Is there anything that says honest barbecue more than “Burnt Ends”? Super smokey, toothsome, unctuous little nuggets of barbecue heaven. So popular and hard to come by that most “Q” joints sell out of them within minutes of opening each day.
What are “burnt ends”?
Traditionally, they are the over-done edges and corners of briskets and Boston butts that are trimmed off, then put in a pan with sauce and other yummies and smoked longer to concentrate the flavors. That said, they’ve become a thing in their own right and folks make them on their own.
This post will show you how to create burnt ends with pork belly and give you some notes on how to make them with beef. Buckle up, we’re going for a ride into Burnt End land!
Making Burnt Ends at Home
Making burnt ends at home is really quite easy – like anything that’s proper BBQ, it requires some low and slow time, some heat, some spice, some sauce and well, some love too!
The technique is amazingly simple. Take a cut of meat that loves low and slow – think pork belly, pork shoulder, brisket, chuck – (this is not a place for lean cuts like filet, sirloin, tenderloin, etc.), cut it into bite sized nuggets, toss it with a generous amount of a tasty rub, smoke them for a while, then put them into a pan with some sauce and other ingredients, and smoke some more. It’s a great thing to do if you’re doing a long cook and you have a bit of space on your smoker or grill – these cook beautifully on the second grate of most grills and smokers that have them.
Now, every good recipe for anything BBQ starts with Griller’s Gold natural hardwood pellets. This recipe is designed for grilling on a wood pellet grill but we have put in some hints for making them on gas grills and charcoal grills. If you’re doing them on a classic drum/bullet/barrel smoker, you don’t need anything special other than the recipe below.
Pork Belly Burnt Ends
This is the “master” recipe in terms of technique and ingredients. This also works for pork shoulder, and of course beef, which we note after the pork belly recipe.
Ingredients:
2-3 lbs pork belly, skin removed – this is about 1/4 of a typical pork belly
Barbecue Rub
1 cup of your favorite BBQ Sauce
½ cup honey
½ cup beer or cola
½ stick butter
About pork belly: Costco, Sam’s Club, Whole Foods and other locations often sell large pieces of pork belly – if you’re not familiar with pork belly, here’s one word that will help you: “bacon.”
What is Pork Belly exactly?
Pork belly is where traditional American bacon comes from – it is the outer layer of the belly of a pig. A whole pork belly can be quite a large thing so what they normally sell there is a piece that’s about 12 inches wide and 16” long that weighs up to 5 or 6 lb., which is typically a half pork belly.
This recipe is for half of that, but of course, can be easily doubled. You can also often find pork belly cut in large strips about an inch wide and those are fine to buy too. In fact that’s what we used in the photos for this post.
Most places sell belly without the skin – and if all your source has is skin-on belly, ask the butcher to remove the skin for you. If using the whole piece of belly, start by cutting the belly into 1 ½” wide strips across the short dimension. You can tell you’re doing it right if each slice looks like a thick piece of bacon. If you bought the strips, this step is done for you. Then cut each strip into 1 ½” pieces – you should wind up with pieces that are about 1 ½” on two sides and 1” or so thick. These are a bit larger than typical bite-sized, but they cook down a lot.
Put the Pork Belly on the Grill!
Next, get your smoker rolling smoke – if using a pellet grill, fire up using Griller’s Gold pellets – for pork we like hickory, cherry, Fruitwood Blend, or Competition Blend. All will give great results!
Preheat to 180 degrees and if your pellet grill has an “extra smoke” or “Super Smoke” feature, select that. If using a gas grill, preheat to the lowest possible temperature, and for bullet/barrel/etc.smokers, plus kettle grills, set up for low and slow – 225 or lower.
While the smoker heats up, toss the pork belly nuggets in a generous amount of rub. For this recipe, we like the following rub:
2 tablespoons of each: sugar, kosher salt, coarse ground black pepper, paprika, granulated garlic and granulated onion
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons dry mustard powder
1 teaspoon of ground ginger
You can also use your favorite rub for pork, or something like Meathead’s Memphis Dust plus salt. Mix well and then toss your pork belly cubes with enough rub to evenly coat them well.
Scatter the nuggets across the grill’s cooking grate, making sure they aren’t touching each other and close the grill hood. A handy way to manage this is to put them on a cooling rack then just set the rack on the smoker. Again, this is great to do if you have room while doing another cook. Just know that if you put them on an upper grate, they will drip delicious pork fat onto whatever is smoking below. Which begs the question: “How is that a bad thing?”
Expert Hint for Wood Pellet Grill Users
Time for an expert hint for wood pellet grill users: Pellet grills tend not to be as smoky as barrel or bullet smokers. While burnt ends love a very smoky flavor and with the fattier meat, they can take it without getting “ashy” tasting.
To kick things up a bit, consider using a smoke tube to supplement the smoke a bit – we’ve written about these before.Check out that blog here.
Load your smoke tube with the same Griller’s Gold natural hardwood pellets you’re using to fuel your grill (or, experiment – maybe try just hickory or cherry if you’re using one of the blends) and light it using a propane or butane torch, then set it on the grill grate on the opposite end of your smoker from the smokestack. It will kick out more smoke which will dance over your little smoky treats and kiss them with more flavor.
After the first hour, kick the heat up to 225. After 4 hours total in the smoker, take the nuggets off and put them in a foil pan. Whisk up a cup of your favorite barbecue sauce, a half cup of beer ( non-alcoholic option: cola works great too) and a half cup of honey. Two tablespoons of apple jelly is a nice bonus. Pour this sauce over the nuggets and toss them all to coat. Dot with about half stick of butter cut into small pieces. Put the pan (uncovered) back into the smoker for another 2 hours. Stir after 1 hour. After 2 hours those nuggets should be amazing – the sauce will have cooked down to a syrupy goodness and the nuggets will be nice and caramelized. They are ready to serve at this point – use a slotted spoon to remove them from the pan (there will be a lot of liquid fat in the pan) to serve. A pre-heated cast iron skillet makes a great presentation of these and will keep them warm as well. Be sure to include toothpicks to pick them up and lots of napkins.
(Note, if doing this as a side item while you’re doing another cook, don’t sweat the temperatures – roll with the temps you’re using for whatever you’re doing, just know that this does need to be in the low and slow range which is typically 180 degrees up to 275 degrees.)
Variation for Boston Butt/Pork Shoulder:
All of the above applies, but 1) cut to 1 ¼” cubes as it will shrink less; and 2) stretch first smoke period to 5 hours as they will need a touch longer.
Beef Burnt Ends
As promised, the technique is largely the same here as above, but here’s some variation points:
Cut of beef: Short rib meat is the ultimate here, but brisket and chuck work great too. Don’t buy crosscut short ribs but instead buy large, meaty short ribs. Cut the meat off the bones as close to the bone as you can.
Prep: Cut into bite sized cubes – because beef will not shrink as much as pork belly, cut a bit smaller – 1 ¼” or so.
Rub: The same rub above works great, or because beef loves it so much, just equal parts salt, pepper and granulated garlic tastes/works great too.
Sauce: Again same as above but a great variation is to use a steak sauce like A1 or Heinz 57 instead of BBQ sauce. Mix with honey and beer.
Time: Same as above, but taste after 4 hours – if they are tough, consider giving them 1 more hour to smoke.
Griller’s Gold Pellets: The Smokehouse Blend is great for this beef recipe, but if you are doing them as a “side item” to a larger smoke, just roll with whatever you’re running, it will be fine.
Extra smoke: Beef loves extra smoke so don’t be afraid to fire up that smoke tube if you’re running a wood pellet grill.
Last item for both – these are great made ahead. We often make them a day or more ahead. Just keep in the foil pan you made them in and then reheat them in a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes when ready to serve.
Give these a try – there’s no voodoo in this recipe and nothing to be afraid of – you have to try really hard to mess up burnt ends! And trust us – when you come to your friends with a hot pan of these little nuggets of joy, you’ll be everyone’s hero! Smoke on! (Here are a few more smoker tips, in case you want to read more)
Whether it’s a
hearty and savory one-dish morning meal, or a sweet sandwich that will bring
back childhood memories, or a great bread to enjoy at home or take to a
friend’s, there’s a lot of flavor in brunch dishes from the grill. (Bonus: Enjoy any of these brunch dishes with pumpkin spice
latte – unless that’s not your thing, at which point just forget we
mentioned it…)
Breakfast pizza
with sausage gravy
This sausage-and-gravy-and-pizza recipe delivers all the classic flavors of a Southern breakfast — on a pizza crust! Make the sausage gravy indoors, and then turn your outdoor grill into a pizza oven. Spoon on the warm gravy and serve.
Grilled peanut butter banana sandwich
This is an insane sweet-spicy indulgence with minimal prep and cooking time. Assemble (preferably on cinnamon bread) and throw onto the grill in an uncovered skillet. Our favorite step is the recipe’s final one: “Pretend you are eleven. To make it totally official, eat with some potato chips.”
That pretty much says it.
Baking banana walnut bread on
the grill
Sliced banana bread with walnuts
Follow your favorite family recipe – because with a wood pellet grill, you can control temperature for baking. And refer to The Wood Pellet Smoker & Grill Cookbook by Peter Jautaikis if you want a complete, delicious recipe. (You can order some Griller’s Gold pellets while you’re shopping.) Pumpkin bread is a great alternative.
Pizza, sandwiches, sweet baked goods – they’re all delicious
grilled brunches with fall flavor. Have a great weekend.
Griller’s Gold wood pellets are made of 100% natural wood – and nothing else. But the variety or type of wood differs between our five blends. Those mixes were created by BBQ pros to make the perfect match with different foods.
Competition Blend with Pork Shoulder, Ribs, Beef
The Griller’s Gold flagship blend combines wood varieties to put flavor first. It’s the right choice for beef, from burgers to a ‘Poor Man’s Brisket’ from our friends at the National BBQ Association.
Smokeshack Blend with Brisket, Pork Shoulder, Ribs
Our Smokeshack pellets are made with classic BBQ meats in mind. Learn about why these affordable and flavorful cuts are perfect for smoking in this article about meat slow-cooking fundamentals.
The slight sweetness of cherry smoke makes it the right choice for lighter proteins like seafood. Here’s more about smoking fish on the grill with a link to a favorite salmon recipe.
There’s never been a better time to eat together at home. Here at Griller’s Gold, we want to share ways to make great dishes — mains and sides — with a few ingredients you have in your pantry. Stay-at-home dinner never tasted so good.
First, look in the pantry
What have you got there? If you’re like so many of us, you’ll see:
Canned or dry beans
Canned tomatoes
Spices like cumin and hot pepper.
It all adds up to something fantastic:
Recipe: Chili on the grill!
That’s a genius main dish*. And you can basically never have too much of it. For the dedicated griller in you, the great Steve Raichlen, author of The Barbecue Bible, says it all: “The secret to the world’s BEST chili lies in your backyard. Start with barbecued brisket and pork, not raw meat. Add plenty of beer and a little chocolate. And above all, cook it in a smoker.” Here’s Steve’s Smokehouse Chili recipe in all its glory.
*Yes, Steve and pretty much everyone else who loves chili will acknowledge that maybe your part of the country thinks either tomatoes or beans just don’t belong. Nonetheless, this is your opportunity to make chili with what you’ve got. And you can swap out any smoke-worthy meat for the cuts Steve recommends. Once you’ve smoked the meat, it’s time to fire up the chili pot. This chili can make down time fun.
When it’s time to serve, you can choose to go traditional with the sides and do a cornbread and salad. You mix things up a little by cooking some pasta and making a chili mac. Work with what you already have in your kitchen to keep it easy.
Recipe: Quick BBQ sauce
If you’ve got bone-in chicken pieces plus some tomato sauce and brown sugar from the pantry, that’s pretty much all it takes for this 5-ingredient BBQ chicken recipe. Just mix the sauce and grill. And in the spirit of inspiring your creativity and problem solving, you could dig in the freezer and see if there’s another protein on which you could splash your home-brewed BBQ sauce.
Recipe: Spanish rice is nice
Look in the pantry again, and you’re almost sure to find white rice and chicken stock in addition to those canned tomatoes. Combine with onion and garlic, and you’ll have the makings of a savory Spanish rice recipe that’s the perfect side dish for grilled meats.
So whether you do a project of grilled chili empowered by your pantry, or keep it simple with a homemade BBQ sauce or simple Spanish rice side, you’re grilling like a champion. And we applaud all of you who BBQ with attitude.
Right now, it seems right to talk about enjoying meals together at home. For this blog, it means that we want to share ways to make great grilled meals with a few ingredients you have on hand. Grilling is something we almost always do at our own home — and nowadays, grilled goodies are more of a comfort food than ever.
Count on a minimal number of ingredients
You can look online for all sorts of 5-ingredient recipes. You can even search with a list of what you’ve actually got: like “recipe with beef tomatoes onions bell peppers.” Most recipe writers and cookbooks will say that the ingredient limit doesn’t include things like herbs and spices, salt, pepper, flour, oil, vinegar, mustard, ketchup, water — the bare essentials.
For grillers, that “doesn’t count” list might make you think of something: marinade! Want a refresher on marinating for the grill? This is one of our favorite past posts, including guidelines for making your own marinade from scratch. You’ll read about rubs, too, and they’re just as versatile and easy to get going without a trip to the grocery.
Now, what you’re marinating (or rubbing) matters. But the technique works for so many different meats. Which is perfect if the selection was limited when you went to the store, or if you have only a few choices in the fridge or freezer.
Minimalist main dish on the grill
The National BBQ Association recently shared this one-minute “poor man’s brisket” recipe video that captures the idea: a protein, some seasonings, rub technique, and you’re ready for BBQ with attitude. What’s great about this approach — the method applies to all sorts of proteins you might have in your freezer.
Minimalism on the side
For a hearty yet, simple side for meat (or meatless main dish if you like), these grilled cauliflower steaks define a minimalist recipe. Basically, there’s one ingredient plus good old marinade. The recipe’s instructions call for drizzling and sprinkling tasty marinade made of olive oil, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. If you’re new to cauliflower steaks, review the instructions for cutting the cauliflower heads so the slices stand up to cooking.
Get wood pellet flavor at the game even if you’re using a portable grill. Moments like this were made for smoker tubes. They’re easy, they’re budget-friendly, and they bring the taste of smoke where it needs to go.
Tailgate
pork chops
Pork chops cook up on the spot at the tailgate. Hall of Famer coach Mike Ditka’s ‘Official Tailgater’s Grilled Pork Chop’ recipe requires a little bit of planning – 24 hours of marinating in orange juice, soy sauce and assorted spices. But once you get to the stadium, it’s salt, pepper, and onto the grill. While the recipe doesn’t ask for wood fuel, pork chops always get even better with some smoke flavor. Guaranteed.
Grilled
vegetable platter
A simple but colorful grilled vegetable platter makes for savory snacking and a side dish for grilled meats. Take your pick of the harvest and marinate on the way to the game with balsamic vinegar, oregano, honey and more, then grill and drizzle the marinade over when you serve.
Guacamole
with charred corn
Bobby Flay definitely takes game-day dip to the next level with this chunky, colorful and tasty charred corn guacamole recipe. Grill the corn and mash it up with the avocado and lime juice and serve it up. It’s a winner.
Smoky
chili chicken
This chili barbecued chicken recipe suggests wood in the grilling fuel. The on-the-bone bird is brushed during cooking with a clear spicy-sour sauce combining cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and three kinds of pepper – chili powder, paprika and red pepper flakes.
Pass the plate and get grilling with attitude this football
season. Go, team!
