Burnt Ends 101: Which Part Of The Brisket Do Burnt Ends Come From?

The smells of good barbecue can permeate your nostrils eons before you even know you're in the vicinity of a restaurant. As you open the door, drawn in by that heady, sweet scent, maybe you're picturing some apple cider smoked pulled pork, juicy ribs, or smoky burnt ends. You may be familiar with the parts of the cow that turn into sirloins or short ribs, but it's not often explained that burnt ends are quite literally made from the ends of a brisket.

A brisket is a cut of meat that comes from the chest of a cow. There are two cuts of brisket, the point and the flat, and burnt ends come from the former. Sometimes referred to as the "deckle," this part of the cow is often fatty and juicy, so while it makes a great appetizer, it isn't necessarily the preferred cut of meat for sandwiches or entrees. You might spot pork belly burnt ends on the menu at your favorite barbecue joint, but these are an entirely different kind of meat with an entirely different texture. Brisket burnt ends are the culmination of hours of labor that leave the meat smoky, tender, and chock full of flavor.

A food being "burnt" might induce a negative connotation, but when it comes to this delicacy, "burnt" doesn't necessarily mean bad. It may seem like brisket burnt ends have been on barbecue menus for eternity, but the tender cubes only began making appearances in the 1970s, because they weren't always the coveted barbecue staple they are today. Brisket burnt ends are charred, sure, but charring allows them to caramelize and crisp perfectly. Think of them like crispy fries or the extra crunchy pieces of bacon you like to pick out of the bunch — an ideal mix of sensation and taste.

Brisket burnt ends are cooked slowly and carefully. When you purchase what aficionados call a whole packer brisket, you can either cook the entire brisket in one piece or you can split the meat down the middle into the point and the flat. Since you only really need the point for burnt ends, most people prefer to make the split ahead of time and focus on making the cut as tender as possible. After the meat is separated, chefs will season it with spices and salts, smoke it for a few hours on a smoker, remove the meat, cut it into cubes, toss it in sauces, and throw it back on the grill uncovered to char up even more. There's no need to worry about overdoing it, because when it comes to brisket burnt ends, the darker the better.