If you’re searching for a tasty alternative to make tender beef nuggets without following the conventional method of smoking a whole brisket and then breaking down the point, try making Poor Mans Burnt Ends. By using chuck roast and following this recipe technique, you’ll create some mouth-watering meat nuggets that everyone can enjoy.
I used the Traeger Timberline XL to smoke my chuck roast to perfection for this recipe. The first stage involved smoking the meat at a low temperature for several hours to allow it to absorb the smoky flavor. After that, I wrapped the chuck roast to complete the cooking process before finally cubing up and saucing these meat hunks.
The result was a mouth-watering dish that was both tender and flavorful. I highly recommend this recipe to anyone looking to elevate their backyard pitmaster BBQ game!
Why should you try this recipe
- Cost Effective: In recent years, the price of beef has been increasing. However, there is a cost-effective alternative to expensive brisket burnt ends. A 3-pound cut of chuck roast typically costs around $7-8, which is approximately $20. On the other hand, a whole packer brisket can cost between $5-7 per pound for a 14 to 18-pound cut, of which only the point is used for burnt ends. This means that the overall cost for a brisket can range from $70 to over $100. Therefore, using a chuck roast to create a similar experience to brisket burnt ends could be a more budget-friendly option.
- Easy Execution: With just a little bit of preparation and some patience, this recipe produces a deliciously tender beef that falls apart and is enjoyed by everyone.
- Versatility: In this recipe, I’ve smoked a whole chuck roast, then cut it into cubes and coated it with sauce for a delicious meal. However, using this method can also result in meat that can be easily pulled apart and chopped up the next day for use in tacos or other dishes.
Ingredients for Poor Mans Burnt Ends
- 3 lb Chuck Roast: This cut comes from the upper shoulder and lower neck of a cow. It is a fattier cut that is perfect for long smoking, allowing the internal fats to render down and create a juicy and velvety texture.
- 2 TB Smoked Q Rock’s Anytime Spice Blend: This all-purpose spice blend infuses heavy garlic flavors balanced with salt, pepper, sugar, and other spices.
- 2 TB Smoked Q Rock’s Coffee Rub Spice Blend: Layering on this coffee rub offers a unique finishing flavor. While it doesn’t taste like coffee, it adds an earthy flavor to beef.
- 1 TB Yellow Mustard: In this application, the mustard does not add to the flavor profile. Instead, the moisture helps the rubs to stick to the meat during the early smoking process.
- 4 TB Unsalted Butter: Adding unsalted butter to cubed beef enhances rich flavors. Use unsalted butter to balance out the salty rubs and sauces.
- ¼ Cup Rock’s Irish Whiskey BBQ Sauce: When you add this barbecue sauce during the final stages, it gives the beef nuggets a smoky, tangy, sweet and spicy flavor that takes them over the top.
Instructions for making Poor Mans Burnt Ends
1. Bring smoker to temp: For this recipe, I am running my Traeger Timberline XL at 250º for the entire cook.
2. Season the Chuck Roast: While the smoker comes to temp, I begin by applying yellow mustard as a binder for the rubs to all sides and edges. Then I apply equal parts Smoked Q Anytime and Smoked Q Coffee Rub. The Anytime goes on first, with the coffee rub layering over the top.
3. Smoke for 6 hours: The initial part of this smoke, I place the chuck roast(s) directly on the grill grates and smoke them for about 6-7 hours until the internal temp reads 165-175º.
4. Wrap for 1 hour: An optional step to speed up the cook, I wrapped the chuck roast in foil and cooked for another 1 to 2 hours until I reached an internal temp of 195º.
5. Cut into 1 ½ by 1 ½ inch cubes: At 195º internal temp, I pulled the chuck roasts and cubed them into roughly 1 ½ by 1 ½ inch cubes and placed them into an 8×5 disposable aluminum pan.
6. Sauce & Butter: While in the pan I added 4 tbsp of unsalted butter and applied an initial layer of Smoked Q Rock’s Irish Whiskey BBQ sauce. I then covered the foil pan and placed it back on the smoker, still running at 250º.
7. Cover and cook: With the pan covered, I cooked the cubed chuck roast for another 1-2 hours until the internal temp of the cubes was reading 203º with an instant-read thermometer.
8. Serve: After pulling the pan off the smoker, I uncovered these Poor Mans Burnt Ends, applied some more sauce to taste, then we devoured them!
Variations and Substitutions:
Alternate Rubs: I used a two-part seasoning process for this recipe, which involved an all-purpose rub and a coffee rub. Although there are many all-purpose rubs available in the market, my personal favorites are Killer Hogs AP and Heath Riles Garlic Jalapeno Rub.
For the coffee rub, you can choose from options such as Whiskey Bent the Grind and Traeger’s Coffee Rub, or you can create your own coffee rub using pantry spices.
- 6 parts brown sugar
- 6 parts paprika
- 2 parts instant coffee
- 2 part garlic
- 1 part salt
- 1 part black pepper
Substitution or variation: Some recipes suggest that you should cube the chuck roast and season it before smoking. However, in my experience, this technique can cause the beef to dry out too quickly. If you prefer this method, I recommend cutting the beef into larger 2×2 inch chunks instead of smaller cubes. This will help to prevent it from drying out prematurely.
Tips and tricks for making these Poor Mans Burnt Ends
Using a binder: A binder helps the seasonings and rubs stick to the meat, especially when smoking larger cuts of meat that have just been removed from the fridge. You can also apply the rubs up to 24 hours in advance or let the meat sit out at room temperature for up to an hour after applying the rub to allow the flavors to “sweat in.” These small steps can make a big impact on the overall result of your dish.
Lower is better: When smoking large cuts of meat that have a high-fat content, it is recommended to use lower temperatures and longer smoking times. The longer cooking time at lower temperatures allows the fats to melt into the internal portions of the meat, a process known as rendering. This is what gives properly smoked meats that juicy, rich, and velvety flavor that we all love.
Wrap vs no wrap: For the final hour or two of the initial cook, I decided to wrap the meat to speed up the cooking time. This helped to prevent the meat from drying out too much after the bark or outer crust had developed.
Poor Mans Burnt Ends
Equipment
- 1 Traeger Timberline XL
- 1 Meater+ Wireless Thermometer
- 1 8×5 Aluminum Pan
Ingredients
- 3 lb chuck roast
- 2 tbsp Smoked Q Rock's Anytime Seasoning
- 2 tbsp Smoked Q Rock's Coffee Rub Spice Blend
- 1 tbsp yellow mustard
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup Smoked Q Rock's Irish Whiskey BBQ Sauce
Instructions
- For this recipe, I am running my Traeger Timberline XL at 250º for the entire cook.
- While the smoker comes to temp, I begin by applying yellow mustard as a binder for the rubs to all sides and edges. Then I apply equal parts Smoked Q Anytime and Smoked Q Coffee Rub. The Anytime goes on first, with the coffee rub layering over the top.
- The initial part of this smoke, I place the chuck roast(s) directly on the grill grates and smoke them for about 6-7 hours until the internal temp reads 165-175º.
- An optional step to speed up the cook, I wrapped the chuck roast in foil and cooked for another 1 to 2 hours until I reached an internal temp of 195º.
- At 195º internal temp, I pulled the chuck roasts and cubed them into roughly 1 ½ by 1 ½inch cubes and placed them into an 8×5 disposable aluminum pan.
- While in the pan I added 4 tbsp of unsalted butter and applied an initial layer of Smoked Q Rock’s Irish Whiskey BBQ sauce. I then covered the foil pan and placed it back on the smoker, still running at 250º.
- With the pan covered, I cooked the cubed chuck roast for another 1-2 hours until the internal temp of the cubes was reading 203º with an instant-read thermometer.
- After pulling the pan off the smoker, I uncovered these Poor Mans Burnt Ends, applied some more sauce to taste, then we devoured them!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
