10lb Chuck Roast

wally4232 · Jun 23, 2017

I picked up a 10lb chuck roast last night that will be smoked for shredded beef sandwiches. I am planning on a basic SPOG rub with a mustard base. I am targeting 230 degrees and would like to eat at approx. 5 pm Saturday night. Which leads me to two questions:

1. Looks like an internal temp of 205 for shredded beef is what I should shoot for. Is this correct?

2. I am planning on starting the smoker at 10pm tonight. Guessing approx. 16 hours on smokers meaning I could pull around 2pm tomorrow and then have 3 hours of rest time wrapped in a cooler before time to eat. Does this sound about right?

I will be doing my first Q-view for this so pictures to follow! Thanks in advance for the advice.

Eric

hardcookin · Jun 23, 2017

I would pull your chuckie when it is probe tender. Which should be around the temp you mentioned.

wally4232 · Jun 23, 2017

Do you just leave the probe in during the entire cook?

SmokinAl · Jun 23, 2017

Yes leave the probe in the whole time, I even leave it in while it's resting.

Al

sauced · Jun 23, 2017

Gonna have some great sammies with that pulled chuckie. I agree, just keep the probe in until you are ready to pull.

ryanmn · Jun 23, 2017

I am also smoking chuck tonight with the plan to make burnt ends, however, I don't have 8 hours to cook, so I'm trying something bold. I cut the chuck into several large pieces, each about 1" sq, and will put them directly in the smoker with the hope they are done in about 3 hrs.

Has anyone tried this before and if so, how were the results? I know it's not proper or ideal, but it was my best option.

wally4232 · Jun 26, 2017

So my roast turned out okay..... a little dry though. I started the smoker Friday night at 7pm and removed at 2 pm on Saturday. The internal temperature was only 170 but the meat was on the dry side! Did I hit a stall? I decided to remove it based on the probe was sliding in like butter but honestly I did not even check for probe feel before that because the temp was so low.

My bark was a on the chewy side as well. I did shut down one burner completely which makes the chamber at 180 from 3 am to 7 am while I slept but other than that I managed to stay between 230 and 250 the entire time. The meat was good enough to eat and to make me want to do another! Any advice?

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wally4232
Jun 26, 2017

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wally4232
Jun 26, 2017

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Jun 26, 2017

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wally4232
Jun 26, 2017

hardcookin · Jun 26, 2017

I don't think your chuckie was done. You said you was going to pull it around 205 and you ended up pulling it at 170 which I think is low.

wally4232 · Jun 26, 2017

That is the confusing part. The temp read low but it was done I think overdone actually as it was on the dry side.

noboundaries · Jun 26, 2017

170 on a chuck roast, it would be dry and tough. Most of the connective collagen was still intact and holding the muscle together. Your only option is to slice it real thin, or braise it on the stove or in the oven to get the internal temp up to where it is tender.

Meat cooks by absorbing heat. The larger the temp difference between the meat and the chamber, the faster it will cook because it can absorb more heat energy. Big hunks of meat will rise fairly rapidly to the stall, like 3-5 hours, even at 230F chamber temp. The stall is a natural process of the muscle, and can easily last 4-6 hours on big hunks of meat smoking at 230-250. You were definitely in the stall when you dropped the temp to 180F to sleep, but unfortunately, it was like putting a four hour time out on the smoke. When you cranked the temp back up, it started cooking again. It would have been better just to leave the chamber at 230-250 while you went to sleep. The climb after the stall to 205 can take another 4-6 hours at 250F.

I trimmed a 14 lb brisket, which is a chuck cut, down to about 12 lbs the first of April. It went on the smoker at 6:35 PM at 250F chamber temp. 12 hours later it was at 179F internal temp. Five hours later I ran out of fuel and time at an IT of 198F.

There is nothing linear about smoking meat. And I've learned I can't out-think the meat to the finish line. The meat always wins.

wally4232 · Jun 26, 2017

Noboundries,

That makes sense. What threw me was I took a fork and a large piece of meat just fell right off. When I removed from the grate it was falling apart in my hands. Next one I cook longer. Hopefully this weekend.

Thanks.

smokinbill1638 · Jun 26, 2017

It's been a hard concept for me to grab but by cooking it longer, it actually makes it moister. The breakdown provides the moisture for the meat. So by pulling it early, it didn't get the moisture added because it didn't break down. From my limited understanding.

noboundaries · Jun 26, 2017

smokinbill1638 said:
It's been a hard concept for me to grab but by cooking it longer, it actually makes it moister. The breakdown provides the moisture for the meat. So by pulling it early, it didn't get the moisture added because it didn't break down. From my limited understanding.

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10lb Chuck Roast

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