u/Snagg77

I’ve never really had any interest in trying pork belly, but lately I’ve been seeing so many posts about pork belly burnt ends that I finally started thinking about giving them a try.
Then I saw Costco had pork belly on sale, so I figured what the hell, let’s try it.
Cut it into about 1½-inch cubes, seasoned them up with yardbird and threw them on my Kamado Bid Joe. Once they had a nice bark(2.5 hours at 280°F), I put them in a pan with butter, brown sugar and Blue Hogs Comp BBQ sauce and let everything cook down until they got nice and sticky.
Man, did these turn out good.
Honestly, they were pretty easy to make too. Sweet, smoky, tender and absolutely delicious. The family loved them and they disappeared pretty damn fast.
I definitely understand now why I’ve been seeing so many people making these.
I’ll be making them again.
One piece of advice though. Eat them first, enjoy the hell out of them, and whatever you do, DON’T Google the calories. 😂

Family of six, two Labradors, and apparently zero luck with vehicles. I bought a brand new Suburban in 25’ late Summer thinking I had finally “made it” in the dad department, and then the engine blew with under 2,000 miles. Nothing builds character like arguing with a dealership while driving a rental minivan for months. I’ve been juggling that plus my full-size pickup, which is great until you try to load kids, sports gear, and two dogs without it turning into a rodeo.

Now summer is coming, practices are stacking up, and I need a real people hauler again. Problem is, the extra-large SUV market feels pretty thin once you cross GM off your list out of pure spite. I’ve looked at Expeditions and Navigators, but they feel a little short compared to what I’m used to. Right now I keep circling back to a 2024 Jeep Wagoneer. I’m finding some nicely equipped ones in the $50k to $70k range, and on paper it checks a lot of boxes for space, comfort, and hauling the chaos that is my family.

That said, after getting burned on a brand new GM Suburban, I’m a little gun-shy. I know the Wagoneer has had its share of issues, and I’m trying to decide if I’m about to make another questionable life choice or if this is actually a solid move. Are they as problematic as people say, or is it overblown?

I’ve looked at the Sequoia, Armada, and QX80, but they don’t quite hit the same size or layout I’m after. Going back to GM feels like texting your ex after they keyed your truck, so that’s off the table for now. Curious what you’d do in this situation or if there’s something obvious I’m missing.