Bill The Grill Guy
Master Chef
- Joined
- Jan 17, 2005
- Messages
- 5,454
Hey Raine, nice to see a familure face.
AllenMI said:Larry, that's some nice-lookin' meat ya got there!
Question: Do you save the juices that come out of your chuck roasts and use them for anything?
The reason I ask, is that the last time I smoked anything last year, I smoked a couple of pork butts. I saved all the leftover pulled pork, as well as the juices that came from them. I've found that these juices are most the natural gelatin rendered from the meat, and some of the fat as well. I skimmed the fat, and used the gelatin as well as the leftover pulled pork, and made a most excellent Posole with it.
Gretchen said:Do not brine beef. That is called corning. There is more than one way to fix a smoked roast. I have smoked sirloin tips that are delicious. They remain rare but have the nice smoke ring. Sliced thin across the grain they are tender and flavorful. I don't think chuck is a candidate for smoking. I think you could make a delicious pulled beef recipe in a crockpot however. Have done it--slice 4 or 5 onions and put in bottom of crockpot. Put in 5# chuck roast. Pour a can of beer and 15 oz. of BBQ sauce over it. Cook for 8-10 hours until falling apart. Concentrat the sauce/juices and serve on sub rolls.
Gretchen said:I would agree wholeheartedly that pit cooking is better. Maybe I will give chuck a try in my smoker.
As far as brining is concerned, beef in a brine becomes corned.
[FONT=Verdana,Helvetica,Arial]Beef, lamb, duck, and other meats with high fat content and bold flavors do not benefit from brining--they're naturally moist and flavorful. They also tend to be cooked to lower internal temperatures and thus don't lose as much of their natural moisture.[/FONT] [FONT=Verdana,Helvetica,Arial]Pork butt is not a good candidate for brining because of its high fat content. Brisket can be brined to become corned beef or pastrami depending on the seasonings used in the brine.[/FONT]
kitchenelf said:Sounds like a great first time!!!! I like to use Hickory chunks versus chips. The chips just don't produce a lot of flavor IMHO. I like to soak all of my chunks though - no dry ones. I soak in 1/2 apple juice and 1/2 water for about 1/2 to 1 hour. I also put apple juice in my drip pan - it totally makes a difference in flavor. I smoke at around 200°F - 220°F - usually takes a 7 or so pound pork butt about 8 - 10 hours. I use hardwood charcoal instead of briquettes and add just a few Hickory chunks along the way - I have used too much Hickory before and it gives the meat a bitter taste.
I agree with your deduction that you need to cook at a lower temp for longer to get it more pullable.
Did you use any kind of bbq sauce when you ate it?
kitchenelf said:oops - BEEF - you're right there - I always use apple juice with pork. If you want a nice thinnish-type bbq sauce recipe let me know. I have a great one that lasts about 8 months in the fridge and is great to take to bbq's as a host/hostess gift. It's just a nice condiment with smoked pork, beef, or chicken.
A friend of mine smoked a big ol' hunk of beef (can't remember the cut right now) for about 18 hours - you had to crack the crust (which was really yummy) and the meat inside just fell everywhere. There was a good 1 1/2" smoke ring which makes one proud, you know?