Bark Barbecue Cafe's signature pork belly sandwich showcases pitmaster Berj Ghazarian's Central Texas–inspired approach, treating pork belly similarly to brisket by cooking it low and slow for 10 to 12 hours to develop a thick, flavorful bark. The smoked pork belly is cooled, sliced, and seared on a flat top for a crispy crust, then assembled on a bun with peach hoisin sauce, pickled carrots, pickled cucumbers, fresh basil, crispy shallots, and jalapeños. The dish balances sweetness, acidity, crunch, and spice, with garlic toum — a Levantine condiment from Berj's mother's recipe — serving as the binding agent before the house-made pork rub is applied.
Stevensville MD
Bark Barbecue Cafe
Pork Belly Sandwich
Pork belly / garlic toum / olive oil / pork rub / peach hoisin sauce / pickled carrots / pickled cucumbers / fresh basil / crispy shallots / jalapeños
Signature Dish
From Prep to Plate
Seth visits Chef Berj Ghazarian at Bark Barbecue Cafe in Stevensville, MD to learn how pork belly becomes the centerpiece of a slow-smoked barbecue sandwich. Treated like beef brisket, the pork belly is butchered into quarters and cooked low and slow for up to 12 hours to build bark on all sides while keeping the meat tender and moist. Chef Berj seasons the meat with garlic toum — a family recipe drawn from his Armenian roots — and a house-made pork rub before smoking it over white oak in an offset smoker. After cooking, the pork belly is cooled, sliced, and seared to add an extra layer of texture. The sandwich is finished with peach hoisin sauce, pickled vegetables, fresh herbs, crispy shallots, and jalapeños for balance. The result is a smoky, crunchy, sweet, and spicy bite that highlights both technique and global flavor.
What you’ll get is some of the finest barbecue in the region: pepper-heavy slices of prime brisket that have been slow-smoked to a jiggly consistency; smoked pork belly prepared like brisket, complete with a bark made crusty with coriander, cloves and more; spare ribs smoked once and then smoked a second time in a braising liquid infused with a peach-hoisin sauce, gochujang and more; and smoked chicken ... in which boneless thighs are marinated overnight and then cooked for two-plus hours until bronzed and irresistible.
Tim Carman, The Washington Post
