Burnt ends are the charred end pieces and flavorful crumbles that are left in the pooled juices and drippings after a beef brisket has been sliced. I consider them the most flavorful part of the brisket. Usually it’s the early bird who gets the worm, but in the case of brisket, it is the last person in line who gets to scrape the cutting board. Burnt ends have become so popular that people have come up with ways to make more of these flavorful brisket bits.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 4
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Trim excess fat from the top and bottom of the cooked brisket point.
Step 2
Build a fire (wood or a combination of charcoal and wood) for indirect cooking by situating the coals on only one side of the grill, leaving the other side void. When the cooker reaches 250°F, place the beef brisket point on the void side of the grill and close the lid. Cook for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Remove the brisket point from the cooker and cut it into bite-size chunks.
Step 3
In a small pan, mix 1/2 cup of the beef drippings with the barbecue sauce and heat. Pour the liquid over the beef chunks and serve.
pitmaster’s tip
Step 4
Rather than view brisket as one cut of meat, think of it as two cuts. Within each whole brisket there is the flat and the point. The sliced flat is what most people think of as beef brisket, a very lean muscle with a distinct grain. The point, however, is highly marbled and covered by a thick slab of fat. A thin layer of fat also separates the two cuts. Following this line of fat with a knife allows the flat and point to be separated easily after cooking. With a little extra cook time, the entire point of the brisket can be transformed into those wonderful bites called burnt ends.
Cooking Method
Step 5
Indirect heat
Suggested Wood
Step 6
Hickory, Oak, Mesquite
