Burnt Ends: Nuggets of Barbecue Gold

Burnt ends, burned edges and brownies are all names for the irresistible crispy, smoky, juicy bits of barbecued brisket trimmings. Think succulent cubes of meat with a savoury crust - or "nuggets of barbecue gold" as Serious Eats calls them - paired with a sweet sticky sauce, and you'll have reached BBQ heaven.

And to think this sought-after meat 'bark' was once a throwaway scrap until they became a destination in themselves in their hometown of Kansas City.

This BBQ favourite was originally made from beef brisket, but these days people are going crazy for pork belly burnt ends, from the same part of the pig that gives us bacon. 

What are Burnt Ends?

Burnt ends, are the trimmings from a smoked brisket, the edges that usually dry out and get a very intense smoky flavour during the smoking process.

Burnt Ends were first discovered at Arthur Bryant’s Barbeque, a legendary African-American restaurant in Kansas City, Missouri, where once they were thrown away as 'burnt' scraps until people caught on to how delicious they were. Once US food writer Calvin Trillin sang the restaurant's praises in the 1970s, the restaurant became famous and so did burnt ends. They are now a staple menu item in Kansas City.

"I dream of those burned edges. Sometimes, when I'm in some awful overpriced restaurant in some strange town—all of my restaurant-finding techniques having failed, so that I'm left to choke down something that costs $7 and tastes like a medium-rare sponge—a blank look comes over my face: I have just realized that at that very moment someone in Kansas City is being given those burned edges free."

How to Cook Brisket Burnt Ends

Brisket burnt ends can be acquired in two different ways: you can get burnt ends simply after smoking a brisket, or from taking parts of smoked brisket and returning them to the smoker to finish them off. 

Burnt Ends Recipe

Kansas City brisket burnt ends are one of the most iconic foods from the city. Watch and learn how they're made in the video clip below, where chef Tom uses a whole beef brisket to ensure that he gets the slices and the burnt ends.