Burnt ends are an absolute treat that I only get to enjoy on occasion. They’re normally made from the point of a beef brisket, smoked low-and-slow for hours and hours. But, you can get that same magical tender juicy beefy bite using a much cheaper (poor man’s burnt ends so-to-speak) cut of meat, a chuck roast. The process is the same. Smoke for hours, cut into pieces, add a bit of sauce, and smoke some more. That’s it. Every bite just falls apart. Great by themselves, on a roll as a sandwich, or my favorite, served over cheesy grits.
You do not want to use a heavy, thick BBQ sauce when making poor man’s burnt ends. Use a milder sauce that doesn’t have a lot of sugar or molasses. Less is definitely more. You can always add sauce to them when you serve them.
You can also just smoke a chuck roast as you would any other large piece of meat, such as a pork shoulder or butt. It makes for the perfect shredded beef sandwich. Check out my post on smoked chuck roast here.
If I’m reaching for a bottled BBQ sauce, I often go for Sweet Baby Ray’s.
Poor Man’s Burnt Ends
Ingredients
- 3 pound chuck roast
- Your favorite BBQ seasoning
- your favorite BBQ sauce
Instructions
- FIre up your smoker for 225 F cooking. Use a few chunks of hickory or a lighter wood.
- Season the chuck on all sides with the rub and place onto the smoker.
- Smoke until the internal temperature reaches 185 F.
- Carefully remove the chuck and wrap in foil. Let rest on your counter for 30 minutes.
- Remove the chuck roast from the foil and transfer to a cutting board.
- Cut into 3/4″ cubes and place into a disposable aluminum pan.
- Lightly (very lightly!) drizzle the meat with the BBQ sauce. You just want the flavor from the sauce. Toss gently to coat.
- Sprinkle with more of the rub and return to the smoker for 1 1/2 more hours.
- Devour.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are approximate.