Burnt ends usually come from the point of a whole brisket. A chuck roast gives you the same rich, saucy bites for less money and less time. You smoke the roast, cube it, then cook the cubes in sauce until they are soft and sticky.
The recipe
Ingredients
- 1 beef chuck roast, 3–4 lb, well marbled
- 1 tbsp yellow mustard or olive oil, as a binder
- 3 tbsp Texas-style brisket rub or all-purpose BBQ rub
- 1 cup BBQ sauce, such as Kansas City-style
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp honey
- 3 tbsp butter, cut into small pieces
- Smoking wood: oak, hickory or cherry (chunks, chips or pellets)
Steps
- Trim any hard fat or thick silver skin from the outside of the chuck roast. Leave the soft marbling inside.
- Rub the roast with the binder, then coat all sides with the rub. Let it sit while the smoker heats.
- Set up your smoker for 250°F with oak, hickory or cherry. Wait for thin, clean smoke.
- Smoke the roast until it has a dark bark and reads about 165–170°F inside, usually 3 1/2–4 hours.
- Move the roast to a cutting board and cut it into 1 to 1 1/2 inch cubes.
- Put the cubes in a disposable foil pan. Add the sauce, brown sugar, honey and butter, and toss to coat.
- Cover the pan with foil and return it to the 250°F smoker. Cook until the cubes reach about 200–205°F and a probe slides in with almost no resistance, about 1 1/2–2 hours.
- Remove the foil, stir gently and cook 15–20 minutes more so the sauce thickens and sticks to the meat.
- Rest 10 minutes before serving. The sauce will be very hot.
Why this works
Chuck roast comes from the shoulder. It has lots of fat and connective tissue, just like brisket point. Beef is safe at 145°F, but chuck stays tough at that point. Taking it to about 200–205°F melts the tough parts into gelatin. That is what makes the cubes soft and juicy.
The first smoke builds bark and flavor. The covered pan step adds moisture so the cubes can finish cooking without drying out. The last few minutes uncovered turn the sauce into a sticky glaze.
The rub and sauce
A simple salt, pepper and garlic blend like our Texas-style brisket rub keeps the focus on the beef. For a sweeter bite, use the all-purpose rub instead. A thick, sweet sauce works best in the pan. Our Kansas City BBQ sauce is a good match.
Best wood
Oak and hickory are classic beef woods. Cherry adds a deeper red color to the bark. Mix one part cherry with two parts oak if you want both.
How to tell it's done
Temperature gets you close, but feel tells you when to stop. Poke a cube with a probe or toothpick. It should slide in like it is going into soft butter. If it still pushes back, give it another 20–30 minutes covered. A good leave-in thermometer lets you watch the first stage without opening the lid.
Make ahead / storage
You can smoke and cube the roast a day early and chill it. The next day, sauce it and do the pan step. Plan a little longer, since it starts cold. Leftovers keep 3–4 days in the fridge. Warm them covered in a 300°F oven with a splash of water or sauce.
Variations
- Pork version. For a richer, fattier bite, try pork belly burnt ends.
- Spicy. Add 1–2 tbsp hot sauce or a pinch of cayenne to the pan.
- Sandwiches. Pile the cubes on a soft bun with pickles and sliced onion.
Keep reading
The Best Fish for Smoking (and the Ones to Skip)
Which fish smoke best? Compare 18 fish by fat, flavor, best smoking style and wood, plus which lean fish to skip and how to smoke shellfish.
Beef Brisket Injection
A simple beef broth brisket injection that keeps the flat juicy, with how much to use per pound, where to inject and how to keep it safe.
Cajun Beef Jerky
Spicy Cajun beef jerky with a homemade Cajun rub, hot sauce and garlic, heated to the USDA 160°F before drying.