Burnt ends are one of the best bites in barbecue, but cooking a full brisket just to make them can be expensive and time consuming. These chuck roast burnt ends, often called poor man’s burnt ends, give you that same smoky, tender, caramelized flavor using a much more affordable cut of beef.
Ingredients
Burnt Ends
- 1 chuck roast (about 3–4 pounds)
- Smokestack Joe’s Homemade BBQ Rub (recipe below)
Braising Liquid
- 2 cups beef tallow
(1 stick of butter can be substituted for the tallow) - 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons honey
BBQ Sauce
- ½ cup ketchup
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon ground mustard
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon Smokestack Joe’s Homemade BBQ Rub
Smokestack Joe’s Homemade BBQ Rub
This simple all-purpose BBQ rub works great on beef, pork, and chicken.
Rub Ingredients
- 2 parts salt
- 2 parts black pepper
- 2 parts paprika
- 1 part onion powder
- 1 part garlic powder
- 1 part chili powder
- ½ part sugar
- ½ part cumin
- ¼ part oregano
Instructions
1. Preheat The Smoker
Preheat your smoker to 250°F. This recipe works well on pellet grills, charcoal smokers, or offset smokers.
2. Cube the Chuck Roast
Trim any large hard pieces of fat if necessary. Cut the chuck roast into 1½ to 2 inch cubes.
Keeping the cubes relatively consistent in size helps them cook evenly.
3. Season the Beef
Place the cubed chuck roast in a large bowl and season generously with Smokestack Joe’s Homemade BBQ Rub, making sure all sides of the beef are coated.
Since burnt ends develop bark on every side, don’t be afraid to season well.
4. Smoke the Burnt Ends
Place the seasoned beef cubes directly onto the smoker grates.
Smoke at 250°F for about 3 hours, or until the beef develops a deep bark and dark color on the outside.
5. Prepare the Braise
Transfer the smoked beef cubes into a foil pan or aluminum tray.
Add:
- 2 cups beef tallow
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons honey
Gently mix so the burnt ends are coated in the braising mixture.
Cover the tray tightly with foil.
6. Braise Until Tender
Place the covered pan back onto the smoker and continue cooking at 250°F for about 1½ hours, or until the burnt ends are probe tender.
The beef should be very soft and nearly finished cooking at this stage.
7. Make the BBQ Sauce
While the burnt ends are braising, prepare the sauce.
In a bowl combine:
- ½ cup ketchup
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon ground mustard
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon Smokestack Joe’s Homemade BBQ Rub
Mix well until fully combined.
8. Sauce the Burnt Ends
Once the burnt ends are tender, remove them from the braising liquid and place them back on the smoker.
Coat them with the BBQ sauce.
Return to the smoker uncovered for 30 minutes to allow the sauce to set.
Brush with additional sauce after 15 minutes.
9. Serve
Remove the burnt ends from the smoker once the sauce has caramelized and the edges look sticky and slightly crisp.
Serve hot and enjoy.
Pro Tips
- Try to keep the beef cubes even in size for consistent cooking.
- Focus on bark development during the first smoking stage.
- Cook until the burnt ends are probe tender, not just until the timer goes off.
