Here’s an unexpected take on burnt ends cooked up on the Traeger that will have your dinner guests first questioning your sanity and then asking for more. Traeger Smoked Pineapple and Spam Burnt Ends are smoky, flavorful and super easy to make, so give it a try this weekend.
BURNT ENDS SHOULD BE A FOOD GROUP
As you probably know, I have done a lot of variations on burnt ends when cooking on my Traeger. From traditional brisket burnt ends to asian style to pork belly to hot dogs to “poor mans” made with chuck roast, burnt ends are a very delicious and versatile preparation. And we have a growing list of ideas for more burnt end variations– so stay tuned in the months to come for more options.
WHAT ARE BURNT ENDS?
Traditionally made with the highly rendered and smoked point of a brisket, burnt ends are an application that was originally used to repurpose a portion of the brisket that smokehouses wouldn’t sell. By chopping it off the whole packer brisket, smoking it further and tossing it in sauce, burnt ends became flavorful nuggets of saucy meat that people started to love.
It’s hard to believe that the application started as a way to get rid (often for free) of a portion of the brisket. And now true burnt ends are as expensive- if not more- than brisket itself!
DIFFERENT MEATS FOR BURNT ENDS
Looking beyond traditional brisket, there are several burnt end variations to think about:
- Pork belly: tender cubes of slow smoked pork belly, tossed in BBQ sauce and honey
- Salmon: 1-inch cubes of salmon, cooked on the smoker and then sauced before serving
- Hot dogs: simply hot dogs cubed up and smoked then tossed in a simple sauce
- Poor mans: not so poor anymore with beef prices, but cubes of chuck roast treated like brisket
- the sky is the limit… chicken, meatballs, turkey, tofu, etc…
- and Spam burnt ends with smoked pineapple
VARIATIONS ON SAUCE
Traditional burnt ends are usually tossed with butter, brown sugar and BBQ sauce to create a rich, tangy and sticky sauce that envelops the cubes. You can definitely do variations on the flavors– different BBQ sauces (try Carolina gold!), hot sauces, or different types of sauce. Asian style (with soy, hoisin and chili) are some of our favorites.
SPAM? ARE YOU SURE?
Ok… on to the Spam. Yes. That quintessential, canned meat with a reputation that precedes itself. No, I had’t cooked with it before. And I had hardly ever eaten it either. But we thought it would be cool and probably tasty and it definitely was both.
When it was all said and done, my kids were especially big fans of the Spam. The texture is like a skinless hotdog. Trust us… give this recipe a try. It takes on the flavor of the wood fired smoke from the Traeger very well, it comes already cooked and ready to use, and this recipe is quick, affordable and easy. And if you’re hosting a luau themed gathering sometime this fall, it is a great way to incorporate this meat that is closely tied to Hawaiian cuisine.
SMOKED PINEAPPLE FOR A SWEET TWIST
In addition to the smoked cubed Spam, we added a can of pineapple chunks to this recipe. Seasoned first with my Smoke Junkie seasoning, the pineapple was spread on a cookie sheet and smoked on the Traeger grill alongside the whole Spam blocks until flavorful, hot and some of the sweet juice had caramelized.
We kept the cubes pretty big– along with the cubes of Spam– to make it super easy to pick up the bites with a toothpick.
PRIMARY INGREDIENTS
- Spam
- Pineapple chunks (reserve the juice)
- Pineapple juice
- Teriyaki sauce
- Bachan’s Japanese BBQ sauce
- Hot sauce (we used Traeger’s apricot & habanero)
- BBQ sauce (we used Head Country sweet & sticky)
- Brown sugar
- My Smoke Junkie Seasoning
WHY COOKING SPAM BURNT ENDS ON THE TRAEGER WORKS
Burnt ends are tasty because they are a way to incorporate a delicious meat with extra smoky flavor and a terrific sauce. Spam burnt ends are no exception– cubes of tender and flavorful meat are smoked on the Traeger along with pineapple chunks, then tossed in a sauce that reminds you of the tropics. Once the sauce sets a bit while cooking longer, it’s a terrific appetizer dish to share with your friends.
STEP-BY-STEP
- Preheat your Traeger grill to 225* with the super smoke feature on.
- Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Remove the Spam from the cans and season all sides generously with Smoke Junkie seasoning.
- Drain the juice from the can of pineapple (reserve the juice) and then season the pineapple chunks with Smoke Junkie.
- Arrange the pineapple on the cookie sheet along with the seasoned Spam bricks.
- Place the cookie sheet in the Traeger grill and smoke for at least one hour.
- While the meat and pineapple smokes, make the sauce.
- Combine the reserved pineapple juice, teriyaki sauce, Japanese BBQ sauce, BBQ sauce, and hot sauce in a bowl.
- Whisk to combine and add the brown sugar.
- Once the meat has smoked for at least 60 minutes, remove it from the grill.
- Using a large chef’s knife, cut the Spam into 1-inch cubes.
- Combine the Spam cubes and smoked pineapple in a baking dish and pour the prepared sauce over.
- Stir to coat.
- Return the baking dish to the grill and increase the heat to 300*.
- Continue cooking for at least 30 minutes until the sauce has thickened and the Spam burnt ends are glazed.
- Serve the Spam burnt ends with smoked pineapple with toothpicks and enjoy warm.
ALTERNATE RECIPES/PRODUCT LINKS
Here are some recipes for burnt ends:
- Hot dog burnt ends
- Pork Belly burnt ends
- Asian burnt ends
- There’s also a great recipe for poor man’s burnt ends in my cookbook, which you can pick up here.
Products used in this cook:
- Traeger Grill
- Cookie Sheet
- Parchment Paper
- Bachan’s Japanese BBQ sauce
- Traeger’s apricot & habanero hot sauce
- Head Country sweet & sticky BBQ sauce
- My Smoke Junkie Seasoning from Spiceology.
Did you make this recipe?
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Leave a review below or snap a photo,
share it on Instagram and tag me at @ThisJewCanQue
Spam burnt ends with Traeger smoked pineapple
Equipment
- Traeger grill
- Cookie sheet
- Parchment paper
- Knife and cutting board
- Baking dish
Ingredients
- 2 cans Spam
- 1 can pineapple chunks (reserve the juice)
- 1 cup reserved pineapple juice
- 1/4 cup Teriyaki sauce
- 1/4 cup Bachan’s Japanese BBQ sauce
- 1/8 cup hot sauce we used Traeger’s apricot & habanero
- 1/4 cup BBQ sauce we used Head Country sweet & sticky
- 4 tbsp brown sugar
- 6 tbsp My Smoke Junkie Seasoning
Instructions
- Preheat your Traeger grill to 225* with the super smoke feature on.
- Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Remove the Spam from the cans and season all sides generously with Smoke Junkie seasoning.
- Drain the juice from the can of pineapple (reserve the juice) and then season the pineapple chunks with Smoke Junkie.
- Arrange the pineapple on the cookie sheet along with the seasoned Spam bricks.
- Place the cookie sheet in the Traeger grill and smoke for at least one hour.
- While the meat and pineapple smokes, make the sauce.
- Combine the reserved pineapple juice, teriyaki sauce, Japanese BBQ sauce, BBQ sauce, and hot sauce in a bowl.
- Whisk to combine and add the brown sugar.
- Once the meat has smoked for at least 60 minutes, remove it from the grill.
- Using a large chef’s knife, cut the Spam into 1-inch cubes.
- Combine the Spam cubes and smoked pineapple in a baking dish and pour the prepared sauce over.
- Stir to coat.
- Return the baking dish to the grill and increase the heat to 300*.
- Continue cooking for at least 30 minutes until the sauce has thickened and the Spam burnt ends are glazed.
- Serve the Spam burnt ends with smoked pineapple with toothpicks and enjoy warm.
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