How to Make Smoked Pulled Beef That Melts in Your Mouth
Smoked Pulled Beef: a BBQ classic! Join us as we give our Galley of the Sun twist to this incredible dish!
Things to know:
What cut of meat is best for smoked pulled beef?
Beef chuck roast is the best cut of beef for any pulled or shredded beef recipe. This cut of beef comes from the front shoulder of a steer, which means there is a good deal of collagen, fat, and marbling.
Is brisket or chuck better for pulled beef?
The often overlooked chuck. The beefy equivalent of a pork butt from the shoulder, this cut comes in substantially cheaper than brisket these days. Brisket muscle fibers tend to be longer and stringier, and brisket often has less fat than chuck, so for perfect pulled beef, but definitely give chuck a go.
Is shredded beef the same as pulled beef?
Shredded beef, also known as pulled beef, is a preparation of beef that features in dishes from various cuisines. Shredded beef is sometimes prepared using beef brisket and chuck roast. Pot roast is also sometimes shredded.
What is poor man’s brisket?
Poor man’s brisket is a nickname for chuck roast, an affordable cut of beef that’s cooked low and slow, similar to traditional brisket, to achieve a tender, flavorful result that mimics brisket’s texture and taste. It’s popular because it’s much cheaper and readily available, making brisket-style BBQ accessible without the high cost of a full brisket.
Can I smoke a chuck roast like a brisket?
Yes, you absolutely can smoke a chuck roast like a brisket, and it’s a popular “poor man’s brisket” method for getting brisket-style results (tender, shreddable beef with bark) in a smaller, faster, and cheaper package, using low-and-slow heat, a good rub, a spritz, wrapping (the ‘Texas Crutch’) in foil or butcher paper, and cooking until probe-tender.
Ingredients:
4-20 pounds of Chuck Roast (we did 11 pounds in this episode)
Your favorite beef rub (we used Cattleman’s Grill Road House rub)
1-4 chopped white onions (we used 3 with the amount of beef we cooked. Use white onions vice sweet onions. You want your beans to be sweet, not your beef!)
1-6 cups of beef broth (you want enough to fill the bottom of your braising pan and for it to submerge the onions and come up the sides of the beef about 1/4 in)
Wagyu Beef tallow (just enough to paint a thin coat on your chuck roasts)
1/4 – 2 sticks of butter (again, depends on the amount you are cooking. We used 1 stick with 11 pounds of chuck)
1. Set your smoker to 300F.
2. Apply a good coat of rub to all sides of your chuck roast.
3. Place the chuck on the top shelf of your smoker and let it go for about 3 hours. Once the bark has set to your liking, remove the chuck from the smoker.
4. In a large disposable aluminum pan, add the chopped onions to the bottom, then nestle your chuck roasts on top of the onions. Apply a thin layer of beef tallow to the roasts, top with squares of butter and add enough beef broth to submerge the onions and come up the sides of the beef about 1/4 inch.
5. Cover the pan tightly with foil and return to the smoker.
6. Once the beef has reached about 200-205F, probe with a thermometer, checking for tenderness. It should feel like you are poking the probe into room temperature butter.
7. Remove the pan from the smoker and allow to rest for at least an hour in a cooler with beach towels below and above the pan.
8. Remove the beef from the pan, if you wish, strain about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the liquid to mix with BBQ sauce, shred the beef and return the beef to the pan with the broth and onions. Mix, serve and ENJOY!
Equipment used: Yoder YS640S Pellet Smoker
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