We loved the burnt ends of beef and the juicy sliced beef brisket.
Mr. Vaughn, 35, gave polite but direct instructions to the man with the knife: a few slices and burnt ends of beef brisket, pork spareribs, jalapeño sausage, an end-cut pork chop, some of the clod (beef shoulder), three slices of smoked turkey.
He pointed out the dishes Janis had to avoid because they contained pork and insisted he try the burnt ends in beef dishes.
Treats from the smoker include beef ribs ($16), burnt ends (cubed bits of brisket, $6 for an appetizer portion), pulled pork and brisket sandwiches, a wrap that combines pulled pork, dirty rice and cheese, and a club sandwich of ham, brisket, pulled pork and bacon ($7 for most sandwiches).
Brisket is also used in another Texas dish, the BBQ beef sandwich, in which the "burnt ends" of the meat are chopped, slathered with a sweet or spicy sauce, topped with onions, and served on a bun.
Using a combination of Mr. Harper's favorite food memories and one of his song lyrics — "I am being serenaded by a chorus of 1,000 burning cigarettes" — Mr. Cosentino created a feast including black truffles, Kobe beef and oysters, all bearing "a smoky, burnt or charred element".
When he makes a sandwich, he takes the time to slice a few burnt edges (the charred crust) to mix with the rare beef, thus adding smoke, crunch and flavor.
OLIVER STRAND JOHN BROWN SMOKEHOUSE There's so much flavor and tenderness to the pork, the lamb sausage and the incomparable burnt ends, that a dry brisket and a chewy pit beef don't spoil the fun at this tiny, affable place.
Best burnt ends: Q39 Kansas City "What Kansas Citians call 'burnt ends' has evolved from beef brisket trimmings of fat, meat, and bark to lean, juicy pieces of brisket from the point end, sentenced to 17 or more hours pit time, and then cubed, glazed or sauced; served as appetizer, entrée, or sandwich.
