Burnt Ends

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When you smoke a full packer, you separate the point from the flat afterwards.  Cut the point up into about 1" cubes.  Re-apply your rub and back into the smoker for about an hour maybe.  Delicious!
 
Burnt ends are basically twice smoked chunks of brisket. Most common method is to smoke a full packer brisket, once the brisket is done you slice the point (thick) section of the brisket off of the flat (thin) section of the brisket. The point is actually kind of like a layer on top of one end of the brisket (think layer cake). There is a "vein" of fat that seperates the two portions, and once a brisket is cooked you can cut along that fat layer with little to no effort. The cut is roughly at a 20-30 degree downard angle starting near the middle of the brisket and working back towards the thicker part - if you probe around with a butter knife you will find where the cut area starts. There are some pictures of people doing this, but even with the pictures it is kind of hard to understand untill you have done it once.

OK... once you have the flat and point seperate, the flat is usually wrapped in foil and put into a cooler to rest. Take the point, trim off the fat (easy to do once it is cooked), then cut the meat into 2" square chunks. Dust the chunks with more rub, then toss them with some BBQ sauce and place them in a single layer on a pan (disposable foil pans work great). Then put them back into the smoker for 2-3 hrs. and let em get nice and dark (the look almost burnt). Pull them out and enjoy what some of us refer to as "Man Candy" - they truelly are a super tastey treat!

PS - here is a link showing some I made.

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/forum/thread/94796/pic-test
 
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Wonderful explanations! Thanks!!! They don't get dried out,l do they?
 
No they actually stay farily moist.... one or two might be a tad dry, but not very, and they taste awesome!
 
I'm going to give them a go this weekend then... So you cut up the entire point for the burnt ends?
 
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The point is also the big and fatty part of the whole brisket too. That's whay thye tend not to dry out either. You should really try them for they are really that good.
 
I'm going to give them a go this weekend then... So you cut up the entire point for the burnt ends?
Yup.... and then afterwords you are going to wish you had about 3x as much burnt ends as you end up with... lol.
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Well I think I got it all too tender! I tried to separate the point from the flat with a butter knife by following the fat line, but I didn't seem to have much of the flat left over at all! 

That ain't gonna make the wife happy...
 
Poke around the butcher section and see if they have a point only. No sense in cooking a flat if all you want is burnt ends.. Besides, the point are usually $.50 to $1.00 /lb. cheaper and it makes for good briskey practice..
 
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burnt ends = meat candy!!!

 I wish i could find just the points. i think the butchers grind them up after cutting the flat off.
 
Well I think I got it all too tender! I tried to separate the point from the flat with a butter knife by following the fat line, but I didn't seem to have much of the flat left over at all! 

That ain't gonna make the wife happy...
Point size will vary with each brisket. I have had some that were 50% of the entire brisket, others were tiny.
 
If you were to buy just the point, would you cook it to a IT of 195-205 straight, or would the point cook a little differently than a point + flat together (thus slightly lower IT)? 

If you wouldn't cook it any different, essentially it's the same thing as a pork shoulder - cook to 195, pull from grill, rest, shred/pull meat - enjoy? Though I see many like cubes, which is fine with me. 
 
you can cut them into french fry sized strips also, One local resturant does them this way and I had good success doing them like that for little slider sandwiches, much easier than the cubes to load onto buns.
 
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Eman  You actually Can at almost every grocery store, You see a corned beef (brisket) is almost usually Point ( at least here locally ) and a way smaller portion  Just don't use the Pickling Crap They put in it ( Yuck )  Lol  and Yes burnt ends are amazing ( as is Bark)  I Think the Bark is always my Fav
 
Poke around the butcher section and see if they have a point only. No sense in cooking a flat if all you want is burnt ends.. Besides, the point are usually $.50 to $1.00 /lb. cheaper and it makes for good briskey practice..
I wish I could find a point on its own just for burnt ends. The only ones I've found are already corned. The butchers I've spoken to said they're usually ground into hamburger.
 
Cricky101 I betcha your butcher could hold a couple out for you instead of grinding them to burger?  I know that at Kro*ger will do it.

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