Burnt Ends - Food P@rn

[thirdeye]

I'm helping a couple of guys out with a barbecue (case-o-butts, lamb hind quarters & brisket) Tuesday. I'm cooking 3 or 4 briskets on my BDS, then during the rest I'll toss on some fatties, then help out on the cutting table. I'm going to surprise them, and the guests, with some burnt ends. One of my favorites.

Here are some before and after pictures from a test cook last weekend.

 

[Bigdog]

One of my favs too. Those look awesome.

 

[kcquer]

Burnt Ends are BBQ in my book!! Good looking stuff 3rdI!!

 

[Yakfishingfool]

can someone define a burnt end for me? What is the cut of meat? When is it prepared? What stage of the cook? Scott

 

[Sawdustguy]

Great Job 3rd Eye. They look absolutely delicious.

 

[tommykendall]

I think I need a large Kaiser bun and a beer.

 

[Kirk]

can someone define a burnt end for me?

They're just that, burnt (dry) ends of a smoked brisket. You cube 'em up, mix with sauce and then back into the smoker for awhile. They make excellent sammies. Some people do briskets for the sole purpose of cutting them up int "burnt ends."

 

[kcquer]

They're just that, burnt (dry) ends of a smoked brisket.

Actually burnt ends are neither burned nor ends. They are the point of the brisket, served cubed.

 

[thirdeye]

can someone define a burnt end for me? What is the cut of meat? When is it prepared? What stage of the cook? Scott

Burnt ends are brisket scraps, like the thin end of the flat
and any crumbles that fall off when slicing. They are so
popular that many use a lot of the nose for them too, just
toss it back on the cooker after separating and let it go
for a couple of hours. Meanwhile save any scraps while
you are slicing the flats and refrigerate them. When you
remove the point, cube it, removing some of the big fat
areas, mix in the flat scraps, cover with sauce, and
return to the cooker in a pan until the sauce reduces.
They are smokey, saucy and ultra tender.

 

[jt]

They are smokey, saucy and ultra tender.

and absolutely delicious

 

[kcquer]

We're obviously running into some regional differences in what defines a burnt end. I've been eating burnt ends, beef tips or brownies for 35 years here in the KC area and here's what I know from around here.

If a Q joint served me flat as burnt ends I would walk out without paying. Burnt ends are brisket point and sauce should be no where near a burnt end until its on some ones plate. Some places do serve them sauced, but those places also thow in cutting board scraps and chuck roast and a lot of other crap that isn't a burnt end, I don't go to those places (AB's).

A burnt end is a brisket point that has been removed from a packer when the flat is ready for slicing. The point is then trimmed, reseasoned and returned to the cooker until the collagen in the point makes the meat soft, tender and quite moist without sauce.

 

[Ron_L]

I'm with KC. That's the definition I've always heard as well. When I cook a packer I generally save the point and freeze it. When I have two or three points i will thaw them and re-cook them.

Good looking burnt ends, Thirdeye!

 

[thirdeye]

We're obviously running into some regional differences in what defines a burnt end...

I think regional is the key work here. The story I've heard in Texas was that they were a way to sell the scraps from the slicing table, and later on the points were used too because of demand. I'm like you and prefer them with a lot of meat from the point, but the scraps go in mine too. I also reduce them in sauce, and that is not always the case in Texas, where they may be served with sauce on the side.

For other points of view, here are a few words from Bill Wight's FAQ:
Jeff is from New England, and Danny is from the Southwest. I am not familiar with Jim McGrath.

Jim McGrath and Danny Gaulden--

The burnt ends of a brisket come about two ways. As stated above:

"...You can now trim the fat off the point and chop up the point meat, or you can return the point to your smoker and continue smoking it for 4 to 6 more hours to render the fat". This will produce the very intensely smoke-flavored "burnt ends". (EDIT - the sentence above was from earlier in the article, they are not implying 2 cooks) They can be made on purpose by returning the point to the smoker for another 4-6 hours and they can result from the thinner parts of the brisket's flat getting overcooked during the smoking process. The burnt ends are usually rather dry and very smoky tasting. These can be served thinly sliced with lots of BBQ sauce or chopped up and used in dishes like chili, stews and soups.


Jeff Lipsitt--

I asked Jake, at Jake's Boss BBQ, certainly one of the best establishment Q'ers in New England, what was his definition of burnt ends. Here's what he said: "Traditionally, in Texas, the first cut on the flat and the point were not considered good sandwich or serving pieces. Those pieces were put away until quite a few briskets had produced enough 'first cuts' to chop and mix with BBQ sauce. One day a week, the menu would then feature 'burnt ends'. . . and the price was right!" Then he went on to say: "Nowadays, because of the popularity of burnt ends, the whole brisket is used. Both the flat and point are roughly chopped and sizzled in a large pan over very high heat for a few
minutes before adding BBQ sauce."

 

[RichardF]

Burnt-ends are the closet thing there is to BBQ candy. Thirdeye, yours look great.

 

[Yakfishingfool]

OK, A bit slow on working with briskets...the brisket has a flat, the thin center section and comes to a point, "the point"? so it looks loke the whole thing can be twice smoked or slightly over smoked, cubed and doused in sauces. Kind of like making steak hash the day after steak and taters?? Scott

Sorry for the rudimentary questioning. It sounds so good that if I actually saw some I'd want to give it a try. Scott

 

[tommykendall]

So where's my farking Kaiser and the beer?

 

[thirdeye]

OK, A bit slow on working with briskets...the brisket has a flat, the thin center section and comes to a point, "the point"? so it looks loke the whole thing can be twice smoked or slightly over smoked, cubed and doused in sauces. Kind of like making steak hash the day after steak and taters?? Scott

Sorry for the rudimentary questioning. It sounds so good that if I actually saw some I'd want to give it a try. Scott

You are on the right track. The flat section is the "flat", the thicker section on one end is the "nose" or "point". It partially overlaps onto the flat. They are separated by a layer of fat and the grain runs in different directions on each one. The nose is fattier, and stays moister during the cook. It is possible to dry out the flat. When you carve them, the first thing you do is separate the muscles. In the picture below, the flat is on the left. This one has kind of a large nose, kind of a W.C. Fields of brisket.

You can buy just the flat or just the point, but I like the whole ones best. If you can, don't buy one that has been trimmed close of the fat. Normally the label on a whole one will say "Boneless brisket, deckle off". The deckle is just a layer of fat and muscle that has been trimmed at the packing house.

 

[thirdeye]

So where's my farking Kaiser and the beer?

Just finished off the last of 'em... No Kaiser, no beer. Just some soda crackers and a Dr Pepper.

 

[jsmoker]

Some places do serve them sauced, but those places also thow in cutting board scraps and chuck roast and a lot of other crap that isn't a burnt end, I don't go to those places (AB's).

So you don't frequent the birthplace of burnt ends!?!

Which joints serve the ends sans sauce? From my recollection, just about all of the big ones all serve them very sauced.

 

[kcquer]

So you don't frequent the birthplace of burnt ends!?!

Which joints serve the ends sans sauce? From my recollection, just about all of the big ones all serve them very sauced.

I have my doubts about the origins of BE's or anything else of quality coming from Bryants.

My BBQ lineage is out south with Snead's, Keegan's(135th st BBq) Jack's, Smokestack, Cattleman's(closed now:sad: ) Zarda etc. I haven't eaten at most of those places in years now (10+) but still wouldn't consider a sauced up plate of scraps to be a burnt end. Not that I don't like sauce, but I don't like stuff served wet, I like to pick what sauce if any is going on my food. In the case of Bryants, their sauce sux why would I want meat that's swimming in it?