Poor man's burnt ends (2024)

FAQs

Why are my poor man's burnt ends tough? ›

Chuck roast burnt ends vs brisket burnt ends.

Both cuts of meat can be tough when not given enough time to properly cook them. However, smoking them low and slow, and finishing with a nice bbq glaze can produce amazing results.

The most traditional burnt ends come from beef, specifically from the brisket point cut. However, given their popularity, some modern pitmasters prepare pork belly in the same style as brisket burnt ends to recreate this tender-centered, crunchy-edged delicacy with pork meat.

Sorry, but burnt ends aren't your friend. Limit HCAs and PAHs in your smoked meats by not consuming meat that has been over-cooked or charred (intentionally or otherwise).

How can I prevent tough burnt ends? Make sure your smoker is at a low temperature for smoking the burnt ends. Too high of a temperature can result in tough, chewy pieces of meat.

Trim your brisket fat down to around 1/4 inch of fat coverage on top. As your fat melts down and starts to caramelize, your pepper will bind together and bark formation is upon you! Melting surface fat is a component of time and temperature. Our briskets typically cook for an hour and ten minutes per pound.

Place, uncovered, in the smoker and stir once the butter and honey have melted. Smoke in the tray uncovered for 2 hours. Stir midway to incorporate the sauce and move the cubes around. After 2 hours cover with foil and place back into the smoker.

If you miraculously have any brisket burnt ends left, wrap them in aluminum foil and store them in an airtight container for 3-5 days in the refrigerator.

You can cook both parts separately, or you could take the approach of smoking the entire brisket (point and flat), then separating the point from the flat and making the brisket's burnt ends at that point by cubing, saucing, and finishing on the smoker.

Monitor the temperature with a MEATER wireless meat thermometer. Once it hits 170 degrees F, remove from the grill. For maximum wood-fired flavor we recommend using Hickory pellets for these burnt ends.

What do people eat with burnt ends? ›

The best side dishes to serve with burnt ends are french fries, cornbread, crispy green beans, southern mash, dirty rice, baked beans, mac and cheese, cauliflower rice, coleslaw, potato salad, grilled corn on the cob, biscuits, pickle spears, hush puppies, collard greens, and corn pudding.

It takes approximately 10-12 hours to smoke burnt ends. The initial smoke takes around 6-8 hours, followed by 3 hours wrapped in butcher paper, then a final 1-2 more hours once cubed and cooked in the BBQ sauce and brown sugar.

“Also, if meat is smoked, and the fatty juices drip and the smoke encases the meat, that will form carcinogens.” The two types of carcinogens are heterocyclic amines – related to pan-searing – and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which come from smoke.

Unlike high-heat cooking methods that can lead to nutrient loss, smoking food retains more essential vitamins and minerals. The slow, indirect heat allows for a gradual breakdown of foods, preserving their nutritional value and resulting in dishes that are as healthy as they are delicious.

However, listeria lives and grows in cold temperatures, and smoked meats may become contaminated during processing at a food manufacturing plant, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Vomiting, cramps, diarrhea, stiff neck, fever and weakness are common symptoms of listeria infection.

Burnt ends are smoky, juicy, slightly fatty, crispy, a little greasy, and melt in your mouth. They should not be tough or chewy. A quality burnt end — the equivalent of a piece of BBQ gold — has a dark crust, visible smoke ring, and a layer of fat.

With lots of connective tissue (also known as collagen), these cuts can be tough if undercooked or hurried along in the cooking process. However, with slow-cooker pot roast, pressure cooker pot roast, or low-and-slow braised pot roast, the collagen breaks up for tender, succulent meat.

To cook pork belly properly, we have to give it the time and temperatures it needs to render both the fat and the collagen. This usually means low, slow cooking. Any meat will expel its available free water at temperatures above 180°F (82°C), becoming tough and dry.