Chuck Roll suggestion - cut it in half or thirds

[Jeff_S]

I did my first chuck roll over the weekend - I had two 9 pound pork butts on top and a 17 pounds of chuck on the bottom.

I was concerned about the timing - I had heard that chuck takes about 3 hours per pound - so I had the butcher cut the chuck roll into thirds. This gave me 3 big hunks of chuck that easily fit on the bottom rack entirely over the water pan and out of that very hot air flowing up around the edges. The idea was 3 hours per pound with a 5 pound hunk = 15 hours...about the time I hoped the butts would take - and it also provided much more surface area for the rub.

I monitored the smallest piece and removed it when it reached 185. Moved the probe to the next smallest and continued until all three were done. Next time I might pull at 182 like I do for brisket - 185 is a tad on the dry side for my taste.

One thing I noticed - I never saw a plateau like I see with brisket and pork butt - the temps just steadily climbed and climbed. Any one else more experience with chuck care to comment on that? I was really suprised...

Jeff

 

[K Kruger]

Chuck roll takes, usually, about 1-1.25/hrs lb to reach the upper 190s/low 200s where many prefer them--they can be greasy and not pull as well at lower temps. Most foil in the 160s.

Chuck roasts--well, it depends on the roast. Many will take 3 hrs/lb to hit those temps (for pulling). For slicing, temps do not need to go that high. For roasts, liquids are often added and they are foiled as well (or foiled in pans) in the 160s.

A 17-lb chuck roll cut in thirds is 3 large roasts; timing will depend on cook temp, whether you foil, and what your desired finish temp is. Foiling (with or without liquid) can help prevent dryness but that depends on the cut. If it is a chuck roll that is cross-cut into smaller pieces--essentially roasts--then there ends up being a mixture of types of meats in each piece--like a 7-bone roast with different types of meat in one roast, rather than a chuck eye, top blade or underblade, e.g., where the meat type and texture is all the same in each roast.

Pleateaux in chucks--especially if cross-cut--will depend on where your therm is located. They don't identifiably occur across all muscle groups, necessarily.