Bunrt Ends vs. Eating the point


 
S

Scott B (nj)

TVWBB Member
I've been lurking on here for a year now and posting for a few mos, and (very unscientificly) it seems to me like a vast majority of people prefer to make burnt ends over eating the fatty cut of the brisket. I'm curious as to why?

For me, my briskets are insanely juicy and the fat on the point is like soft butter that i spread on the meat. Its my - and everyone i serve it to - favorite part of the briseket. It kinda seems counterproductive to burnt end it up.

Seriously... any feedback would be greatly appreciated
 
Scott, for one thing, hot and fast is quite a popular cooking method. However, in my experience it results in a more fat left in the point. I hear ya, though. I rarely mess with burnt ends and everyone loves the point slices. I think you got to cook the brisket all the way to what I've heard referred to recently as "jiggly". I'm not saying to overcook, but I'm not too worried if some of the the slices fall apart a bit, either. Holding brisket hot for a while and serving piping hot is also the way to go, in my opinion.
 
My cooking goal is to get them to where they're gelatinous. Jiggling just like a jello mold when you touch them.

I think you nailed it w/ the HnF rationale. All of mine are slow and steady.
 
Well everybody's got different tastes. I like to slice the point along with the flat sometimes and other times I make burnt ends. It all depends on who I'm cooking for and what I'm in the mood for.
 
To me there is no better BBQ than burnt ends. Morsels of concentrated beefiness with a crispy outer crust and a tender inside!!
 
When we moved down here in '74 the point was chopped up for chopped beef sandwiches. I still prefer it that way but I will eventually get around to burnt ends. I am curious how they will taste in a chopped beef sandwich. While a brisket is a good beefy cut, the bark does add to the event.
 
Scott, just curious to know if you foil your briskets during the cook.
A question for you or anyone else - Do you think foiling makes a difference in the amount of fat that renders in the point? I generally think of the point as being too fatty to just eat without cooking more to render more fat, but that's just me. And yes, I can see where cooking low and slow versus HH could make a difference in that.
 
I wrap in butcher paper when the stall hits. I give it a healthy spray down of a mixture of beef broth, Worcestire and water then wrap them until they hit the temp/texture I like. I find the butcher paper doesn't make the meat as mushy as foil, while employing the other benefits of foil.

And yes I think it absolutely has an effect on the fat rendering. I think meatheads article on evaporative cooling really nails it. http://amazingribs.com/tips_and_technique/the_stall.html
 
Burnt ends are the best! If I could buy just brisket points, without the flat, I would!

Bob
 
My favorite way to eat the Point is in slices too. I made Burnt Ends and served them as Hor d'oeuvres for the Wow effect and it was pretty neat but I prefer to take the Point when the Flat is done, wrap it in foil, cook it for another two hours in the oven at around 250. In the meatime I have the Flat foiled holding in cooler wrapped in towels. The Point to me is probably the tastiest part of the whole cow but is does need more rendering for my liking.
 
My wife prefers chopped + sauced point, but I'm currently really into doing burnt ends. So..... I'm chopping up flat now for her and doing BE's, too.
 
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