Brisket - How to Make Burnt Ends - Pictorial

[Pachanga]

Batman of BBQ requested I post a pictorial on burnt ends in this thread  - How Do You Make Burnt Ends.  (http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=13179.0)

I will repeat part of that thread here and add photos.

Like anything else to do with brisket and barbequing, there is more than one way to come out with a good product.

Burnt Ends is really a misnomer.  They are not burnt.  They have an intense flavorful bark.  Burnt ends are smaller hunks of brisket that have more surface area that has developed a crusty bark.   Originally, burnt ends came from the trimmings of briskets.  As they became more popular, burnt ends started to be made out of the point or deckle.  As more burnt ends were called for, the flat was even used.  If you cut a bite sized piece that is mostly bark and a little meat off of the deckle of a barbequed brisket, you are basically eating a burnt end.  This is my favorite bite of the brisket.

I smoke my packer cut briskets whole.  If I want burnt ends, I separate the point from the flat after the whole brisket has finished its smoke but more often I use leftovers after a brisket has been mauled and picked over.  Depending on the size of the deckle or leftovers, you can cut it in to chunks or leave it whole.  Put this back into the smoker and slow cook the pieces until they are almost black and have developed a good bark all around.  Some people finish with sauce and let it glaze the burnt ends toward the end of the smoke.  The finished product should look like a burned out meteorite.

Some cut their barbequed deckle or leftovers into many smaller "couple of bite" sized pieces to get more surface area for bark.  These smaller pieces are smoked until nearly dry.   These are almost always sauced out of the smoker to moisten them up.  I prefer to cut the deckle into three, four or five chunks (not slices). These larger pieces retain their moisture and are eaten plain.  A lot of the fat will have melted out, leaving a nice meaty burnt end.  A good mop or slather will help develop a nice bark and retain moisture.  The larger chunks more closely duplicate my favorite bite.

These two methods work fine but produce different products.  You might want to try both out of the same deckle or leftovers.  You will end up with a variety of fine eats.



A leftover and mauled piece of brisket.

Cut into chunks.

Small trimmings are gathered, packed and placed on foil.

Some Glazed with Sauce and some Slathered with Beer Mustard.



In the Bradley under some pork.  They started out above the pork but needed more heat to accelerate the Maillard reaction (for more on this see http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=12455.0)

After 5 hours they look like small meteorites.

This Beer Mustard slathered piece looks dried out but

inside is a moist, tender, marbled, morsel covered in a thick bark.

The foiled packed trimmings were also moist in the middle with a nice bark outside but some pieces provided a crisp variety.  These burnt ends were smoked for about five additional hours at 220 degrees in the Bradley.  They were mopped three times during the process after the slather and glaze were set.  Some were sweet glazed during the last hour.

Good luck and slow smoking,

Pachanga

[MPTubbs]

Looks tasty!

Nice photo shoot.

            ;)

[Pachanga]

Looks tasty!

Nice photo shoot.


            ;)

Thanks Bud,

There are a lot of ways and methods to finish burnt ends.  I like mine a little more meaty than some.  The small pieces in the foil went quickly as finger food before everything else made it to the table.  They were quite crusty.

Good luck and slow smoking,

Pachanga

[Tenpoint5]

Looks tasty!

Nice photo shoot.


            ;)

Thanks Bud,

There are a lot of ways and methods to finish burnt ends.  I like mine a little more meaty than some.  The small pieces in the foil went quickly as finger food before everything else made it to the table.  They were quite crusty.

Good luck and slow smoking,

Pachanga

Isn't that called a chefs taster or sampler? It is around here

[Pachanga]

Isn't that called a chefs taster or sampler? It is around here

All good names, Tenpoint and rightly so.  We also call it the chef's prerogative.  I wish it was called the chef's secret.  When people get a taste of the select pieces, the best morsels seem to start disappearing before the chef gets to use his prerogative.

My nephew recently learned that the chef has quick access to a carving knife when he tried to steal my favorite cut of brisket.

Good luck and slow smoking,

Pachanga

[Batman of BBQ]

EXCELLENT pictorial Pachanga!  I have been checking the forum for this everyday!!!!!  These look great!  In KC we had burnt ends all the time, every BBQ joint has them up there (I'm in FL now.)  I don't see them much down here, mostly because I don't frequent any BBQ joints here, I would rather make my own!  I will be giving this a try very soon.  Thanks a ton for the post, another HOMERUN!!!!!!!

[Ka Honu]

Pachanga - As always, I'm awed by your depth of brisket knowledge.  I love burnt ends but never have the patience to go that extra step for something that will last about 30 seconds (unless I have guests, in which case it's two minutes of threats and defensive moves before I get my 30 seconds of great eats).  Someday I'll become a hermit and make enough burnt ends to last 3 or 4 minutes.  Until then I'll drool over your pics.

[ArnieM]

The writeup and pics are great Pachanga.  Of couse, the burnt ends look good too!  I have a brisket lurking in the freezer.  I'll give it a try soon.

[Pachanga]

Thank you for the comments.

I failed to mention some of the uses for burnt ends. 

Chopped or chunked on buns with sauce.  Sliced on a plate,  sauced on a plate,  chunked into pintos or even green beans, used as a smoky ingredient in stews or soups,  or anywhere a little smoke flavor is appropriate.  It is a great ingredient in baked beans and I have used it in potato salad.  Burnt ends go well in a taco or as a condiment to other Mexican food.  Texas Red Chili or Green Chile stew are naturals.  Or as normally happens around here, as an appetizer to fight over. 

I have mentioned just a few ideas here.  Put your thinking cap on and add your own ideas to this post.

I hid a couple of nice sized pieces for next week's pintos over jalapeno cornbread.  I think I'll go nibble on one.

Thanks for reading.

Good luck and slow smoking,

Pachanga

[RickWL63]

Dang, time to head to the store and see if brisket is on sale....  ;)

[OU812]

I separate the point from the flat and place the point on the rack above the flat then when the flat is done I like to slice the point into chunks hit it with some of the same seasonings I hit it with the first time. Then give it another 3 to 4 hr smoke then pull out when they have a nice bark on them.

My favorite is to then take the burnt ends and dice into cubes and add them to the onion, green pepper, jalapeno and mushrooms that I have sauteing and cook till the ends start to shred then add the rest of the ingredients that make up egg rolls. Then make some of the best egg rolls you have ever tasted.

[Rckcrwlr]

This is definitely what I am looking for ...

Can't wait...