Poor mans burnt ends.....Questions

[JLeonard]

Was gonna do some pork belly burnt ends Friday. Cant find pork belly anywhere close. So got a couple of chuck roasts to do poor man burnt ends.
My questions begin here....
1. Smoke roast whole or cut into chunks prior?
2. Use the Propane smoker or kettle? Gonna be single digits here Friday. Will the propane even flow when its that cold?
3. Any other advice to give?

Jim

 

[cmayna]

I smoke mine whole then cut up, mop and then smoke a little more. Have always done it via kettle.

 

[Brokenhandle]

I'm along for the ride Jim! I've never done them before...guess too hungry and lack of patience lol!

Ryan

 

[Fueling Around]

Not a fan of burnt ends, but I like to watch.
I have friends that do it both ways. Most go ahead and chunk (especially pork belly) so the whole batch is more a hors d'oevres style nibbles.

...
2. Use the Propane smoker or kettle? Gonna be single digits here Friday. Will the propane even flow when its that cold?
3. Any other advice to give?

Jim

Propane will flow but it needs a little help. Bring the tank inside overnight so it starts warm. If it is about 2/3 full or less, find a way to (SAFELY!) tip it about 30-45° off vertical. It adds surface area of the liquid which helps the vaporization. Wrapping in a blanket never hurts, too.

 

[Nefarious]

Ive only done this once. I cut the roast into big enough pieces that I could manage with my tongs, i just wanted as much surface area as possible. When they were probe tender, I cut them to size and smoked them in a pan with sauce. Everyone really liked them, so it was a success, i'm sure there are other techniques.

 

[Buckeyedude]

I do whole, then cube up before the last leg of the cook. I just started these guys about an hour ago. Figured with the Temps and wind chill it'll take a bit!

 

[fxsales1959]

Was gonna do some pork belly burnt ends Friday. Cant find pork belly anywhere close. So got a couple of chuck roasts to do poor man burnt ends.
My questions begin here....
1. Smoke roast whole or cut into chunks prior?
2. Use the Propane smoker or kettle? Gonna be single digits here Friday. Will the propane even flow when its that cold?
3. Any other advice to give?

Jim

just an opinion, either should work (smoker). I'd do a chuck about 1/2 done whole then cube. I'd be skeered it would cumble into shreds if cooked almost to temp. I do my burnt ends(brisket) to about 160, then wrap and go to 180. Then rest, cube, smother, and go another hour or two to done or about 200 if you want to probe all the little cubes.

 

[oscar]

I've done it both ways, and prefer cubed first, for more surface area to bark up. Only problem with pre-cubed is that by the time it's done, there's only half as much meat as we started with. People can't keep their paws out of the cookie jar.

 

[gmc2003]

I go whole then cube. Once cubed give them the old shake-n-bake method with your favorite rub then in the pan with your favorite burnt end braising ingredients. Once tender use your tongs to put them on the grate to finish.

Chris

 

[cmayna]

I agree with gmc2003. Just did a batch of cubed first & seasoned. Thought it was way to spicey tasting. Too much rub taste and not enough meat taste. Next time, either cube first and season with a lighter tasting rub, or smoke whole and cube later.