Preheat and prepare: Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F). While it's heating, pat the beef cubes dry with kitchen paper — you'll notice the surface feels slightly tacky, which helps the seasoning stick. In a large bowl, combine the smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and salt. Toss the beef cubes in the spice mix until each piece is evenly coated, with a deep red-brown colour.

Sear the beef: Heat the olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet over a high heat. When the oil shimmers and you can feel the heat radiating from the pan, add the beef cubes in a single layer — you should hear a satisfying sizzle as they hit the pan. Sear for 2-3 minutes per side, turning with tongs, until all sides are deeply browned and you can smell the toasted spices. The surface should look crusty and dark, not grey and steamed.

Build the glaze: Reduce the heat to medium. Pour in the beef stock and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan — these are packed with flavour and will dissolve into the sauce. Stir in the ketchup, apple cider vinegar, honey, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and liquid smoke if using. The mixture will look thin at first, with a deep mahogany colour, and you'll smell a sweet-sour aroma rising from the pan.

Simmer and thicken: Bring the liquid to a gentle bubble — you should see small bubbles breaking the surface, not a rolling boil. Let it simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. As it cooks, the sauce will start to thicken and coat the back of your spoon, turning a glossy, sticky dark red. The beef cubes will be bathed in the sauce, and the kitchen will smell wonderfully smoky and sweet.

Bake to perfection: Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven, uncovered. Bake for 45 minutes, giving the pan a gentle stir halfway through. After 30 minutes, check the texture — the sauce should be bubbling and reducing, and the beef cubes should look glossy and caramelised. When done, the meat should be fork-tender, pulling apart easily with a slight tug, and the sauce will have reduced to a thick, sticky glaze that clings to every piece.

Rest and serve: Remove the skillet from the oven and let the burnt ends rest for 5 minutes. During this time, the juices redistribute within the meat, and the sauce continues to set, becoming even stickier. You'll notice the glossy sheen on each cube — that's the sign of a perfect burnt end. Serve immediately, spooning any remaining glaze from the pan over the top.