A properly cooked burnt end has everything that can possibly go into great barbecue. It has deep, chewy bark on the outside with intense smokey flavor, paired with a sweet sticky sauce, and is cooked until it's as tender as your Momma's love.

Are burnt ends tough?

They have an intense smoke flavor and, though generally on the tough and chewy side, are very popular with the barbecue crowd. The intense flavor makes burnt ends the perfect meat for stews and beans; the meat gets tender in the liquid and passes on that great smoky flavor.

Why are burnt ends chewy?

The dish originated as fatty pieces of meat that were nothing more than leftover trimmings from well-cooked brisket. When cooked with the brisket, the ends would become chewy compared to the majority of the rich brisket meat. The cooks would simply cut off these chewy ends and discard them.