I hate burnt ends

[Cliff H.]

I am wondering if the best burnt end is taken from the same spot every time. Just enough for a box. When I cube the point up, I notice that chewy and wonderful get mixed together. No consitency at all.

Seems that the ones that cook down to perfection are the ones that back up to and are intermingled with quite a bit of fat.

Big piece of fat and a small piece of meat = killer burnt ends.

 

[watg?]

I kind of like these...

or these...

They sure look good!

 

[Gowan]

The real problem here is if we start to put a description on what a burnt end should be or the criteria of what it takes to be a burnt end the judging will be swayed that way. Due to the ability of mass publication on the www. This is what has happened with the bite thru skin, the perfect tenderness to ribs, to name a few. I think that the info gathered on the forums are great, but I also think we cause problems for our own good than we realize.

Now that was a very thoughful post, and dead on IMO. As cooks, we endlessly argue the merits of various techniques, but I don't think we realize that we are shaping judges expectations in the process.

-gf

 

[Jacked UP BBQ]

I think great bunrt ends only com from two spots on the point. I can only get at the most out of a perfect brisket 8 nice size burnt ends.

 

[Dale P]

All of the pics look outstanding to me. A big pile of those right now would be real nice.

 

[Jeff_in_KC]

Now that was a very thoughful post, and dead on IMO. As cooks, we endlessly argue the merits of various techniques, but I don't think we realize that we are shaping judges expectations in the process.

-gf

But don't you think it's better that we shape judges expectations rather than the other way around?

 

[Plowboy]

Sled, overcook them.

 

[ique]

You better figure it out before going to cook the Royal :lol:

 

[Scottie]

Ahhh, another hint, huh Chris... :roll:

 

[Sledneck]

You better figure it out before going to cook the Royal :lol:

exactly why this started and what I had in mind after getting schooled at the GAB

 

[Divemaster]

Sled, overcook them.

And then some more...

 

[comfrank]

I had this burnt end discussion with Rich and Bunny Tuttle last Saturday night. It's kinda funny actually what we're calling "burnt ends" that aren't really burnt ends at all in the true sense of the word. True "burnt ends" are the little chewy, dry pieces that fall off the brisket when the whole thing is sliced. In no way are they soft and tender chunks of brisket cubed (those are called "cubed brisket chunks"). True burnt ends (as "invented" by Arthur Bryant's) are chewy, crispy burnt little morsels (coming from flat or point) that your CBJs would HAMMER the hell out of in tenderness and appearance! I'd envision a typical score as 593 for appearance, taste and tenderness.

Most of you have way more competition experience than me, but I kind of agree with this. Cubed pieces of the point are, well, cubed pieces of the point. When I cook a flat, if the middle is perfect then the narrow end will typically be overcooked. No way to slice it, but the concentration of rub and smoke makes great eating. At the Oinktoberfest last year, I coarsely chopped some of this overcooked flat and used that as my burnt ends. Got a 10th out of almost 50 teams.

--frank in Wilson, NY

 

[Skip]

I'm no expert at all but I have noticed that the cooker is always too hot to make good ends or at least the tender cubes we are all looking for. Most here say that if the flat is done then the point is done. I think the flat needs less time to be coolered. I find the point always needs more time in the cooker. For me it seems that you need to stall your temp around that collagen melting point which is hard to do at a comp where your chicken and ribs need higher temps at the same time you'd be setting your burnt ends. Too hot and the temp of the meat rises into the "mush zone". If the meat can't get hotter then 190+ then you probably won't crush it. Then again I could be totally wrong because I know people do real hot and fast cooks on brisket. I just wonder if the burnt ends are cooked as hot, if they are any good or if they are "true" endz with that crispy chewy good taste.

 

[musicmanryann]

I'm no expert at all but I have noticed that the cooker is always too hot to make good ends or at least the tender cubes we are all looking for. Most here say that if the flat is done then the point is done. I think the flat needs less time to be coolered. I find the point always needs more time in the cooker. For me it seems that you need to stall your temp around that collagen melting point which is hard to do at a comp where your chicken and ribs need higher temps at the same time you'd be setting your burnt ends. Too hot and the temp of the meat rises into the "mush zone". If the meat can't get hotter then 190+ then you probably won't crush it. Then again I could be totally wrong because I know people do real hot and fast cooks on brisket. I just wonder if the burnt ends are cooked as hot, if they are any good or if they are "true" endz with that crispy chewy good taste.

It's not hard if you have more than one cooker with more than one cooking temps.

 

[River City Smokehouse]

The trick is.........."Irish Beer"!

 

[Butcher BBQ]

The trick is.........."Irish Beer"!

What? the more you drink the better they taste.

 

[Divemaster]

I'm no expert at all but I have noticed that the cooker is always too hot to make good ends or at least the tender cubes we are all looking for.

I don't know, mine turned out ok this weekend.....

 

[Jacked UP BBQ]

here is a pic of some before I sent them back to the smoker to get RED!

 

[Divemaster]

here is a pic of some before I sent them back to the smoker to get RED!

That's an idea, maybe I'll do a photo documentary for Sled this weekend...