The very definition of meat candy. These BBQ Brisket Burnt Ends—a classic of Texas barbecue—are both a showboat and a crowd pleaser. Don't put them on your smoker unless you're ready to invite the whole block to your next cookout.
Together Doug Scheiding and his wife, Jennifer Talley, make up the Rogue Cookers Competition BBQ team. Doug and Jennifer cook exclusively on Traeger Pellet Grills. Head Country rubs and sauces have been a part of the Rogue Cookers arsenal since day one of their work as competitive cookers. Rogue Cookers won the Houston Rodeo World Championship (HLSR) in 2015, a 2nd and 4th Place in Brisket at the San Antonio Rodeo, and first place in Cook's Choice Category at the Jack Daniel's International Invitational, all using Head Country sauces, seasonings, and marinade. Doug is a Traeger BBQ Pro, a Head Country Brand Ambassador, and the Texas Embedded Correspondent to The BBQ Central Show.
VISIT ROGUE COOKERS ON INSTAGRAM1 Cooked packer brisket (preferably 12-16 lbs)
12 oz. Head Country Sweet & Sticky Head Country Bar-B-Q sauce
6-8 oz of brisket cooking juice (or beef broth)
Head Country Original Championship Seasoning
Hardwood: Oak or Hickory
Burnt ends, a.k.a. meat candy, made from the brisket point, are wonderful nuggets of fatty deliciousness. It is a Kansas City standard-of-quality BBQ, but since Texas is the King of Brisket, we Texans make them as well. Use the Head Country Sweet & Sticky sauce, as it's perfect for burnt ends—sweet, sticky, smoky, and really good.
1. Cook the full packer brisket as usual, with a couple of suggestions: Trim the fat entirely off the bottom side of the brisket in the point region (thicker side). Example directions can be found on the Head Country Texas Style BBQ Brisket recipe. Optional advanced tip: From the top of the brisket, you can trim out the fat layer between the point and the flat at the thick end of the brisket for about 3-4 inches, allowing the point portion to go from vertical to horizontal. Rub can then be put on both sides. It will look like a ledge sticking out of the front of the brisket (opposite the flat).
2. After letting the brisket rest for a couple of hours (not mandatory, depending on your time): Pre-heat your grill to 350 degrees F. Separate the point from the flat by using a knife to cut along the fat line, separating the two and making the point into a wedge. Next, cut the point into cubes about one-by-one-inch square. You should get about 40-50 cubes.
3. In a small metal pan (6” x 12” x 2.5” works great), put 12 ounces of Head Country Sweet & Sticky BBQ Sauce and 6-8 oz of brisket juice from the cooked brisket, or beef broth (you can separate the brisket juice from the oil using an oil separator or a pancake dispenser). Put the cubes of brisket in the sauce and mix. Put a medium coat of Head Country Championship Seasoning (we like the Original blend for this) on the top.
4. Place the pan of cubes on the grill. Stir the sauce every 15-20 minutes and let it reduce for approximately 1.5-2 hours, or until the sauce thickens. It should be bubbling while cooking, especially on the outer rim of the pan. The burnt ends are done when the sauce reduces by about half.
Serve and enjoy.
