Poor Man’s Burnt Ends – Love burnt ends, but don’t want to invest the time or money in smoking a full breast? Use a chuck roast for a faster, more affordable version with the same delicious taste!
If you’ve ever been to a classic barbecue place, you know how coveted burnt tips are. Not only are they expensive, but they are limited and places sell out quickly! But you can get your hands on them, but they’re juicy, tender and some of the best bites you’ll ever have.
Making a breast at home can take 12+ hours, so it is a great investment and very expensive. Not to mention, the breast requires a lot of practice to get it right. These burnt ends use a mandrel roast, which is more affordable and cooks much faster.
What are
the burned ends of the poor man?
Traditionally, burnt ends come from the tip of a breast. That’s the greasy, highly marbled end of the breast. It is thinner than the rest of the breast, so as it is cooked the end becomes darker and more “burned” than the rest of the meat. But because of the amount of fat, when you cut it it’s still super tender and juicy.
Using a chuck roast to make the poor man’s burnt ends gives him the same tender, 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 veined. It tastes very similar to beef like a breast. This smoked chuck roast is very reminiscent of flat breast.
I found the best chuck roast at Costco near me. Not only are they large, but there’s still enough fat in them that you don’t end up with pieces of beef jerky. You want a 3-4 pound roast for this recipe.
What you will need
- 3-4 pounds
- Kosher
- Thick black pepper
- Garlic powder
- Meat broth
- Butter
- Barbecue sauce
of chuck roast
salt
How to make the poor man’s burnt ends
- The first step is to cut the chuck roast into cubes. You want to make sure they are all the same size, so that they cook evenly. Many recipes call for smoking the roast as a whole and then cutting it into cubes. But in this way it is much faster, I think the cubes have more flavor, since they are completely coated with the spice mixture. And they are just as tender and juicy.
- Mix the roast cubes with salt, pepper and garlic powder.
- Arrange the smoker and cook at 250º F until it reaches an internal temperature of 175º F. This takes about 2 hours, but it will depend on how much fat is in the meat, the size of the meat cubes, the outside temperature, etc.
- Every 30 minutes during cooking time, sprinkle the meat cubes with meat broth to prevent them from drying out.
- After the meat reaches 175º F, you need to wrap it in butcher wrap or aluminum foil. Add a few pats of butter over the top of the meat and place it back in the smoker.
- Cook for about 90 more minutes, until the meat reaches 205º F.
- Remove from smoker and let the meat stand for 15 minutes before mixing 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 so that they are tender like burnt tips. They won’t have the same smoky taste, but tender, slow-cooked meat is always tasty, so it would be delicious. To get the crispy exterior, I would pour in a hot pan or put them under the boiler for a few minutes to get that nice texture outside.
Why butter?
Butter helps give it the same texture and flavor as the burnt tips of a breast. We ordered a breast from a Goldbelly BBQ spot and the instructions said to add butter when I reheated it. It made all the difference! I’ve since used butter with these burnt chuck roast ends, and I think it makes all the difference.
Tips for
burnt tips
- The most important thing when you are cooking meat in the smoker is to use a meat thermometer. You want to cook at the right temperature, not the time indicated in a recipe. Time is a guide, but if you’ve ever smoked something before, you know that the amount of time changes every time.
- Don’t skip the butter. I know it seems really strange, but burnt ends aren’t meant to be healthy. They are traditionally the fatty part of the breast. So, to get the same texture and taste, sometimes it is necessary to add a little fat.
- Try to choose the most marbled chuck roast. The marbling is what breaks down as it cooks and gives it that tender, juicy bite of beef.
I use the Thermapen Mk4 to check the temperature of the meat throughout the cooking process. It’s the most accurate thermometer I’ve ever found and I’ve been using it for years!
What goes with the poor man’s burnt
ends Smoked
- potatoes Smoked corn on the cob
- Classic potato salad
- best cornbread
- Baked beans
The
Why it ends up burned by the poor man
Let’s be honest about the price. Chuck roast and brisket are comparable in price per pound. At Costco both cost around $5/pound. The difference is the size and total price involved. Last time I bought chuck roast, the total price was $28 versus the price of a breast which is closer to $95.
The other big part is the time it takes to cook. Using a chuck roast takes about 4 hours in total. If you want to make burned breast tips, it can take 12 to 16 hours to smoke a whole breast and get the burnt tips. We’ve made quite a few breasts during the year, and it takes practice to get it right. It’s just a difficult cut of meat to perfect. I find chuck roast to be less forgiving, and if it’s not perfect, you don’t feel so bad when the investment is much lower.
More recipes for smokers and grills
Smoked chicken Smoked meat bread Smoked meat Smoked
- short ribs Smoked country style ribs Smoked
- chicken wings
- Smoked
- pork belly
- Smoked
- ribs
- Baby Back I created
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