Burnt ends are not scraps. They are the fatty point of the brisket, cooked twice on purpose, and the second cook is where the whole dish is won or lost. Hot Spit sits one step up the Mr. Popo's ladder from Pig Spit. There is real pepper heat behind the sweetness, and against beef fat that heat is exactly what you want.

Work the point, not the flat. The flat is lean and it dries out in a braise pan. The point carries intramuscular fat that renders into the sauce and makes the cube taste like candy instead of jerky. Cut everything to the same size, roughly one and a half inches, or the small ones turn to leather while the big ones are still tight.

The second cook is uncovered. People pan them, cover them with foil, and wonder why they came out wet and pale. Leave the pan open so the sauce reduces onto the meat instead of pooling under it. When the cubes have a tacky, dark shell and the pan is nearly dry, they are done.