Poor Man’s Burnt Ends (Slow Cooker Style)

Poor Man’s Burnt Ends (Slow Cooker Style). Sticky, sweet, fall-apart beef that tastes like it came from a real BBQ joint — made right in your slow cooker with just 4 simple ingredients.

You don’t need a fancy smoker or a big cut of expensive meat to make something truly amazing. These poor man’s burnt ends use beef chuck instead of brisket, and your slow cooker does all the hard work. Just toss everything in the pot in the morning, go about your day, and come home to a kitchen that smells like a real barbecue restaurant. When dinner rolls around, you’ll have soft, saucy, caramel-coated bites of beef that taste like you spent all day cooking. They’re good enough to serve to guests but easy enough for any regular weeknight.

These burnt ends are great piled high on soft burger buns with some coleslaw on top. You can also spoon them over mashed potatoes, white rice, or buttered egg noodles so all that extra sauce doesn’t go to waste. For a full dinner plate, add baked beans, corn on the cob, and a green salad or some cooked green beans on the side. If you’ve got kids or picky eaters at the table, just set everything out and let everyone build their own plate — throw out some buns, shredded cheese, pickles, and potato wedges and you’re all set.

Ingredients

• 3 pounds beef chuck roast, cut into 1 to 1½-inch cubes
• 1 cup barbecue sauce (store-bought or homemade, whatever you like)
• ¼ cup brown sugar, packed
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Poor Man’s Burnt Ends (Slow Cooker Style)Directions

1. Get the beef ready — Cut off any big, hard chunks of fat from the beef chuck roast, then chop the meat into 1 to 1½-inch cubes. Don’t worry about every little bit of fat — some of that is good because it keeps the meat soft and tasty as it cooks.
2. Make the sauce — Grab a medium bowl and mix together the barbecue sauce, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir it well until the sugar mostly melts in and the sauce looks smooth and even.
3. Add the beef to the slow cooker — Put all your beef cubes into the slow cooker. Pour the sauce right over the top and give everything a good stir so every single piece of beef gets covered in that sauce.
4. Let it cook low and slow — Put the lid on and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours, or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours. You’ll know it’s done when the beef is so soft you can pull it apart easily with a fork. Stir it once or twice if you happen to be around, but you don’t have to.
5. Get ready to finish them in the oven — Heat your oven to 425°F (220°C). Cover a baking sheet with foil to make cleanup easy, and give it a light spray of cooking oil. Use a big spoon with holes in it to scoop the beef cubes out of the slow cooker and onto the baking sheet. Leave most of that cooking liquid behind in the pot.
6. Thicken up the sauce — Switch your slow cooker to HIGH and leave the lid off. Let the leftover sauce bubble and cook for about 10 to 15 minutes until it gets a little thicker. Or you can pour it into a small pot on the stove and let it simmer until it looks a bit like syrup.
7. Coat the beef — Spoon some of that thickened sauce over the beef pieces on the baking sheet. Toss them around gently so they all get coated. Next, lay the pieces apart so they are not touching each other. This helps them turn nice and sticky on the outside instead of soft and wet from steam.
8. Roast until sticky and browned — Slide the baking sheet into the oven and cook for 8 to 12 minutes. Flip the beef pieces once in the middle of cooking. You’re looking for edges that are brown, a little crispy, and sticky-looking. Keep a close eye on them near the end so nothing burns.
9. Serve and enjoy — Move the burnt ends to a big bowl or plate. If you want, drizzle a little more warm sauce on top. Serve them hot with whatever sides you love best.