Kansas City Brisket & Burnt Ends Cooking on a Pellet Grill

Kansas City Brisket & Burnt Ends On a Pellet Grill

Name: Kansas City Brisket & Burnt Ends
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 h 12 min
Total time: 10 h 32 min
Yield: 48
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: Creekstone Farms Whole Prime Brisket; 1 cup beef stock or water; 1 tbsp roasted beef base concentrate; 1 tbsp Cattleman’s Grill Butcher House Brine; Yoder Smokers Beef Rub; Plowboys BBQ Bovine Bold Beef Seasoning; Plowboys BBQ KC Crossroads BBQ Sauce; Smoke on Wheels KC Bootleg Bourbon Barbecue Sauce

Sep 27, 2022 • Tom Jackson

Experience the true heart of Kansas City BBQ with Chef Tom’s Brisket & Burnt Ends. This method starts with an entire Creekstone Farms prime brisket, expertly separated into point and flat for targeted technique—each delivering distinct flavor profiles and textures with perfect bark and smoke.

WHAT YOU'LL LOVE

Dual cuts for dual textures: lean, sliceable flat and rich, cubed burnt ends.
Flavor amplified by technique: injections, foil boating, and smoked bark bring depth and juiciness.
Classic finishing touch: tangy bourbon BBQ sauce caramelized on the burnt ends adds luxurious richness.
Authentic KC BBQ tradition — served with flat slices brushed with Crossroads sauce, true to heritage.

Kansas City Brisket & Burnt Ends

Tom Jackson

Rated 4.3 stars by 16 users

Cuisine

American

Servings

48

Prep Time

20 minutes

Cook Time

10 hours 2 minutes

Calories

1269

Chef Tom fires up the Yoder Smokers YS640s Pellet Grill for Kansas City Style Brisket Slices & Burnt Ends! From separating the point and flat muscles (for maximum bark & smoke on your burnt ends), to injecting and foil boating the lean meat, Chef Tom shares all of his secrets!

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Ingredients

Directions

Preheat your Yoder Smokers YS640s to 190ºF, set up for smoking with pecan and cherry pellets.
Separate the two muscles that make up the whole brisket, slicing in the fat that separates the flat from the point muscle. Trim both muscles, removing excessive and hard fat and leaving about 1/4” fat cap over the top.
Combine the ingredients for the injection in a marinade shaker and shake well. Load into a pistol grip injector and inject the flat (lean muscle) in a grid pattern. Pump the injection into the meat until it begins to come back out, then move to a new spot a couple of inches away.
Wipe of excess liquid from the surface of the flat. Season with Plowboys BBQ Bovine Bold Beef Seasoning then Yoder Smokers Beef Rub.
Use some of the excess liquid from the injection as a binder for the point (fatty) muscle, spreading a thin layer over al surfaces. Season with Plowboys BBQ Bovine Bold Beef Seasoning then Yoder Smokers Beef Rub. Note: No need to inject the point meat. It has lots of intramuscular fat that keeps the meat plenty juicy.
When the rub appears wet on the surface, transfer both cuts of meat to the second shelf of the smoker. Smoke overnight at 190ºF, about 10 hours. In the morning, increase the grill temperature to 250ºF and keep smoking the brisket until the internal temperature comes up to about 165ºF-175ºF and a dark colored bark is formed on the surface of the meat.
Wrap the point fully and tightly in two sheets of heavy duty foil. Return to the grill.
Place the flat muscle on top of two sheets of foil fat side up, and roll up the edges of the foil around the sides of the meat, covering the sides but leaving the top open and exposed. This “foil boat” method will allow the meat to braise in its own juices and rendered fat and the fat cap on top to render and keep a crisp bark.
Cook both cuts until very tender and offering little resistance when probed with an instant read thermometer. The internal temperature will be in the 205ºF-210ºF range. Remove from the smoker and rest in a cooler or Cambro for at least one hour.
Slice the burnt ends into 1”-1.5” cubes. Toss in Smoke on Wheels KC Bootleg Bourbon Barbecue Sauce. Return to the foil, leaving the top of the foil pack open. Transfer back to the smoker. Cook until the sauce is tacky on the surface, about 20-30 minutes.
Slice the flat muscle across the grain 1/4” thick. Brush the tops of the slices with Plowboys BBQ KC Crossroads BBQ Sauce and serve with more sauce on the side.

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Recipe Note

Frequently Asked Questions

Why separate into flat and point?
Each has different fat content and texture: the flat is lean and sliceable, while the point makes tender, rich burnt ends.

What does foil boating the flat do?
Leaving the top exposed lets the bark crisp while the foil traps juices — creating both texture and tenderness.

Why inject the flat but not the point?
The flat is leaner and benefits from extra moisture, while the fat-rich point stays juicy without it.

How long should I rest the brisket?
Rest at least one hour in a cooler to allow juices to redistribute and intensify flavor.

Can I cook these indoors?
We rate these as a 1 out of 5. For best results it must be cooked on a grill.

Recipe Highlights

Separating the point and flat before cooking: Trimming and treating each muscle differently lets the lean flat stay sliceable while the fatty point becomes tender, rich burnt ends.
Injecting only the lean flat: Since the point has plenty of intramuscular fat to stay juicy on its own, targeting the injection to the flat adds moisture exactly where it's needed.
The open-top foil boat method: Wrapping the sides while leaving the top exposed lets the fat cap render and the bark stay crisp, while the meat still braises in its own juices below.
A second sauce pass for the burnt ends: Tossing the cubed point in bourbon BBQ sauce and returning it to the smoker tacks the sauce into a caramelized glaze rather than leaving it wet.