SMOKED CHUCK ROAST BURNT ENDS
Burnt ends are traditionally made using the flat part of the brisket but today, we’re using Chuck Roast to make a Poor Man’s Burnt Ends. We’re going to smoke these chuck roasts low and slow to make burnt ends two ways, wet and dry. Watch this vid for all the details!
- Hey everybody, I'm Joey and today we're making tasty little meat treats called burnt end. We're using chuck roast to make these two ways, both wet and dry. So follow me and let's get smokin'. Although burnt ends are traditionally made with brisket, today we're using chuck roast. Which most people think of as their mama's stew meat or a poor man's meat. It's a tough cut and it's gotta be cooked low and slow to make it tender. As a matter of fact, if you try cooking this hot and fast like a porterhouse, you'll end up with a Michelin special, it won't be edible. So low and slow is the way to go to make this chuck roast both tender and tasty. So let's get started, the first we need to do is season it. So I'm gonna use some yellow mustard and coat the outside. Some people use extra virgin olive oil, some people use nothing at all. I find that this mustard helps the seasoning stick. You will not notice any mustard flavor when it's done cooking. So we're gonna get this coated on both sides. And let's get messy. Next, we're gonna hit it with some of our big, tasty steak rub. This is a simple rub that we created ourselves with common ingredients found in most kitchens. Probably yours, too. You can find the link in the description below. But we're just gonna go ahead and put this on both sides, get it coated nice and thoroughly. This will help promote a ton of flavor as it cooks, it has a little kosher salt, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper and some beef bouillon to help bring out that beefy flavor. So let's flip it over and now I'll get the other side. I leave it on this foil sheet because this mustard is a little bit messy as you can probably see. And this makes for an easy clean up. We're gonna get these thoroughly coated on both sides. And that's gonna help make that crunchy bark exterior. That's where all the flavor hides, that's why people love burnt ends, because of the bark. So now these chuck roasts are fully seasoned and they're ready to go on the smoker. But before they go I just wanna mention that chuck roast is a cut very commonly found in many stores, typically cut between about a pound and a half and three pounds. These are two and half pounds thick and they're gonna take about two hours per pound to cook so follow me and let's 'em on the smoker. So not everything always goes as planned. As you can see we have a monsoon that hit us. But I'm still cooking and I still need to check the temperature of that pit to make sure that it's consistent at the right temperature between 225 and 250. Also to check the other probe on the internal temperature of the meat. I'll be right back. I'm happy to report the internal temperature right now is at 108 degrees so we have about another hour to go and the pit temperature itself is at about 255 degrees, about five degrees hotter than I'd like it but that's really splitting hairs. It's still gonna turn out great, once it's done. And surprisingly that rain isn't cooling off the pit too much. Anyway I can't show you the inside otherwise it would get a little sloppy on the camera side. But we'll be right back and I'll pull it off when it's done, about an hour. Alright we weren't able to film these chuck roasts going onto to the smoker because there was basically a monsoon coming down and you might be able to see some of the remnants of that on my shirt. But these have been on for about two hours. We've been running the smoker at anywhere from 225 to 250 degrees and I know that because I have a thermometer right here that tells me the exact inside temperature of that. Let's go ahead and pull this off and you'll see have our two briskets smoking right here. And we also have a meatloaf. What else you'll notice is that we have the fire going on side over here, that's the direct heat, and that's where we have our applewood smoking. And then over here on the indirect side that's where we have the chuck roast because we're smoking, we don't want that on direct heat. Alright these have reached the internal temperature of 165 degrees. So we're gonna go ahead and pull them off. And we're going to wrap one of them in foil and we're going to cut the other one into cubes for more of a wet burnt ends. These have been cooking also for about four hours. Let's take 'em inside, wrap 'em and cut 'em and get 'em back on the grill. Follow me. Alright now there's still a couple more steps to get these done. But as I said, we're gonna do two different types of burnt ends, wet and dry. By dry I mean we're not gonna add any type of barbecue sauce or anything to it, we're simply just gonna wrap it in foil. It's only at 165 so we're going to wrap it in foil which will allow the temperature to escalate quickly. We really wanna get this to an internal temperature of about 205, 210 before we cut it. So what we're gonna do is I'm gonna get it in foil, and just set it aside. Now for our wet burnt ends. We're gonna prepare these a little bit different. I'm gonna take this and cut this into cubes right now. So as you notice, as I cut, I actually cut, just like I would any other steak, across the grain. The grains run this way and you can see I've cut right across and that will make it even more tender once we go to eat them. Now we're gonna wanna go ahead and just cut these in half so they're about half the size of what we currently have them. For those of you wondering, that is our oven, which has just notified me it iss preheated to 250 degrees. Alright, now that we have 'em cut in cubes we're gonna go ahead and add a couple other things. The first thing, a little bit of barbecue sauce. A little bit of brown sugar. And I'm just gonna add in some of that big tasty steak rub that we used to season it with. Now I'm going to cover this with foil and from here you could really put them back on the pit or you can place 'em in the oven. They're really not gonna get any additional smoke flavor from here. I would typically put them back on the smoker except I am basically out of fire so we're gonna put 'em in the oven. We're gonna let them cook for about another hour to hour or two on these. Basically we're gonna pull it off once this one reaches an internal temperature of 195 degrees. Let's get 'em in. Alright so these have been in the oven for about an hour and a half. You'll notice that we pulled the other chuck roast out about ten minutes ago and the reason we did that is one, because it hit it's internal temperature of 205 degrees and we wanted to give it about 10 minutes to cool before cut it up. Over here let's do the reveal on these wet burnt ends. Oh boy, I wish you could smell that at home. It smells absolutely amazing. I can't wait to dig in. But before I do, let's go ahead and cube these up and get them ready to eat. Alright, so we're done. We have two large piles of burnt ends, wet and dry. So why did I make 'em two ways? Well it's simple. I once had someone tell me that they could eat the wet burnt ends for breakfast, lunch and dinner. But I personally prefer them dry. Maybe you know people who feel the exact same way. And now you'll be prepared to make 'em whatever way suits your pallet or that of your guests. I'm no master of the cooking universe, I'm just a somewhat normal guy who likes to cook and share it on YouTube in the hopes that I might help the world become a better cook. Our motto at Red Meat Lover is cooking meat made easy. And that's just what we strive to do every single video. If you like this please give us a thumbs up like or hit subscribe to our YouTube channel, it's the big red button over here, you can't miss it. And it will only take a second. And remember what Anthony Bourdain once said, barbecue might not be the road to world peace but it sure is a good start. I'll see ya next time.
POOR MAN’S BURNT ENDS RECIPE VIDEO
Burnt ends are typically made with brisket but today, we’re using chuck roast – which most people think of as their momma’s stew meat….or trash meat…or poor man’s meat. It’s a tough cut and it’s gotta be cooked low & slow to make it tender. That’s why chuck roast is traditionally been used in pot roasts, crockpots and other stews.
If you try grilling this fast and hot like a Porterhouse Steak you’ll end up with what I call a Michelin Special. It will be chewy…so low and slow is the way to go and we’ll be smoking this chuck roast for up to 6 hours to make it tender and tasty.
SMOKED POOR MAN’S BURNT ENDS
As we mentioned, the idea of Poor Man’s Burnt ends comes from the old notion that Chuck Roast is cheap relative to other cuts, especially the brisket…..but that’s not really not true anymore. In many grocers, chuck roast can cost nearly the same as brisket.
If it’s the same cost, why use chuck roast then? Well, as my grandpap used to say, why don’t you try something new every once in awhile….you just might like it……here, try this whiskey!
Kidding of course, but the advantage of using chuck roast is the cut itself. It’s typically sold in 3 lb cuts so it’s much cheaper than buying a whole brisket, even though the brisket can be cheaper / pound. This smaller cut Chuck Roast is also advantageous, which helps 1) reduce cook time and 2) provides more surface area / lb than a brisket.
INGREDIENTS
- 3 LBS Chuck Roast – Also known as Chuck Steaks
- Mustard – 2 to 3 TBSP / 3lb roast
- Big Tasty Steak Rub – 3 to 4 TBSP / 3 lb roast.
- 1/4 cup of your Favorite BBQ Sauce
- 2 TBSP Brown Sugar
RECIPE
- Coat steaks in mustard
- Cover steaks with Big Tasty Steak Rub. Can substitute your favorite seasoning. Reserve 1 TBSP is you are making wet burnt ends (below)
- Heat Smoker at 225 – 250. You can run the temp as high as 275 if needed for time but no higher. Remember, to create a smoke chamber in a weber kettle (as shown in the video), you will need to build the fire only on one side of the pit (not the middle).
- I typically use a fruit wood like apple for smoking but use whatever you prefer.
- Place the Chuck Steaks on the side OPPOSITE the fire. You’ll need indirect heat to create those crispy burnt ends.
- I place a grill safe probe in meat that monitors the temperature as it cooks.
- Will need to check fire and temp to maintain smoking temperature. I have this transmitter so I can know the temps from inside the house. Usually move wood or add chips every hour or so.
- Cook steaks until they reach an internal temperature of about 165 F. This will take about 1+ hours / lb.
- Remove steaks from the grill one they reach temp
- Next steps depend on whether you want your burnt ends “wet” with bbq sauce or “dry”
Dry Burnt Ends
- Wrap in foil and place back on the grill for another 1+ hours until it reaches an internal temperature of 205. You could place it in the oven instead (as shown in video).
- Remove after it reaches 205, cut into cubes and serve!
Wet Burnt Ends
- Cut smoked Chuck Roast into cubes.
- Add big tasty steak rub, brown sugar, and bbq sauce. On grill another 1-2 hours.
- Little bit of sauce and brown sugar OR rub and little bit of sauce
- Return to heat another 1-2 hours, covered.
- Serve and enjoy!
WET OR DRY POOR MANS BURNT ENDS
The best thing about smoked Chuck Roast Burnt Ends are the exterior of the surface which gets a crusty exterior known as the bark. There’s a ton of smokey flavor hiding in each bite and many people say it’s the best part.
I recently did a taste test and someone said they could eat the wet ends for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I like them too but I really prefer them without the sauce, so we made them both ways….like BK, have it your way!
At Red Meat Lover, we’re want to build a community where we can all share our ideas so please leave your comments below or on our blog post.
Meat and Peace.
Joey






Prep Time | 20 minutes |
Cook Time | 2 hours / lb |
Passive Time | 10 minutes |
Servings |
people
|
- 3 lbs Chuck Roast Also known as Chuck Steaks
- 3 TBSP Yellow Mustard enough to coat steaks
- 4 TBSP Big Tasty Steak Rub Substitute your favorite rub
- 1/4 cup of your Favorite BBQ Sauce
- 2 TBSP Brown Sugar
Ingredients
|
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- Coat steaks in mustard
- Cover steaks with Big Tasty Steak Rub. Can substitute your favorite seasoning. Reserve 1 TBSP is you are making wet burnt ends (below)
- Heat Smoker at 225 – 250. You can run the temp as high as 275 if needed for time but no higher. Remember, to create a smoke chamber in a weber kettle (as shown in the video), you will need to build the fire only on one side of the pit (not the middle).
- I typically use a fruit wood like apple for smoking but use whatever you prefer.
- Place the Chuck Steaks on the side OPPOSITE the fire. You'll need indirect heat to create those crispy burnt ends.
- I place a grill safe probe in meat that monitors the temperature as it cooks.
- Will need to check fire and temp to maintain smoking temperature. I have this transmitter so I can know the temps from inside the house. Usually move wood or add chips every hour or so.
- Cook steaks until they reach an internal temperature of about 165 F. This will take about 1+ hours / lb.
- Remove steaks from the grill one they reach temp
- Next steps depend on whether you want your burnt ends "wet" with bbq sauce or "dry"
- DRY BURNT ENDS - SKIP STEPS 14 - 18!
- Wrap in foil and place back on the grill for another 1+ hours until it reaches an internal temperature of 205. You could place it in the oven instead (as shown in video).
- Remove after it reaches 205, cut into cubes and serve!
- WET BURNT ENDS - SKIP STEP 12 & 13
- Cut smoked Chuck Roast into cubes.
- Add big tasty steak rub, brown sugar, and bbq sauce. On grill another 1-2 hours.
- Little bit of sauce and brown sugar OR rub and little bit of sauce
- Return to heat another 1-2 hours, covered.
- Serve and enjoy!
5 Comments on “Poor Man’s Burnt Ends Recipe Video – Smoked Chuck Roast Burnt Ends”
Your food looks great.
John – Thanks for checking out our site and for the great feedback, much appreciated!
Love the videos. Great recipes. How about a good kick but beef stew recipe?
Thanks for the great feedback, much appreciated. Good call on the beef stew video, we’ll have to add the to the queue!
I have been curious about making burnt ends for a while now. I have a spare chuck roast that I can afford to screw up. But after reading this recipe, it is fool proof. I will try this tomorrow and see how it goes. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us.