Beef Burnt Ends from a Raw Brisket Point — Separated Before Smoking

This weekend I picked up a full packer brisket for $1.99/lb, right at $25 for a 12.5 lb brisket from my local Kroger. Since my sous vide container wasn’t big enough to hold a full packer, I trimmed it and separated the point from the flat before smoking — the point went toward these burnt ends, while the flat became a separate sous vide experiment (more on that below).

Point removed from a raw whole packer brisket

Separating the point from the flat is a lot easier once a brisket is smoked — there’s a fat seam between the two sections that renders down and separates cleanly with a knife once cooked. Doing it raw was more of a chore; I found a serrated knife worked best. I trimmed it up and seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic, and Jack Daniels Beef Rub.

Brisket point trimmed and seasoned with Jack Daniels Beef Rub

Smoking

I set up my Weber Smokey Mountain the same way I would for any overnight-style smoke: unlit charcoal in the ring, smoke wood buried inside, more unlit charcoal on top. I lit about 20 pieces in the chimney starter and poured them over the unlit coals, along with a little extra smoke wood on top for immediate smoke. I used post oak and cherry for this one.
At the 5-hour mark, it had reached 165°F and was looking good.

Brisket point on the smoker at the 5 hour mark, 165 degrees

The Wrap

Once it hit 165°F, I wrapped it in butcher paper — the Texas crutch. This speeds the cook along a bit without ruining the bark the way foil would; the brisket can still sweat inside the paper without changing the surface texture.

Brisket point wrapped in butcher paper at 165 degrees

Normally I’d take a brisket to around 203°F before pulling it, give or take a few degrees — at that point it probes like butter. This time, since it was headed back to the smoker for a second stage, I pulled it a bit early at 195°F.

Brisket point removed at 195 degrees and cubed

Cubing and Finishing

I have a cast iron pan that fits almost perfectly on my 18″ WSM. I cubed the brisket, added more rub, and placed it in the cast iron, planning for about another hour on the smoker.

Cubed brisket point seasoned and placed in a cast iron pan — brisket point cubed and seasoned

Burnt ends at the 30 minute mark with water added

Back on the smoker with more wood, I let it go another 30 minutes, then added a small amount of water and gave it a stir.

Burnt ends at the 1 hour mark with barbecue sauce added

At the 1-hour mark, I added barbecue sauce, stirred again, and planned to pull it 30 minutes after that.

Finished beef burnt ends from a raw brisket point — burnt ends

Result

This batch was really on point — an equal mix of tender interior and crunchy bark, with great smoked flavor. The Jack Daniels Beef Rub added a distinct taste that set it apart from other batches. Winner winner, burnt ends dinner.

Want to see where I got the technique wrong the first time around, and how I fixed it a few years earlier? Check out my Burnt Ends post. Burnt Ends

The flat from this same brisket went a completely different direction — check out the Sous Vide Brisket experiment it became. Sous Vide Brisket

See how this fits into everything else I’ve learned about brisket in the Complete Brisket Guide.