Kansas City Brisket Burnt Ends

Directions

1. In a bowl, combine the kosher salt, coarse black pepper, paprika, chili powder, granulated garlic, cayenne, dry mustard, and optional brown sugar. Mix thoroughly until evenly combined. This rub is meant to be simple, peppery, smoky, and lightly sweet instead of overly sugary like many modern competition-style blends.

2. Start by separating the brisket point from the flat. Follow the natural fat seam between the two muscles and trim the point free while leaving enough fat intact for proper rendering during the cook. Remove any hard exterior fat or loose hanging pieces, but do not over-trim the meat. Burnt ends are supposed to be rich, fatty, and bark-heavy.

3. If using a binder, lightly coat the brisket point with plain yellow mustard. Season heavily on all sides with the rub and let the brisket sit while the smoker comes up to temperature.

4. Preheat the smoker to 275°F to 300°F using oak, hickory, or a mix of both woods. Place the brisket point directly on the smoker and cook until the bark becomes dark, developed, and fully set. Once the bark is set, if you notice the edges starting to dry out during the cook, lightly spritz the brisket with water as needed to help protect the exterior without washing away the bark.

5. Continue cooking until the brisket becomes probe tender and reaches around 200°F internal. The probe should slide into the meat with little resistance, but the brisket should still have some structure and not feel overly soft or mushy.

6. Remove the brisket point from the smoker and let it rest for 45 minutes to 1 hour before slicing. Resting allows the rendered fat and juices to redistribute throughout the meat.

7. Cut the brisket point into rough 1 to 1½-inch cubes. Avoid making perfectly uniform cubes since traditional burnt ends were originally the barky edges and irregular scraps trimmed from smoked brisket.

8. At this point, the burnt ends can be served as-is for a more old-school Kansas City style. Lightly season the cubes with a little more of the rub before serving to help wake the bark back up and reinforce the peppery crust. Serve with sauce on the side.

9. If you prefer a sauced version, place the burnt ends into a pan and lightly coat them with the Kansas City-style barbecue sauce. The goal is to coat the meat, not drown it. If the pan looks dry, add a small splash of beef stock to help loosen everything up. Avoid adding butter, honey, extra brown sugar, or additional tallow for this old-school style.

10. Return the sauced burnt ends to the smoker uncovered at 275°F to 300°F for another 30 to 45 minutes until the sauce tightens slightly onto the meat. The burnt ends should still taste like smoky beef, rendered fat, bark, pepper, vinegar, and tomato instead of overly sweet meat candy.