hours.

Remove from the grill, lightly tent with aluminum foil and let rest for 30 minutes. Put back on a rack and refrigerate until completely chilled before slicing.