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Share All sharing options for: The Burnt Ends of Kansas City: A Guided Tour
Given that Kansas City boasts the most barbecue restaurants per capita in the U.S. (at least among major metropolitan areas), Im not sure that my recent tour of twelve smokehouses there qualifies as “definitive,” or even comprehensive.
But, if my hometown, food-writing legend Calvin Trillin, could substitute humorous hyperbole for authority, then I might have a worthy kernel or two to offer here. I recently reread Trillins famous love letter to Kansas City barbecue (and sundry cheap eats) that appeared in a 1972 issue of Playboy magazine. It not only remains one of the most-cited pieces of writing among Kansas Citians, but promises a barrel of laughs decades and countless readings later. Entitled “No! One of the Worlds Foremost Authorities on Ribs, Cheeseburger, French Fries and Frosty Malts Takes a Gourmet Tour of Kansas City,” the article (filed under “Opinion” by his editors) reads to me more like a myth, resurrecting delicious giants from my childhood and beyond, blurred by a greasy film of nostalgia. Many of them — like Winsteads, known for their thin-patty burgers — still haunt our city today, sadly, shadows of their alleged, former glory.
For Kansas City barbecue, Trillins article reigns more like a charter. It established Henry Perry as the father of Kansas City barbecue, thereby making Charlie Bryant — the man who took over Perrys barbecue restaurant in 1940 — the scion and heir to his legacy. Charlies business eventually passed to his brother Arthur. And it was under Arthur Bryants ownership that Trillin, in his 1972 article, conferred upon the restaurant the bombastic title of “the single-best restaurant in the world.”
Trillins writing also set into motion the gears of commerce and romance over a scrap of meat at Arthur Bryants that Trillin described as the “burned edges of the brisket.” He wrote of it: “The counterman just pushes them over to the side and anyone who wants them helps himself. I dream of those burned edges. Sometimes, when Im in some awful, overpriced restaurant in some strange town, trying to choke down some three-dollar hamburger that tastes like a burned sponge, a blank look comes over me: I have just realized that at that very moment, someone in Kansas City is being given those burned edges free.”
Not for long. Barbecue restaurants quickly capitalized upon Trillins anecdote and started selling those “burnt ends.” At their best, “burnt ends” are the crisped and charred “bark” from the fattier corners of the brisket — beef crackling that has been blackened by smoke. Deemed too burnt and fatty to eat, traditionally these trimmings were set aside as the cooks snack. But following Trillins article, the demand for these scraps quickly outpaced production. So, at most barbecue restaurants, burnt ends turned into something entirely different.
To understand modern burnt ends, you must understand brisket. Brisket is a uniquely American primal cut from the lower front end of a cow, comprising part of the animals pectoral muscles. Owing to an abundant amount of connective tissue, brisket must be cooked slowly to melt all the collagen, making it particularly suitable for long-smoking.
Brisket is made up of two muscles, separated by a layer of fat. The larger, leaner muscle is called the “flat.” On top of the flat is a smaller, thinner, and more-marbled piece of meat called the “point,” also known as the “deckle.” The point is capped with a thick layer of fat, which is often removed before cooking.
Unable to meet the demand of customers looking for the type of burnt ends that Trillin described, the vast majority of barbecue restaurants now fabricate them from parts of the entire brisket. Most remove the point muscle and either cook it separately, or remove it after the entire brisket has cooked, returning the point to the smoker to char on its own. In these cases, the flat muscle is sliced and served as “brisket,” and the extra-charred point muscle, with fattier, looser-grained meat, is chopped up as “burnt ends.” Some use only the flat muscle for burnt ends; these are usually lean and dry, and as a result, often liberally sauced. And others cook the entire brisket, chop everything up, and then smoke the cubes of meat to darken them even more.
Regardless of the method of cooking or smoking employed, the burnt ends of today are rarely the burnt ends of Trillins yesteryear.
Most of the burnt ends I encountered fell into two camps: they were either dry and bark-like (almost like charred jerky), or moist and tender (mostly cubed meat). Some places served something of a hybrid: juicy cubes of meat with a thick, tough, and barky rind. Only two of the places I visited served the sort of crispy, crackling-like crust that I consider to be true burnt ends: Gates and LCs. However, it is important to keep in mind that the longer meat sits, the drier it becomes. So, it is possible that even true burnt ends, after sitting for a while (especially if under heat lamps), will dry out. That means that restaurants with a higher turnover rate are more likely to have fresher brisket, which means their burnt ends are more likely to be crustier, juicier, fattier — better.
In the tradition of Kansas City barbecue, burnt ends are almost always served on a foamy mattress of white bread, and always with sauce. Thick and sweet —and often spicy, too — sauce is the one, true hallmark of Kansas City barbecue. Served this way, its too sloppy to be called an open-faced sandwich. Although some “white collar” barbecue restaurants try to fashion them this way (sometimes, more white bread is stacked on top of the meat). The purpose, I suppose, is to use the white bread as a sponge to sop up all of the fat and sauce. I adhered to only two rules on my tour of the following twelve restaurants:
1. My standard order was the burnt ends (as with all barbecued meats in Kansas City, they appeared, invariably, in the form of a “platter,” “dinner,” “plate,” or “sandwich”) with a side of barbecue beans; and
2. If a restaurant had multiple locations, I visited the original location.
I wonder what Trillin would think of the burnt ends that Arthur Bryants serves today. They certainly arent the burnt ends that he described in 1972. For as long as I have been ordering Arthur Bryants burnt ends, the large, cubed meat has been tough, and the outer rind of bark has been dry. The meat now comes coated in Arthur Bryants “Rich and Spicy” sauce, which is sweeter and spicier than the paprika-choked “Original” sauce for which Bryant is famous. As with all Arthur Bryants barbecue, the burnt ends are served on white bread with sliced pickles. (1727 Brooklyn Avenue, Kansas City, Missouri 64127; arthurbryantsbbq.com)
Danny Edwardss father Jake arrived in Kansas City in 1938 and set up Jakes Barbecue, which remained open until 1981. Danny, then known as “Lil Jake,” opened his own barbecue restaurant in 1980 using his familys recipes. He became most well-known for his slogan, “Eat it, and beat it.” It was a reminder to the customers of his 18-seater on Grand Boulevard in the heart of downtown Kansas City of the long line of customers waiting for seats. In 2007, Edwards was forced out of his Grand Boulevard space and he relocated to a much larger space on Southwest Boulevard. Danny Edwardss burnt ends are taken from the point muscle. They are smoked until barky and charred, and then chopped into small bits, sauced, and served with a slice of white bread on the side. The day I went, the meat was dry — surprisingly dry for deckle meat — and too dry for me. (2900 Southwest Boulevard, Kansas City, Missouri 64108; dannyedwardsblvdbbq.com)
When the woman behind the counter yells out “Hi, may I help you?” with an alarming volume and ferocity, you had better know what you want. Gates Bar-B-Q was founded by George Gates and his family in 1946. Their first cook, Arthur Pinkard, had been a cook under Henry Perry. For years, I shied away from Gates because their barbecue was way too salty, and not very good. But, this time, their burnt ends knocked my socks off. When asked, the young carver behind the station held up a hunk of brisket and showed me the crispy corners that he was cutting off for my order. Using two cleavers, he chopped all of the burnt scraps into bits and piled them on white bread (normally its served on a hoagie, you have to request white bread). He asked me if I wanted them sauced. I said yes. He reached for a giant brush in a canister and generously painted the meat, and then shingled more white bread on top.
The best way to describe Gates burnt ends is brisket feuilletine. They reminded me of Rodney Scotts famous pulled pork in South Carolina. Scott separates the crisped skin from the pulled pork meat and then chops the two back together so that every bite is mottled with crystals of crunchy crackling. Gates brisket burnt ends are just like that. And its marvelous. On this latest visit, the meat was still noticeably salty, saved only by the tanginess of the restaurants signature sauce, speckled with celery seed. (1221 Brooklyn, Kansas City, Missouri 64127; gatesbbq.com)
Fiorella’s Jack Stack Barbecue
One of the few barbecue restaurants in Kansas City to offer mail order, Fiorellas Jack Stack is also one of the few barbecue restaurants that have expanded to become a local chain. Its commercialization can be seen in the variety of burnt ends offered: brisket, ham, and even sausage. Purists roll their eyes. What I found at their original location in Martin City were large cubes of brisket from both the point and the flat. The pieces from the flat were particularly dry, the ones from the point, particularly tender and fatty. It was an uneven plate of meat.
Out of curiosity, I also ordered a plate of the pork “burnt ends,” which were essentially cubes of pork butt, slightly charred for color. Fatty and tender, these were much more consistent than the brisket ones. But as a Kansas Citian, I reject the cubed pork butt ones as burnt ends. Both the pork and brisket burnt ends at Fiorellas Jack Stack are served with a small slice of white bread and two sides. The beans here, which I describe as dark and stormy, are unspeakably good. At Martin City, the beans pool beneath the meat in the smoker, soaking up the drippings. (13441 Holmes Road, Martin City, Missouri 64145; jackstackbbq.com)
When Anthony Bourdain told me that he wanted his Kansas City episode of No Reservations to be the “barbecue show to end all barbecue shows,” two names topped my list of recommendations. LCs was one of them (Oklahoma Joes was the other). You might question a lot of things when you walk into this roadside grease pit off of Blue Parkway in a part of town where no one would otherwise stop. You might wonder if the lacquered, taxidermy fish on the walls are actually LCs conquests, or whether LC actually knows what is in the overstuffed Rolodex on his “office” desk that sits along the back wall, where he can often be seen napping.
You might also question whether throwing an unseasoned brisket into the smoker, stoking the flames, and then dousing it all with a hose is actually a recipe for success, or whether the amount of smoke that method produces inside the restaurant, where the smoker sits, is actually safe for humans. But the one thing you wont question is LCs burnt ends. When they are good, they are fantastic. Fresh out of the smoker, the blackened crust is bubbling and crisp, the meat is a juicy and flavorful, with a generous amount of fat running throughout. LCs sauce, which is more vinegary than most Kansas City sauce, a foil for the richness of his meat.
One of my favorite things about LCs is that, unlike most other barbecue restaurants, LCs serves his meat piping hot (on white bread, of course). But mind the plates, as theyre often greasy and saucy on the underside; its definitely a sloppy affair. The beans here are fantastic, full of burnt end bits. And, when fresh out of the fryer, the French fries here are a joy. Theyre the wedge kind, with a thick, shell of a crust and a fluffy, steamy interior. (5800 Blue Parkway, Kansas City, Missouri 64129; Since the restaurant has no website, I note that, to my knowledge, the restaurant is opened every day for lunch and dinner except Sundays, unless the Royals or Chiefs have a home game.)
Oklahoma Joes was born of the barbecue competition champion team “Slaughterhouse Five” (theyve won titles at the largest, and arguably, most-prestigious barbecue competition in the world — The American Royal in Kansas City — among countless other competitions). A relatively young barbecue restaurant — it opened in Kansas City in 1996 — Oklahoma Joes has quickly attained cult status in a city of well-seasoned elders. What Trillin did for Arthur Bryants, Anthony Bourdain did for Oklahoma Joes when he named it one of the “13 Places To Eat Before You Die” (along with places like elBulli, The French Laundry, and Sukiyabashi Jiro) in a 2011 issue of Mens Health magazine.
I have eaten at Oklahoma Joes dozens of times, and in my experience, the quality has been consistently high, which explains its success. The original location, inside a working Shamrock gas station on the corner of 47th Avenue and Mission Road, just a couple of blocks on this side of the Kansas-Missouri border, only serves burnt ends Mondays and Saturdays at lunch, and Thursdays at dinner. Like many others, Oklahoma Joes separates the two muscles of a smoked brisket, and returns the point muscle to the smoker to darken (this was first explained to me by Doug Worgul, author of Thin Blue Smoke, who now works for Oklahoma Joes). The charred point is chopped into small cubes and served on buttered toast with sliced pickles and a side (I chose beans). Here, you sauce your own meat. Oklahoma Joes burnt ends have a nice char on the outer edges and the meat is tender, some of it layered with fat. Its consistently good. (3002 West 47th Avenue, Kansas City, Kansas 66103; oklahomajoesbbq.com)
Papa Bob doesnt seem to mind that hes most well-known for something he calls the “Ultimate Destroyer,” a foot-long hoagie battleship carrying over four pounds of smoked meat, with sauce and gratuitous slices of bread layered between. It appeared on that show Man v. Food, which made that meaty tanker the most famous thing about Bonner Springs, Kansas other than tornadoes. I knew none of this when I sat down at Papa Bobs red, diner-like counter and ordered his burnt ends, which turned out to be surprisingly good. Papa Bob (his last name is Caviar, by the way) only uses the point muscle for his burnt ends, which he cuts into cubes and serves with a carousel of over a half-dozen sauces, all of which are made in-house (my favorites were his two, more-vinegary chicken wing sauces). The meat was moist and tender, with a nicely charred crust. The burnt ends came naked on a plate with a pickle spear and a choice of two sides. (11610 Kaw Drive, Bonner Springs, Kansas 66111; papabobsbbq.com)
Rob Magee, a restaurateur and graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, opened this “rustic-urban” newcomer on 39th Street earlier this year. Magee is a veteran of the barbecue competition circuit, leading the decorated Munchin Hogs barbecue team. At Q39 the meat from the point muscle — which is removed from the whole, smoked brisket — is sliced into strips and then served on a bun with sauce (if the point meat is still too fatty, it is sometimes returned to the smoker to render and darken). I suppose Q39s burnt ends are only related to Trillins burnt ends in spirit, but it is some of the most tender and well-smoked meat I had on my recent tour. But at $9 for a few ounces of meat on a bun with no sides included, it was also some of the most expensive meat I had. (1000 W 39th St Kansas City, Missouri 64111; q39kc.com)
Guy Fieri Eats Brisket Burnt Ends in Kansas City | Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives | Food Network
FAQ
Is Kansas City known for burnt ends?
Where do burnt ends originate?
What food is Kansas City known for?
What kind of BBQ is KC known for?
Does Kansas City have burnt ends?
In Kansas City, barbecue is much more than a commodity, it’s a currency, and burnt ends are the town’s succulent prized jewel. Now, you can’t talk about burnt ends without talking about the history of Kansas City barbecue, and you can’t talk about the history of Kansas City barbecue without first mentioning Henry Perry.
What are the best burnt ends in Kansas City?
Columbus St., Lee’s Summit “Best burnt ends in Kansas City. True barbecue using only wood and no gas or electric assist.” “They have burnt ends everyday and they are lean, yet juicy (not tough and dry).” “They have the best burnt ends, brisket and smoked turkey in town.
Does Kansas City BBQ have burnt ends?
While Memphis and Carolina BBQ is all about the pork and Texas is all about the beef, Kansas City (often times known for its thick, sweet sauce) has one item that it stakes a claim to having invented: burnt ends. What are burnt ends?
Where did burnt ends come from?
Here’s how burnt ends first came to the public’s attention. Burnt ends actually originated at a restaurant in Kansas City called Arthur Bryant’s BBQ (per Kansas City PBS ). Legend has it that the sandwich makers there would cut off the more charred ends of the briskets’ point end as they were accessing the flat.