Burnt ends are one of my favorite things to cook on my pellet smoker. Take the point of a brisket, cube it up, lather it in your favorite sauce, and smoke it until perfection. What you will end up with is a sweet, smoky chunk of meat that could arguably be placed in the dessert category! Poor mans burnt ends are almost the same, except you use a chuck roast rather than the point of a brisket. This is more ideal for folks who may not have a need to cook an entire brisket, but want to still indulge in the highly favored burnt end. It is also worth noting that while it is called “poor mans burnt ends”, that is not necessarily the case. Although it will be cheaper to purchase a chuck roast than an entire brisket, pound-for-pound they are relatively similar in price.

This recipe is a fun twist on the traditional poor mans burnt ends. Since we planned on having some friends over for dinner, I thought it would be fun to change it up from the typical Saturday BBQ. Rather than using a traditional BBQ sauce, I used this Japanese style BBQ sauce instead. I also topped the finished product off with toasted sesame seeds, freshly chopped spring onions, and freshly chopped almonds for crunch. Although we presented this dinner as a bit of a potluck, everything we paired these with was incredible. Some things included:

Citrus Scallop Crudo with avocado and chili oil
A very delicious Caprese Salad
Kimchi Fried Rice
Asian Slaw

Recipes to come…

Ingredients

2-3 lb. Chuck Roast
A binder – I usually use yellow mustard (you won’t taste it)
Your favorite BBQ Rub – Your time to shine, be creative. I used an AP Seasoning from a small outfit in California.
1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
1/4 Cup Honey
1/2 stick of butter, cubed
1/3 Cup of Bachan’s The Original Japanese BBQ Sauce
1/4 Cup Chopped Spring Onions
1 Tablespoon Toasted Sesame Seeds

Method

Fire up that Smoker – Get your BBQ up to 225 degrees F. You can use a pellet smoker, offset smoker, charcoal grill, gas grill, it is up to you – as long as you are set up for indirect heat.
Prepare the Meat – Trim up your chuck roast, removing any unwanted fat. Pat it dry with a paper towel, then lather it with a thin layer of your binder. Yellow mustard, olive oil, bbq sauce, anything that will make the seasoning stick to the meat.
Season – Cover the roast with the rub of your choice. All-purpose works just fine here. Be quite liberal with your seasoning, the goal is to build layers of flavor. This is the first layer, and we need enough seasoning to penetrate that thick cut of meat.
Smoke – Once your grill reaches the proper temperature, get that piece of meat on there. Smoke until the internal temp reaches 165 degrees F. This should take roughly 3 hours. Cooking times vary depending on the size of the chuck roast, the weather, and the type of grill you are using. Remember: Low and slow is better.
Wrap – Once the internal temp has hit 165 degrees F, pull the roast off the smoker, wrap in butcher paper, and return to the smoker. If pressed for time, it is okay to turn your grill up a bit here (250-275 degrees), but I will always be a big advocate for lower temperatures for longer times.
Slice and Dice – Once the internal temp has reached 190-195 degrees F, pull the wrapped roast off the grill, unwrap it, and place it on a large butcher block. At this point, leave it be for 20-30 minutes, allowing it to cool. Once you have waited as long as you possibly can (while smelling the sweet, smoky aroma), cut the roast into approximately 3/4″-1″ cubes, placing them into a tin roasting dish.
Sauce Time – Now is the time to add the stars of the show. Insert brown sugar, butter, honey, and that amazing Japanese BBQ sauce. Toss the cubes around until everything is evenly coated. Next, return to the smoker for the finishing touch. Once the sauce has caramelized and adheres well to the meat, it is ready. Do not rush this, it can take upwards of 2 hours to get them to prime sticky-ness.
Garnish – Top these bad boys with sliced spring onions, toasted sesame seeds, fried garlic, fresh jalapeños, or anything that sounds good to YOU!

Notes

My recommendation is to just leave the grill at 225 degrees the entire time. This will give you the most tender bite and will allow the fat to completely render, allowing that tough cut of beef to properly break down.
You can wrap with tin foil, however the outer edge, what we call the bark, will get soggy. Butcher paper will allow that bark to remain crispy, and will allow the sauce to adhere much better in the final part of the cook.
Don’t slice the beef until it has had time to rest! If you slice into your chuck roast immediately after pulling it off the smoker, it will lose a good amount of precious moisture, resulting in a drier finished product.
You can also make your own sauce. I like the Bachan’s for ease of use, as well as the simple, organic ingredients they use to make the sauce. Sauce series recipes to follow.
These little chunks of greatness are just as amazing the next day (if they even make it that far). I would recommend covering them with a wet paper towel before microwaving to keep them moist.