South Chicago Packing 100% Pure Smoked Brisket Burnt Ends with Tallow Glaze

Ingredient Spotlight

beef brisket point

The brisket point is one of the two muscles in a whole beef brisket (the other is the leaner ‘flat’); the point is fattier and more marbled, which makes it richer and better for shredding or for making “burnt ends.” It’s central to American barbecue and Jewish braised-brisket traditions and tastes intensely beefy, with a buttery mouthfeel from the rendered fat. If you can’t find a point you can use a whole brisket (trim the flat off and cook both) or substitute a well-marbled chuck roast for similar richness, though cooking times and texture will differ.

Ingredient Spotlight

hickory wood chunks

Hickory wood chunks are pieces of hickory hardwood used for smoking meats; hickory is a classic American barbecue wood that imparts a strong, sweet-smoky, bacon-like flavor. Common in Southern/US BBQ, they’re used on charcoal or pellet grills and give a pronounced smoke profile that can overpower delicate proteins. You’ll find them at barbecue shops, garden/ hardware stores, and online; for a milder smoke use apple or maple, for a similarly strong flavor try oak or pecan, and avoid mesquite if you want less acrid heat.

Ingredient Spotlight

South Chicago Packing 100% Pure

This reads like a brand/label rather than a generic pantry item — many products labeled “100% pure” by packing companies refer to rendered animal fat (lard or beef tallow) or pure shortening. Rendered fats are traditional in many cuisines for frying, roasting, and pastry because they add richness and a high smoke point; flavor is mild and fatty rather than spicy or aromatic. Check the full packaging to confirm whether it’s lard, tallow, or shortening; common substitutes are store-bought lard, beef tallow, vegetable shortening, or clarified butter (ghee) depending on whether you need a neutral fat or one with a beefy note.