Smoked brisket burnt ends are made by slowly smoking the point of a brisket, cutting it into cubes, and braising it in BBQ sauce. They taste like perfectly bite-sized pieces of meat candy and are one of the glorious benefits of owning a smoker! This recipe also includes optional sauce upgrades to make your brisket burnt ends extra tasty!
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Instructions
The Brisket Flat
To begin, trim and square your brisket (*see note). Preheat your smoker to 300°F (150°C) and make a solution of 50% apple cider vinegar and 50% water in a food-grade spritz bottle.
Rub the mustard on all sides of your trimmed brisket, then season liberally with the brisket rub.
After your smoker has preheated, place the prepared brisket fat-side-down on the smoker grate. Cook for 1 ½ hours without opening your smoker.
After 1 ½ hours, spray your brisket with the apple cider vinegar mixture 8-10 times all over. Continue to spray with apple cider vinegar every 30 minutes for another 1 ½ hours, or until the internal temperature reaches 204°F (95°C).
Transfer the cooked brisket to a large cutting board and separate the point from the flat (*see note). Reserve the brisket point to make burnt ends and loosely tent a piece of foil over the flat and let it rest for 15 minutes before serving.
Making Brisket Burnt Ends
As the other half of your brisket is resting, cut the point into 1" cubes and place them in a disposable pan. Toss with your preferred BBQ sauce. *If using any of the optional sauce upgrades, mix them with the BBQ sauce before tossing.
Return the pan to your smoker and reduce the smoker temperature to 225°F (105°C). Smoke for 1-2 hours, or until the sauce is thickened and sticky, and the burnt ends are tender.
Rest for 10-15 minutes before serving.
Notes
The 'flat' of the brisket is the portion that is meatier, leaner, and of course, flatter. The 'point' is the knobby side that is thicker but less uniform in shape with more fat or marbling.
For a more detailed explanation of how to trim your brisket, take a look at our Smoked Traeger Brisket post.
I did not brine my brisket this go around, however, many people prefer to brine it overnight in a sugar and salt solution and that is just fine.
Always rest a brisket. It's what keeps the meat tender and juicy! Brisket needs resting time to re-absorb all of the juices it lost after cooking.