Poor Man’s Burnt Ends

Craving that rich smoky flavor of classic BBQ burnt ends but not ready to splurge on a full brisket? Enter Poor Man’s Burnt Ends – the budget-friendly answer to your backyard barbecue dreams! Tender, bite-sized chunks of beef are packed with deep and smoky flavors you’d expect from hours of low and slow cooking.

Made from the chuck roast instead of a brisket, burnt ends are a BBQ favorite right from your own grill or smoker.

Are Poor Mans Burnt Ends worth making?

There were doubts whether making poor mans burnt ends would be worth the effort. Are they something that would be enjoyable as a meal? What if they’re too chewy?

The answer is that they can be quite tender if you braise them right in the BBQ sauce. Whenever I make them, they usually go really quick because they are that good. I honesty think they may be better than a brisket.

How to serve Poor Man’s Burnt Ends

If you’re serving them as a main dish, I’d recommend serving them as burnt end sandwiches with buns, pickles, onions, or mushrooms and broccoli. Serve them with Mashed Potatoes, Creamy Garlic Potatoes or Lemon Garlic Green Beans.

Supplies

• Small mixing bowl
• Smoker
• Knife
• Cutting board
• Medium aluminum pan
• Aluminum foil
• Spike – a meat thermometer

How to make Poor Man’s Burnt Ends

To make Poor Man’s Burnt Ends out of the chuck roast by using a smoker, I first rubbed the chuck roast in yellow mustard, then made brown sugar mixture and pressed it into the mustard covered roast.

Once my chuck roast was ready for smoking, I smoked it for 4 ½ hours, covering it with apple juice every half hour. Here’s the step by step photos of the process.

Step 1: Rub mustard over the chuck roast: Rub mustard all over the chuck roast. This step is necessary in order for our brown sugar mixture to properly adhere to the surface of meat. I used yellow mustard, but Dijon will work as well.

Step 2: Make brown sugar mixture: In a small mixing bowl, combine the brown sugar, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and onion powder and sprinkle this brown sugar mixture evenly over the roast (already covered with the mustard – the mustard will help our mixture to adhere to the meat’s surface), pressing it into the mustard.

Step 3: Preheat the smoker: Preheat your smoker to 250°F. Oak, and particularly post oak, is what I like to use for chuck roast (or ribs). This type of wood has a slow burn, and will produce the best smoke flavor over a long period of time for traditional BBQ.

Step 4: Smoke the roast: Smoke the chuck roast until it reaches an internal temperature of 170°F, which will take about 3 ½ to 4 ½ hours. Every 30 minutes, spritz the roast with apple juice.

Step 5: Cut the chuck roast: Cut the chuck roast into 1-inch chunks and place them in a medium aluminum pan.

Step 6: Top it off: Stir in the barbecue sauce, beef broth, and brown sugar.

Top everything with slices of butter and cover the pan with aluminum foil.

Step 7: Return the roast to the smoker: Return the roast to the smoker for just a few more minutes until the internal temperature reaches 200°F, approximately 1 hour.

Allow the meat to rest, covered, for 10 minutes. Serve hot.

FAQ

How do I keep the meat from drying out while it cooks? To keep the meat from drying out while it cooks, you will want to spritz it every 30 minutes until it is done. Another thing you can do is add some water and apple cider vinegar to your drip pan.

Do I need to trim the fat from the roast before smoking it? No, you do not need to trim the fat unless it is covered with a lot of fat or the fat is super hard. Otherwise, you want that fat to be rendered into the meat as it cooks for both added flavor and juiciness.

Do I have to have a smoker to make this? Though it is traditionally made in the smoker, and it allows for the best flavor, you can also make them in the oven or on the grill using indirect heat. If you are using the oven, still go with the low and slow method, following the instructions as they are.

If you are using the grill, you will have to constantly monitor the heat in the grill and be sure that the meat is staying off direct heat. To help with either of these options, you may add a little liquid smoke to try and replicate the flavor of smoking the meat.

Does this dish travel well? Yes, it will travel well; just ensure that the pan is tightly covered, and if you want to keep it warm longer, you can wrap a thick towel around the pan.

Side note: Cook to temperature; do not rely solely on time.

Substitutions

Chuck roast – could also use a round eye roast.

Apple juice – red wine and pineapple juice or a Dr. Pepper and apple cider vinegar mix would also work.

Barbecue sauce – You can use homemade or store-bought sauce and go with a flavor you like.

Salted butter – It needs to be butter, not margarine. If you use unsalted butter, then just add a sprinkle of salt unless you’re trying to reduce the sodium.

Storage instructions

Refrigerate: Poor Man’s Burnt Ends should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Freeze: You can freeze it in a freezer-safe bag for up to one month. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.

To reheat, place in an oven-safe dish and heat, covered at 300°F for 20-25 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Add a little broth to the pan to keep it from drying out.

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