Slicing Point for Burnt Ends

thirdeye · 04-22-2019, 09:33 AM

The Burrito TD allowed me another brisket practice run for burnt ends, and I have some slicing questions... Is your initial slicing direction with the grain or is your initial slicing direction across the grain? And is it best to square-up that center sweet spot and only take cubes from that area?

masque13 · 04-22-2019, 09:35 AM

I can only speak for me....my first slice is always against the grain.....and yes, I try to feel around and look at things real good and think about where I think I am actually gonna get my best pieces from and I do my best to make sure I work in such a way that doe snot compromise the quality of where I think the best pieces are.

Slamdunkpro · 04-22-2019, 12:52 PM

First slices are always against the grain.

cpw · 04-22-2019, 03:26 PM

If it makes your process any easier, I've been hearing of more and more teams NOT turning in burnt ends simply because there's such a discrepancy of what makes a "good" burnt end to a different judge. My only 180 in brisket was a box without burnt ends.
A slice is either good or bad, there's not much wiggle room there. But a burnt end is a whole different animal.

Rusty Kettle · 04-22-2019, 03:36 PM

I don't know if it will help you but during trimming I cut a chunk off the brisket. Cut it against the grain. That way I know which way to slice the flat when cooked. I find it hard to tell which way the grain runs once it is rubbed and cooked. So for me it helps me remember.

Slamdunkpro · 04-22-2019, 04:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cpw

If it makes your process any easier, I've been hearing of more and more teams NOT turning in burnt ends simply because there's such a discrepancy of what makes a "good" burnt end to a different judge. My only 180 in brisket was a box without burnt ends.
A slice is either good or bad, there's not much wiggle room there. But a burnt end is a whole different animal.

Agreed - we quit turning them in. Way too much controversy and prejudice. In our region we have a number of judges who freely state "I don't like burnt ends so I automatically mark down when I see them in the box"

Bob in Corona · 04-22-2019, 05:48 PM

FWIW... This judges LOVES (true) burnt ends !!! But I can not judge them as Burnt Ends, only as diced Brisket, due to the rules.

DUBBAGA · 04-22-2019, 06:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bob in Corona

FWIW... This judges LOVES (true) burnt ends !!! But I can not judge them as Burnt Ends, only as diced Brisket, due to the rules.

... and don't even get me started on chopped brisket. It took me a good 25 min trying to do the pull test on it at Santa Anita. The darn stuff was falling through my fingers, and I had to keep doing it over and over and over again

(right now I'm quite certain a few dozen cooks are throwing something sharp and pointy at their screens, wondering if I'm joking ... or not

)

gettinbasted · 04-22-2019, 07:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DUBBAGA

... and don't even get me started on chopped brisket. It took me a good 25 min trying to do the pull test on it at Santa Anita. The darn stuff was falling through my fingers, and I had to keep doing it over and over and over again

(right now I'm quite certain a few dozen cooks are throwing something sharp and pointy at their screens, wondering if I'm joking ... or not

)

No, we know you’re not joking.

thirdeye · 04-22-2019, 09:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rusty Kettle

I don't know if it will help you but during trimming I cut a chunk off the brisket. Cut it against the grain. That way I know which way to slice the flat when cooked. I find it hard to tell which way the grain runs once it is rubbed and cooked. So for me it helps me remember.

On my backyard packers, or something heavily seasoned like a pastrami I make a little "V" notch, in the brisket flat, so I know to slice transverse to the "V". My competition trimmed flat is box width, rounded edges.... and ready to slice left to right.

thirdeye · 04-22-2019, 09:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slamdunkpro

Agreed - we quit turning them in. Way too much controversy and prejudice. In our region we have a number of judges who freely state "I don't like burnt ends so I automatically mark down when I see them in the box"

I never would have expected to hear that. But..... that's why I'm asking questions.

ModelMaker · 04-23-2019, 07:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slamdunkpro

Agreed - we quit turning them in. Way too much controversy and prejudice. In our region we have a number of judges who freely state "I don't like burnt ends so I automatically mark down when I see them in the box"

Identify and report to KCBS. We don't need judges that can't follow the rules.
Ed

Slamdunkpro · 04-23-2019, 10:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ModelMaker

Identify and report to KCBS. We don't need judges that can't follow the rules.
Ed

Done on numerous occasions - no action taken.

Bucknekked · 04-23-2019, 10:56 AM

Am I missing something here? How could anyone not like burnt ends? For my limited experience, burnt ends on a brisket are some of the best eating from the cow. If you publicly state you don't like burnt ends, how in the world could you be a judge?

There's a lot I don't understand. This just adds one more thing to the list

KB BBQ · 04-23-2019, 01:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slamdunkpro

Done on numerous occasions - no action taken.

That's disappointing to hear since I just became a new judge and was told to give a score based on each entry's own Merit

04-22-2019, 09:33 AM	#1
thirdeye somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 01-14-06 Location: At home on the range in Wyoming	Slicing Point for Burnt Ends The Burrito TD allowed me another brisket practice run for burnt ends, and I have some slicing questions... Is your initial slicing direction with the grain or is your initial slicing direction across the grain? And is it best to square-up that center sweet spot and only take cubes from that area? __________________ ~thirdeye~ I Play With Fire and Smoke *Barbecuist ~ Charcuterist ~ KCBS Master Judge & CTC* Big Green Eggs, Big Drum Smokers, Big Chiefs, Weber Smokey Joe "Custom Tall Boy" Oil Patch Horizontal, SnS Deluxe Kettle Visit my Cookin' Site by clicking HERE Barbecue is not rocket surgery “The problem with quotes on the Internet is that it's hard to verify their authenticity” ~ Abraham Lincoln

04-22-2019, 09:35 AM	#2
masque13 is one Smokin' Farker Join Date: 05-19-14 Location: Somerset, KY	I can only speak for me....my first slice is always against the grain.....and yes, I try to feel around and look at things real good and think about where I think I am actually gonna get my best pieces from and I do my best to make sure I work in such a way that doe snot compromise the quality of where I think the best pieces are. __________________ [B]Sugarbaby BBQ [/B] Somerset, KY Myron Mixon MMS-48 Gateway 55G Drum

04-22-2019, 12:52 PM	#3
Slamdunkpro Babbling Farker Join Date: 02-27-07 Location: Northern VA	First slices are always against the grain. __________________ Aporkalypse Now Competition BBQ team Thanks to our sponsors: Wusthof Trident USA, Creekstone Farms, Myron Mixon Smokers & The BBQ Guru MABA 2014 Team of the Year Spicewine Tandem - "The Beast", 2 Vulcan V33's & 1 V9 Brinkman modified upright, Weber Kettle(s); Meadow Creek Pr-24, Super Stealth Mode black & Night Vision Red Thermopens ----------------- MABA - (Mid Atlantic BBQ Association) President KCBS Certified Judge - #23289

04-22-2019, 03:26 PM	#4
cpw Babbling Farker Join Date: 02-28-11 Location: Savannah, Georgia Name/Nickname : Chad	If it makes your process any easier, I've been hearing of more and more teams NOT turning in burnt ends simply because there's such a discrepancy of what makes a "good" burnt end to a different judge. My only 180 in brisket was a box without burnt ends. A slice is either good or bad, there's not much wiggle room there. But a burnt end is a whole different animal. __________________ ________________ [COLOR=Orange]Outlaw 2860 Porch Model[/COLOR] Lang 84 Deluxe Yoder YS640 Savannah, GA [URL="http://www.facebook.com/yesdearbbq"]Yes, Dear BBQ on Facebook[/URL] Proudly sponsored by Royal Oak Charcoal and [URL="https://www.atlantabbqstore.com/"]The Atlanta BBQ store[/URL]

04-22-2019, 05:48 PM	#7
Bob in Corona Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 01-29-14 Location: Corona, CA Name/Nickname : Bob	FWIW... This judges LOVES (true) burnt ends !!! But I can not judge them as Burnt Ends, only as diced Brisket, due to the rules. __________________ KCBS, Operation BBQ Relief

04-22-2019, 03:36 PM	#5
Rusty Kettle Babbling Farker Join Date: 07-15-13 Location: Butler PA Name/Nickname : Hey you with the face!	I don't know if it will help you but during trimming I cut a chunk off the brisket. Cut it against the grain. That way I know which way to slice the flat when cooked. I find it hard to tell which way the grain runs once it is rubbed and cooked. So for me it helps me remember.

04-23-2019, 10:56 AM	#14
Bucknekked Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 07-04-18 Location: Gilbert, Arizona Name/Nickname : Terry	Am I missing something here? How could anyone not like burnt ends? For my limited experience, burnt ends on a brisket are some of the best eating from the cow. If you publicly state you don't like burnt ends, how in the world could you be a judge? There's a lot I don't understand. This just adds one more thing to the list __________________ Yoder YS640 Smoker on an [COLOR=DarkOrange]Orange[/COLOR] Competition Cart \| Large BGE \| Thermopro TP20 Dual Probe [COLOR=darkorange](Orange) [/COLOR] \| Thermapen MK4 (in[COLOR=darkorange] ORANGE[/COLOR], what else?) \|