We got a 1/4 steer in the Fall and are now working my way through all the roast cuts. I did two 3# chuck roasts this past Saturday. I never did chuckies before so I did some experimenting. I marinated for about 24 hours in a Wegmans peppercorn steakhouse marinade - which is pretty much salt, pepper, red wine vinegar and garlic. Then I rubbed one down with a KC-style rib rub that I had made for ribs previously and wanted to finish off. I added some cumin too. I rubbed the other one down with a mixture of Montreal Steak seasoning and Emeril's Steak Rub - again, clearing out the leftover rubs. Emeril's is a lot like the Montreal but with a little more kick. Spent the night in the fridge with the rub, then I fired up the WSM at 9am with some Kingsford and some hickory and cherry. While I waited for the WSM to heat up, I injected each roast with a 50-50 mixture of Pale Ale and worcestershire. Smoked at 25-275 for just under three hours and got them to 160 IT, then foiled with their drippings and cooked at 235-250 for almost four hours to get to an IT of 210. It surprised me it took that long, but it's done when it's done. Floating in the pool with beer makes the waiting easier. Then FTC'd for two hours. They pulled apart easily. I could have shredded them with plastic forks. Poured what was left in the foil over top with a little of Stubbs sauce, and dinner was served. They were a hit. Fed 5 people and I have a couple meals leftover. Lucky me, my wife is out tomorrow night, so I know what I'm having.
Interestingly, the roast with the Montreal rub was more tender than the other roast. I wonder if that is just the characteristics of the individual roasts, marbling, etc., or if the heavy salt in the Montreal rub contributed to it. That roast could have used a little less salt, but, overall it was a good saltiness - but definitiely a pronounced saltiness. Perhaps a little sweetener would have helped cut it a bit and still let all that salt do its magic.
Now I have some other roasts to work through as summer progresses.
Here's the action shots:
All rubbed up:
Injection time:
Couldn't let half a beer go to waste, even if it was 9am:
Post-injection:
After almost three hours of a nap in the smoke, IT of 160:
After 2 hours FTC:
After pullin' - the one on the left is the Montreal, and the one on the right is the smoky rib rub:
Interestingly, the roast with the Montreal rub was more tender than the other roast. I wonder if that is just the characteristics of the individual roasts, marbling, etc., or if the heavy salt in the Montreal rub contributed to it. That roast could have used a little less salt, but, overall it was a good saltiness - but definitiely a pronounced saltiness. Perhaps a little sweetener would have helped cut it a bit and still let all that salt do its magic.
Now I have some other roasts to work through as summer progresses.
Here's the action shots:
All rubbed up:
Injection time:
Couldn't let half a beer go to waste, even if it was 9am:
Post-injection:
After almost three hours of a nap in the smoke, IT of 160:
After 2 hours FTC:
After pullin' - the one on the left is the Montreal, and the one on the right is the smoky rib rub:
They used to be my customer.
