to cut a chuck roll or not


 
J

James Harris

New member
I am doing a big smoke for me this weekend - 2 Chuck Rolls. I have read in a few other places that they cut theirs into pieces, 2-3. The logic is that it takes a little less time and the smoke and rub will get to more of the meat. Does anyone here do this? If not, why? It seems like a logical thing to cut them to the size of pork butts. Your thoughts are much appreciated.

Thanks,

James
 
James, Sure you can cut them, no worries. Try to cut them as even as possible so they all cook about the same length of time. I know easier said than done.......... just try and keep the thickness of the somewhat the same. Cutting them does 2 things for you. Speeds up the cooking a great deal and gets you more bark. But I always leave mine whole, because I just love long/marathon cooks. Also you can stand there and say Yepper, I cooked that monster piece O beef for 21.5 hours I did. Sure is a beaut ain't it.
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<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">James, I forgot to ask what the heck your doing with 35 plus pounds of meat. What's the event? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
It's for a belated wedding reception for a friend of mine. There will be about 75 people at the party. I understand I will probably lose about 40% of the weight in the smoke, so I should yield a little under 20 pounds depending on the size of the chuck rolls. I also will be cooking some Turkey breasts for the non beef eaters. I am aiming for a bit over 25lbs of meat.

Does it seem like this is too much for 75 people?
 
I think I decided not to cut it up after all, since that would mean I would have to start the smoke in the middle of the night. I'd rather just start it the night before and let it ride.

In any case, I will be using a strong wood, probably hickory or mesquite. How much wood should I put on top at the start and how much should I mix in with the unlit charcoal?
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by James Harris:

In any case, I will be using a strong wood, probably hickory or mesquite. How much wood should I put on top at the start and how much should I mix in with the unlit charcoal? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Even with a chuck roll, it's a bummer when you spend all that time and the meat comes out tasting like beef flavored smoke rather than smoke flavored beef. I never used mesquite, but as for hickory, I'd consider maybe 3-4 medium sized chunks. Chuck has plenty of flavor on its own.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by James Harris:

In any case, I will be using a strong wood, probably hickory or mesquite. How much wood should I put on top at the start and how much should I mix in with the unlit charcoal? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
I myself wouldn't use either of those woods. As Dave mentions chuck has great beef flavor and IMO those 2 woods are not a great pairing for the chuck. If you can get your hands on some Pecan (1st choice) use that for the roll. If not use oak. If you have to use it use the hickory and cut it 50/50 with fruit wood. Leaving it whole will cut down on the amount of meat exposed to the smoke so that will help. I see our in Baltimore, call a BBQ's Galore store and see what they have.
 
For my last 2 brisket smokes I have used a combination of Hickory and Mesquite and have been very pleased with the results. I believe mesquite to be a fine wood for beef so long as you do not over do it. I add 2 fist sized chunks of each to my fuel.
 
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