Sticky Smoky Burnt Ends

Usually, you’d think of burnt ends being prepared by smoking the meat in a smoker over wood for many hours. But although home-smokers are gaining lots of steam, it’s not quite de rigueur, so I wanted to try this out using a conventional grill and oven.

The key is to start with a meat that has plenty of fat and marbling. I started with a second-cut brisket, which is ideal, and the classic choice for this dish. And just for fun, I also tried it with a kolichel, which was great, but had more of a ribs feel than a second-cut-brisket feel.

Start by treating your meat with a spice rub. I tried it once with Rivky Kleiman’s Chili Lime Rub, and once with Trader Joe’s coffee rub, and both were fantastic. You can use any flavorful, meat-friendly spice combo you have on hand. (Or create your own. I’d make a combo of salt, pepper, garlic, brown sugar, coffee granules, and chili powder.)

Now, for the grill. You can either use a gas grill with a metal box for wood chips, or a charcoal grill. With either option, you’ll place your meat on indirect heat, or a part of the grill that would be about 250°F (120°C).