Why are Burnt Ends so good?!?!

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Panthers65

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I would trust Aaron Franklin with brisket before anyone else, and he describes the point as the best part of the brisket because that's what you make burt ends out of. Just about every team turns burn ends and slices in their comp boxes...

And i enjoyed a big dish of Burnt Ends for lunch today, which got me thinking.... Why are burnt ends so good? When someone asks me about good BBQ, I saw the typicaly BBQ snobbish things, "the meat should speak for itself" "Don't eat overcooked BBQ or Q that's been sitting in a warming pan for hours, it'll taste like mush" and "if the Q is good enough, it doens't need sauce" among a hoste of others.

Basically everything that I do to burnt ends are what I describe to people as "bad BBQ". They're sauced, overcooked, overseasoned pieces of meat. About all they are missing is liquid smoke and a crock pot.... :biggrin1:

Pointless thread, I know. I just enjoy talking q!
 
Burnt ends aren't overcooked. Cooking point for an hour or two longer than the flat is actually getting it to the proper level of rendering.

Personally, I'm not a burnt end fan, I like them but not as much as slices of point. Beyond that, burnt ends are smoky, fatty, salty and sweet. The four major food groups.
 
Why are burnt ends so good you ask?? Because they taste like bacon of course!
 
A good friend is in the concession business. His asessment of what sells(and he knows what sells) is fat/sweet/salty/smokey. Combine them you have a winner.
 
mikemci said:
A good friend is in the concession business. His asessment of what sells(and he knows what sells) is fat/sweet/salty/smokey. Combine them you have a winner.
Click to expand...
Crunchy doesn't hurt. A few cooks ago, I nailed a brisket. The point was perfect, the parts I trimmed off had a delicate, crisp bark, the fat rendered sweet, the salty rub, just nailed.
 
landarc said:
Burnt ends aren't overcooked. Cooking point for an hour or two longer than the flat is actually getting it to the proper level of rendering.

Personally, I'm not a burnt end fan, I like them but not as much as slices of point. Beyond that, burnt ends are smoky, fatty, salty and sweet. The four major food groups.
Click to expand...


Are you comparing tenderness between the two? My point always probs tender before the thickest part of my flat does. I always assumed it was due to the difference in fat levels.

by the time my flat probes tender, my point is good and tender. After another two hours, they basically melt, which I always liked/thought it was a good thing for ends, but if I ate PP, chicken, or basically any other BBQ meat with the same internal consistancy...Bleh....
 
Panthers65 said:
Are you comparing tenderness between the two? My point always probs tender before the thickest part of my flat does. I always assumed it was due to the difference in fat levels.

by the time my flat probes tender, my point is good and tender. After another two hours, they basically melt, which I always liked/thought it was a good thing for ends, but if I ate PP, chicken, or basically any other BBQ meat with the same internal consistancy...Bleh....
Click to expand...



I have found, especially with prime briskets, that the point can use more time than the flat for my taste. The extra time renders out more fat.
 
I never probe the point, I do probe the flat. Also, I like to squeeze briskets to determine if their done. The point will probe tender long before its close to done.

I've never really considered comparing textures, each meat has its own best texture. And I'll admit, I'll eat the fat cap off a properly smoked brisket and enjoy it.
 
Dont fall for the troupes of what good bbq is.

No one has ever said the Q i served was too tender (mushy is different)

Sauce is good and folks like it.

You dont have to reseason or sauce burnt ends.

There are ways to hold or reheat bbq that make as good or better.

Maybe youve seen too much bbq pitmasters on tv? Us home guys can see that and get confused. Most importantly cook for your audience. Dont tell guest that sauce aint good or that chewy ribs are better.

If you like over sauced, over seasoned, mushy bbq than just embrace it brother
 
And who says burnt ends have to be made from the point.
Ninja has made some tasty faux burnt ends from the chuck I think. They looked so good I made some from mystery sale meat in the marked down bin at Shop Rite.
Practice on cheap cuts of meat until you find a profile you like.
Good marbling and fattiness.
 
I love burnt ends............all of that great bark and explosion of flavor.

I make burnt ends from small pork butts.........get the butt to about 170 IT, slice it, cube it, sauce it / add more rub, pan it, and back on the smoke for a bit to get done.

The perfect snacking food. :-D
 
I love beef fat as much as anyone but I can't eat a single cooked point-more fat than meat. Double smoke it? now we're talking.
 
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