Poor Man’s Burnt Ends

Poor Man’s Burnt Ends – do you love burnt ends, but don’t want to invest the time or money in a smoking a full brisket? Use a chuck roast for a faster and more affordable version with all the same delicious flavor!

If you have ever been to a classic barbecue place, you know just how coveted burnt ends are. Not only are the pricy, they are limited and places run out quickly! But if you can get your hands on them, but are juicy, tender and some of the best bites you will have.

Making a brisket at home can take 12+ hours, so it is a huge investment, and very expensive. Not to mention brisket takes a lot of practice to get right. These burnt ends use a chuck roast, which is more affordable and cooks much faster.

Traditionally burnt ends come from the point of a brisket. That is the fatty, highly marbled end of the brisket. It is thinner than the rest of the brisket, so as it cooks the end gets darker and more “burnt” than the rest of the meat. But because of the amount of fat, when you cut into it it is still super tender and juicy.

Using a chuck roast to make poor man’s burnt ends gives you that same tender and juicy bites of meat in a fraction of the time. When you are buying a chuck roast you want to select one that is very well marbled. It has a very similar beef-y taste as a brisket. This Smoked Chuck Roast is very reminiscent of the brisket flat.

I have found the best chuck roast at Costco near me. Not only are they large, but there is still enough fat on them that you don’t just end up with dry pieces of meat. You want a 3-4 pound chuck roast for this recipe.

What You’ll Need

• 3-4 pound chuck roast
• Kosher Salt
• Coarse Black Pepper
• Garlic Powder
• Beef Broth
• Butter
• Barbecue Sauce

How To Make Poor Man’s Burnt Ends

1. The first step is to cut the chuck roast into cubes. You want to ensure they are all the same size, so they cook evenly. Many recipes call for smoking the roast as a whole and then cubing it. But this way is much faster, I think the cubes have more flavor, since they are completely coated in the spice mixture. And they are just as tender and juicy.
2. Toss the chuck roast cubes with the salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
3. Arrange on smoker and cook at 250º F until they reach an internal temperature of 175º F. This takes about 2 hours, but will depend on how much fat is in the meat, the size of the meat cubes, the temperature outside etc.
4. Every 30 minutes during the cook time spray the beef cubes with beef broth to keep them from drying out.
5. After the meat reaches 175º F, you want to wrap it up in butcher paper or foil. Add a few pats of butter over the top of the meat and place back on the smoker.
6. Cook for about another 90 minutes, until the meat reaches 205º F.
7. Remove from the smoker and allow the meat to rest for 15 minutes before tossing with barbecue sauce to serve.

What If I Don’t Have A Smoker

You can follow the same recipe, time, temperature etc. just do it in the oven! You have to cook them low and slow to get them tender like burnt ends are. They won’t have quite the same smoke flavor, but slow cooked, tender beef is always tasty, so it would be delicious. To get the crispy outside, I would toss in a hot skillet or put them under the boiler for a few minutes to get that nice texture on the outside.

Why Butter?

Butter helps give it the same texture and flavor as burnt ends from a brisket. We ordered a brisket from a barbecue place from Goldbelly and the instructions said to add butter when you reheated it. It made all the difference! Since then I have used butter with these chuck roast burnt ends, and I think it makes all the difference.

Tips for Burnt Ends

• The most important thing when you are cooking meat on the smoker is to use a meat thermometer. You want to cook to the proper temperature, not the time stated in a recipe. The time is a guide, but if you have ever smoked anything before, you know that the amount of time changes every time.
• Don’t skip the butter. I know it seems really weird, but burnt ends are not meant to be healthy. They are traditionally the fatty part of the brisket. So to get the same texture and flavor you sometimes need to add a little bit of fat.
• Try to pick the most marbled chuck roast. The marbling is what breaks down as it cooks and gives you that tender and juicy bite of beef.

I use the Thermapen Mk4 to check the temperature of the meat throughout the cooking process. It is the most accurate thermometer I have found and have been using it for years!

What Goes With Poor Man’s Burnt Ends

Why Poor Man’s Burnt Ends

Let’s be honest about price. Chuck roast and brisket are comparable in the price per pound. At Costco they were both about $5/pound. The difference is the size and total price involved. The last time I purchased chuck roast the total price was $28 vs the price of a brisket is closer to $95.

The other big part is the time it takes to cook. Using a chuck roast it takes about 4 hours total. If you want to make brisket burnt ends, it can take 12-16 hours to smoke a whole brisket and get the burnt ends. We have made quite a few briskets over the year, and it takes practice to get right. It is just a tricky cut of meat to perfect. I find the chuck roast to be less forgiving, and if it isn’t perfect, you don’t feel as bad when the investment is much lower.

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