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Smoked chuck roast burnt ends glazed in sticky honey BBQ sauce with butter in a foil pan

Honey BBQ Chuck Roast Burnt Ends (Poor Man's Burnt Ends)

Chuck roast cut into one-inch cubes, seasoned with salt, pepper and garlic, smoked over cherry wood at 250°F until the bark sets, then braised covered in a foil pan with barbecue sauce, hot honey and butter until fall-apart tender. Uncovered for the last 10 minutes so the glaze sets.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Cool Time 5 minutes
Total Time 4 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine: American, BBQ
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Burnt Ends
  • 4 lbs chuck roast Two roasts, about 2 lbs each.
  • yellow mustard Optional binder.
  • salt To taste.
  • black pepper To taste.
  • garlic powder To taste.
  • cherry wood Chunks or pellets, for smoking.
Honey BBQ Braise
  • 1/2 cup barbecue sauce Store-bought, your favorite.
  • 1/2 cup hot honey Regular honey works too.
  • 1 stick butter 8 tablespoons.

Equipment

  • Smoker Running at 250°F with cherry wood.
  • Sharp knife For cubing the chuck roast.
  • Large Bowl For the binder and seasoning.
  • Disposable Foil Pan
  • Aluminum Foil To cover the pan for the braise.
  • Tongs
  • Instant-Read Thermometer To probe for tenderness.

Method
 

Prep and Season
  1. Cut the chuck roast into 1-inch cubes.
  2. If using the binder, coat the cubes with a thin layer of yellow mustard. Season generously on all sides with salt, black pepper and garlic powder.
Smoke
  1. Preheat the smoker to 250°F with cherry wood.
  2. Spread the cubes out on the grates with space between them. Smoke until the bark develops and sets, dark mahogany and dry to the touch. This takes roughly 2 to 3 hours depending on your smoker and cube size.
Braise
  1. Transfer the cubes to a foil pan. Add the barbecue sauce, hot honey and butter. Toss until every piece is coated.
  2. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and return it to the smoker at 250°F. Braise for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until the beef is fall-apart tender and a probe slides in with no resistance.
Glaze and Serve
  1. About 10 minutes before pulling them, remove the foil and toss the burnt ends in the sauce. Let them cook uncovered for 10 minutes so the sauce thickens and sets on the beef.
  2. Pull the pan off the smoker and let the burnt ends cool a few minutes before serving. Serve warm with the pan sauce.

Notes

Timing: Smoke and braise times are estimates. Go by the bark setting and by tenderness, not the clock.
Doneness: Fall-apart tender is the target. There is no fixed internal temperature for this recipe, but chuck roast cooked this way is well past the USDA 145°F minimum for beef.
Servings: Four pounds of chuck roast feeds a crowd. Servings are an estimate and depend on whether this is a main or an appetizer.
Hot honey: Swap in regular honey for the same glaze without the heat.
Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container with the sauce. Reheat covered in the oven or on the smoker.

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