Chuck roast and pork butt together?


 
G

Gregory

TVWBB Member
I've got a 3 lb boneless chuck roast and a 4.2 lb pork butt that I want to smoke together. Is this OK? What do I need to do to make sure the chuck roast gets really tender?

For wood I've got hickory and mesquite chunks and I have trial packs of BBQrs Delight cherry, pecan, and apple. Should I mix any of the chunks and the pellets? Should I just bag the idea of doing them together? Thanks!
 
no problem doing them together. In my experience, chuck roast takes almost 3 hrs/lb, so you may get them coming off at about the same time. PB may finish a bit earlier. Just sort of depends on the attitudes of your particular roasts.

If you want them to finish around the same time and the chuck is chugging along more slowly, you can foil the chuck when it gets in the 170 or 180 range, which will speed up that last part of the smoke.

Both will be "pullable" at around 195.

About mixing the pellets and the chunks... I wouldn't. Just because I don't think you need to - I'd do one or the other. To me, wood isn't like spices, where mixing and matching gets really distinct, unique flavors. Mixing wood doesn't generate huge amounts of difference in flavor. Especially if you are mixing milder woods, like cherry or apple with much stronger woods, like hickory or mesquite.
 
Well I decided to do a brisket with a pork butt up top for Father's day. Only problem is I didn't think about the weights of the two coordinating. I got a good looking 9.2 lb brisket from Sam's Club and a 4.2 lb pork butt. Sounds like the pork butt would be done a lot sooner than the brisket. If dinner is at 5pm on Sunday, should I start the brisket at midnight so it'd be done around 1pm which gives it a few hours to sit in a cooler wrapped in foil and start the pork butt at 8am so it'd be done around 4pm?

Or should I start them both at the same time and just let the pork butt sit in foil for that long? I really think I'm stressing over this way too much. I don't think it's a good idea to have my first long cook be for family!

What should I do for wood with my pork butt/brisket cook...my choices are what I mentioned in the first post. Thanks so much, pretty soom maybe I'll actually be helping people on here?
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Should I just go out and buy a bigger butt? Like a 7 pounder?
 
Better family than guests-- maybe I'll tell that story some day.

The bad thing about estimates of hours per pound in BBQ is that they're only estimates. Sometimes 1.5 hours per pound can end up being 2 hr/lb. or 1 hr/lb. You're probably going to be safe starting at midnight with a goal of eating at 5pm the following eve, but don't rule out later with a brisket. And the pork butt is going to put a hit on your cooker temp when you add it, so be ready to make an adjustment.

Actually, all things considered, I don't think I'd try to cut things so fine on the butt. Maybe start it with the brisket, let it be ready in the a.m., pull the meat, refigerate and reheat just before serving. It would also solve the smoke application issues, as I stated in your other thread.
 
Thanks for the response. I think I'm going to go out and try to find a bigger butt. Man, that just sounds funny. I think I'm going to serve this with the meat. Sounds yummy.
 
You shouldn't have a problem with that cook. My personal favorite cook is a Chuck Roll on the top grate, a brisket on a middle grate and 2 pork butts on the bottom grate. All and all it usually comes to 50 - 60 lbs. of meat, and it has always come out well.

I've done it a few times now. The first time was a bit tough, but I've learned, and it goes much smoother now.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by John G.:
I've done it a few times now. The first time was a bit tough, but I've learned, and it goes much smoother now. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Can you share with me what you learned? I want this brisket and butt to be TENDER tender tender. Thanks!

Oh, will one foil pack of pecan pellets be good?
 
Good question... To be honest with you, I've never done a 3lb Chuck or a 4.2lb pork butt, but doing multiple cuts of meat isn't a problem. If I was you though, I'd put the butt on the top grate and the chuck on the bottom. People usually say that per pound the butt requires more time than the chuck. Since it is hotter at the top of the WSM than the lower grate, hopefully they'd end at about the same time.

The most important thing that I've learned is that foiling the meat at the right time is what seems to have the most impact. I've done the 3 meat cook with no foil, foiling too late, and foiling at just the right time. I really believe that foiling has the most impact on the meat being tender and juicy, but you don't want to foil to early if you want to get a good smokey flavor.

Other than that, I've learned that being prepared is VERY important. Typically I'll do a 20 lb - 24 lb chuck roll, a 15 lb brisket and 2 8 lb pork butts. With that much meat you need to be prepared to spend the weekend smoking. Preparation starts Friday night, cooking starts Saturday evening and runs till Sunday afternoon, and pulling / slicing / foodsaving takes all Sunday afternoon and evening.

I don't know if this post helped or not, but it is what I've learned... Good luck!
 
I agree with John about putting the pork on top and the beef on the lower grate. That way you have built in basting.

I would probably start both the butt and the brisket at the same time and just plan on holding the butt in foil. You never know though, you may wind up with one of those mutant cuts of pork that for whatever reason take 20 hours to cook, so don't cut short your time.

Good luck, relax and if necessary have a barley pop or two.

Tim
 
I'm going to do a pork butt up top and the brisket on the bottom (fat side down since I'll have the pork butt up top basting it). Since it's my first long cook I'm going to leave all the fat on the brisket, I understand that is a good protection from drying it out.

I got a package of boston butt from Sams that weighs 14 lbs and has two seperate butts in it. One looks about 8 and the other about 6.
 
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