Pulled Pork -> Shredded Beef

[candelbc]

I am wondering what cut of meat I can buy and smoke in the same fashion as a Pork Shoulder to leave me with a smoked shredded beef. Is Brisket the only cut, or the recommended cut?

-Brad

[Andy M.]

You could try chuck. It's roughly the same part of the front shoulder as the butt for pulled pork. It has a good amount of fat and connective tissue.

Someone with more BBQ experience will chime in to answer with more experience.

[Barb L.]

Thats what I use ! Very good.

[BBQ'd Dude]

A few times I have been dozing at the final temp. point for briskets and they have gone up to around 205 degrees (Darn temp. gauge alarm just isn't loud enough some days).

At that point it shredded pretty nicely.

Take care,

Brian

[Uncle Bob]

Brisket or chuck will work. However never as good as pork IMO!

[Barb L.]

Originally Posted by Uncle Bob

Brisket or chuck will work. However never as good as pork IMO!

Pork Rules --- !!!!!!!!

[BBQ'd Dude]

Ever try "burnt ends" ? Not to sway you .

Take care,

Brian

[kitchenelf]

I too would vote for chuck here. Don't rush the cooking process though. You want to cook it long enough to shred. If it doesn't shred it's not done.

[Andy M.]

So if we mostly agree that chuck is a good choice, how come no one ever hears about chuck as a standard in the BBQ world?

[Uncle Bob]

Brisket is the gold standard in the Beef BBQ world. Chuck is an alternative, and while it can be good, not as good as brisket IMO.

[Andy M.]

UB, isn't brisket mostly sliced rather than pulled?

I was thinking about the absence of pulled beef in the BBQ world.

[Uncle Bob]

Originally Posted by Andy M.

UB, isn't brisket mostly sliced rather than pulled?

I was thinking about the absence of pulled beef in the BBQ world.

Andy..

Yes, brisket is mostly sliced, or chopped for sandwiches. The absence of 'pulled" beef is, (I think) due to the fact that no cut of beef I have ever found, when cooked to a pullable degree 180*+ is as "toothsome' as pork. Thus most BBQ beef sandwiches I have ever encountered has been chopped meat. Obviously, one can make a darn good sandwich out of thinly sliced brisket too.

[AllenOK]

I have to agree with Uncle Bob on this. Most of the BBQ places here sell brisket, either sliced or chopped.

I thought about smoking some chuck at home a couple years ago, but the one thing that stopped me was the price. Chuck costs about twice as much, per pound, as pork butt does.

[Andy M.]

I'm going to have to try a "beef butt" - chuck roast - to make pulled beef. It will be interesting to test the texture and flavor with a rub and a mop as I do with a pork butt.

[Uncle Bob]

Andy, when you do this, try to find at least a 5 pounder. The smaller roast found in most retail markets will be to small to give you the real sense of BBQ chuck. Cook very low 200-210, baste often. (And quickly if you are on a grill.) Pulled will be ok...sliced even better

[Andy M.]

Ub, I've overcooked a pot roast using chuck and ended up with shredded rather than sliced pot roast. I just have never heard of one being done like a pulled pork.

[candelbc]

It sounds like the next time I smoke some beef I will have to do a brisket AND chuck roast. The butcher I was talking to agreed that a Chuck Roast would be perfect to try. He hadn't done it himself yet, so he was excited for me to try.

-Brad

[Dave Hutchins]

Me thinkes that beef would not pull but be stringy and tough as shoe leather.
I over cooked a brisket and it was so stringy I ground it and had sandwich spread stick to PORK It rules. In all of BBQ there is nothing that tastes better than a smoked pork butt done well