My Chuckie Experience

[bama bbq]

Put the chuckie on this AM and I'm not impressed with the outcome.  I had that thing on the "ECSS" all day.  Had a tough time keeping tabs on the temps. ...but the meat was extreamly tough.  I blame it on the fly-by-night local organic beef distributor.  Couldn't be me or my POS El Cheapo Silver Smoker. 

 

[pit 4 brains]

Some pics might help..

I'm going to assume this was a beef chuck even though it's in the Pork section. Chucks take time, just like butts. If it was tough, then it didn't get the kind of heat and time it needed.

I doubt you should blame your meat distributor or your smoker...

Why buy organic food anyway? Do you like worms and larvae?

 

[oldschoolbbq]

Bama,get a decent thermometer and try again. I feel you trusted the stock therm. and way overcooked it,Beef is sometime stringy,depending on it's diet, and Pit was right; I know you are trying to get the best, but you need to know the Farmer too!

The therm. thingy is a must,talk to Creosote(Todd) about therms.,he'll do you right

Search the Wiki for temps. and times for your cook.A Chuck should have turned out tender for you,as I stated, you must have a temp. problem

Practice 'patience' ,it goes a long way when Smoking. I suggest reading the mods for the ECSS,some on here have good fortune with them,someone will be by and help you.

But,don't give up or get disallutioned , with the Practice and Patients I mentioned, you will catch on;we all started ruining meat when we started.

Hang-on and...

 

[rdknb]

I agree with all the above, also make sure you slice it across the grain.

 

[flash]

the issue was were you wanting to slice or pull and what type of chuck did you buy. There are 7 of them to choose from. Some pull great, some partially and some not at all. I like the 7 bone and underblade chucks the  best and for pulling a temp of 210* is needed.

 

[SmokinAl]

A good thermometer is the most important thing you should have.