Kansas City Brisket & Burnt Ends

Trimming is a very important step to getting phenomenal brisket and burnt ends. With the point on your left and the flat on the right, start by trimming the hard fat off the top and sides of your brisket. Anything that looks less than desirable on the uncooked brisket can, and should, be removed. Try to cut by slicing where the hard fat and the meat intersect, then pulling away the fat, cutting along the junction where fat and meat connect.

Note: Do NOT separate the flat from the point.

Once the top is relatively clear of fat and the sides have been trimmed back, flip your brisket over to the soft fat & trim this down to a 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick layer. Start at one corner of the flat and begin cutting parallel to the flat, leaving 1/4" of the fat behind. If possible, keep running that cut all the way across the top and trim in as few pieces a possible.

Start your smoker and get it warming up to an initial temperature of 220°F/104°C.

Make the rub by combining all the dry ingredients in a bowl. I know it seems weird, but the cocoa powder and cinnamon really help to give the brisket an extra punch of flavor.

Before seasoning, use the knife to score the bottom of the flat and point on the soft fat no more than an 1/8" of an inch deep. This helps us establish a thick, flavorful bark.

Next, rinse the whole cut of meat and pat dry with paper towels.

Then, using a spoon or just your hands, sprinkle a generous amount of rub on all sides including the bottom. Literally rub it in as you go. Make sure to keep some rub for the burnt ends later.

Smoke - Part 1
After you've completely rubbed everything down it’s time to get smokin'! After the smoker is stabilized at 220°F / 104°C place your meat in the center, fat side down, ensuring the meat doesn't touch the sides of the smoker. Placing it fat side down gets you a great bark and protects the meat from drying out too fast.

You'll smoke the brisket like this until an instant thermometer reads 170-180°F / 76-82°C, about an hour per pound. Note: Thin brisket (1 inch/ 2.5 cm or less) should be smoked at a lower temperature to achieve the same cook time. We suggest 180°F / 82°C.

Smoke - Part 2
After you bring the brisket up to the 170-180°F / 76-82°C temp, wrap the brisket in foil with the shiny side in, which keeps in heat. Then, place the brisket back in the smoker fat side up this time, and smoke around 180 degrees for 3-4 hours. If your brisket is small and already to temperature, smoke as low as your smoker will go. (At one point we were smoking on 150 degrees). We tried to keep our internal temp under 200°F / 93°C this whole time.

Now that everything has a lovely layer of bark on it, it might be hard to distinguish where the flat ends and the point begins. However, there is a trick to easily spot the dividing line. Simply poke the flat and give it a wiggle; the flat will move as one solid piece, the fat will shake, and the point will stay still. The fat that separates the point and flat can compress and expand so the point stays relatively still when you're jostling the flat.

Take a long sharp knife and start to separate the jiggling flat as necessary, being careful because the brisket will be very hot. You can kind of feel when you hit meat; the fat is really easy to cut, almost like gelatin.

After you cut the flat off, wrap it back in the foil and place on a cooling rack in a cooler. The cooling rack just keeps the side of you cooler from melting if you have a thin walled cooler. There are two reasons for wrapping in foil and storing in the cooler; the first reason is to let the brisket rest, but the main reason is to keep the brisket hot enough to be served hot along with the burnt ends.

Now for the time you've all been waiting for: the burnt ends! Chop the point into bite-sized pieces, removing all but a 1/4" of fat from all pieces that have fat. Then add a layer of the rub we made earlier and give a light toss to coat evenly.

Throw the meat into a metal tin or pie pan or anything that can go in the smoker. Next, drizzle a little of your favorite BBQ sauce on top like icing on a meat cake. Then, wrap the top in foil, shiny side up, to keep from burning. Finally, take this back to the smoker and cook on 225°F / 107°C for around 45 minutes or until the internal temp is 200-210°F / 93-99°C.

Slice Brisket
Twenty to thirty minutes after the burnt ends have been in the smoker, we can start to cut our brisket. Orient the cut of meat so the fat side is down. The point - if still on - would be on the left, and the flat would be on your right. The grain will run almost parallel to the right edge. Start from the bottom right and make the first couple slices.

Note: As the Pit Master you must sample these first piece to check quality. You are not allowed to share. If someone questions this please refer them to this step.

Continue cutting. Once you get to 3 - 4 inch / 7.5-10.5 cm long pieces, start cutting your pieces 1/4 inch (6 mm) wide, or about the width of a pencil. You should be able to pull a slice of brisket apart very easily, and see a decently consistent fat line on the bottom with a really nice smoke ring on every slice.

If you've timed everything right, your burnt ends should be done at the same time and everything will be hot!

Enjoy!