Burnt Ends are tough, smoky pieces of brisket that are the results of the end pieces of a brisket or a portion of a brisket that has been double smoked.  These pieces can be added to things such as baked beans, chili, or a stew to add flavor.

Burnt ends are an acquired taste for many, but for lots of BBQ beginners do not like the intense smoky taste that these provide.  If you do not like a lot of smoke flavor in your meat, you will probably want to stay away from the burnt ends.

Instructions for making Burnt Ends:

• Take portion of the brisket (the point portion) and dice it up into small cubes
• Place in an aluminum foil pan with holes poked in the bottom, allows more smoke in
• Smoke at 225 degrees for 2 hours
• Pull out of the smoker, transfer to a new aluminum foil pan and add your favorite BBQ Sauce
• Place back in smoker for an additional 1 1/2 hours
• Pull from smoker and use in dishes such as chili, baked beans, or a stew.

I did these for my first time with brisket I cooked for the the 4th of July, and they definitely had a good strong smoky flavor.  I used a Texas style BBQ sauce made with rum and molasses.  The taste was great, but have a feeling people not much into BBQ would not care for them much.  I would definitely use this delicacy in future chili recipes or baked beans.

This past Saturday I made a batch of chicken wings with two different sauces.  Both were very tasty.  The first one was a variation of the Chipotle Chicken Thighs marinade, where I used roasted red bell peppers instead of chipotles.  The other recipe was an Orange Chipotle marinade that I kind of came up with just by walking around the grocery store.

Roasted Red Bell Pepper Marinade Ingredients:

• 15 oz jar roasted red bell peppers
• 1 bunch cilantro
• 1 lemon,juiced
• 3 C mayonnaise
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3.5 lbs chicken wings, cut at each joint, tips tossed

Roasted Red Bell Pepper Marinade Instructions:

1. In a blender combine the roasted peppers, cilantro, lemon juice, mayonnaise, and onion and blend till well mixed.
2. Put cut chicken wings in a resealable plastic bag and pour marinade in.
3. Let wings marinate for approximately 4 hours.

Orange Chipotle Marinade Ingredients:

• 2 jars orange marmalade
• 1 7 oz can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
• 1/2 bunch cilantro
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 3.5 lbs chicken wings, cut at each joint, tips tossed

Orange Chipotle Marinade Instructions:

1. In a blender mix in the marmalade, chipotles in adobo sauce, cilantro, and onion and blend till well mixed.
2. Put cut chicken wings in a resealable plastic bag and pour marinade in.
3. Let wings marinate for approximately 4 hours.

Grilling Instructions:

1. Prepare grill for medium indirect heat
2. Place wings on grill away from fire (prevent flare ups)
3. Grill till wings are done, approximately 10-15 minutes

Hashbrown Casserole Ingredients:

• 30 oz bag frozen hashbrowns
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 C sour cream
• 2 C shredded mild cheddar cheese

Hashbrown Casserole Instructions:

1. Preheat over to 350 degrees
2. In a bowl, mix together the sour cream, cream of mushroom soup, and cheese
3. Add in the hashbrowns and mix well
4. Pour mixture into an 8 x 12 baking dish
5. Bake for 45 minutes

Results:

As you can tell I like a couple of ingredients a lot.  Chipotle Peppers in adobo and Cilantro have been two ingredients I have used a lot of this BBQ season.  They both bring in a lot of flavor.  I ended up cooking the wings with low direct heat, and had a lot of flare ups, but wings still came out great.  The chipotle wings had a lot more flavor then the roasted red pepper wings.  Next time I do the roasted red peppers I will probably add in another jar of the roasted red peppers and maybe some seasoning like Paprika.  The chipotle wings had a average spiciness to them, if you are looking for something very spicy, add another 7 oz can of chipotles in adobo.  The Hashbrown casserole is a family favorite and if we do have leftovers they do not sit around for long.

Good baked beans are an essential side dish to BBQ.  This recipe is simple to make, but adds a good amount of flavor to canned baked beans.

Ingredients:

• 28.5 oz can Baked Beans
• 1 large white onion, peeled and chopped
• 1 C brown sugar
• 1 C ketchup
• 2 t ground mustard
• 1 t Tabasco Sauce (or more for taste)

Instructions:

1. Mix all ingredients together in a crockpot and heat over low heat until hot throughout, or place in a baking dish and bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

Results:

Very good and simple baked beans.  For an alternative to the typical Tabasco Sauce, add some of the Smoked Tabasco sauce or replace with Sriracha Sauce.

Ingredients:

• 3 Granny Smith apples
• 2 T sugar
• 2 T cinnamon
• vegetable oil

Instructions:

1. Slice the apples in 1/2 length-wise and remove the core and seeds with a small spoon
2. Slice apples in 1/2 inch slices
3. Brush on a little bit of vegetable oil on both sides of the apple slices
4. Mix together the sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle a little bit on both sides of the apple slices
5. Grill over direct medium-low heat until warm throughout the slices, about 4 minutes per side.

Results:

These were served as a side with the Pork Chops with Sage Butter, so of course things didn't go as planned with the weather.  So I ended up cooking these in the broiler as the pork chops were resting.  They accompanied the pork chops very well, but was definitely missing the taste from grilling them.  I really would like to try these on the grill soon to see how much flavor the grill will add.

Ingredients:

• 6 Ears of corn
• 1/2 Stick butter
• 1/2 T Oregano
• 2 t Salt
• 2 t Pepper

Instructions:

1. Soak the corn in water for about 30 minutes to soften the husk, also provides extra moisture to keep the corn moist while grilling.
2. Remove a 2 to 3 layers of the husk, leaving a few layers to protect the corn while grilling.  Save the layers you are removing.
3. Pull down the remainder of the husk as close to the bottom as you can get them, without completely removing.
4. Remove as much silk as possible from the corn.
5. Melt the butter and add Oregano, salt, and pepper to the melted butter.
6. Apply butter mixture with a basting brush to the corn.
7. Close up the husks, making sure that the corn is completely covered to protect it from the heat.  Tie the husks closed on top with the saved layers.
8. Grill with indirect heat for 20 - 30 minutes.

Results:

It is still early in the season, and I rarely buy corn on the cob from the grocery stores.  I usually pick them up at a road side stand or from family members that grow corn, as the corn is much fresher and sweeter.  If you buy your corn at the grocery market usually, I highly recommend to find a road side stand or farmers market to get some fresh corn.  The melted butter with Oregano added a lot to the corn.  I recommend experimenting with different spices with the melted butter to get different types of flavors.