Chuckie Meat Selection Help Needed

Yes, you can get chucks that are too lean; i.e. no marbling and no interspersed fat between tissue layers - usually these come from 'no-roll' (select) grade beef vs. choice. Too lean should be avoided as well as too-fat (almost white it's so heavily marbled - you'll end up with a piece about ¼ it's original size). Here's a good - looking seven-bone chuck roast:



Good marbling but not excessive. This is known as a 7-bone chuck, a little further into the chuck than the first cuts. This is a blade chuck:



and this is a first cut chuck roast at the start of the chuck when cutting it:



As you can see, you want to get between the center cut chuck roast and the seven bone chuck roast for best meat-to-bone ratio and leanness; too close to the first cut and it's too wasty and too far past the seven bone and you're into the neck of the steer (tougher - there are neck-cut chucks, but only really good for stew, not roasts).

Variations from this are simply merchandising the parts of the chuck. If you look at the 7-bone chuck, you have the 7-bone towards the top and the chine, or backbone, along the bottom. Remove both those bones and you have
top blade chuck (front of the 7-bone, with the gristle line thru the center of it)
chuck mock tender (round piece on the back side of the 7 bone)
underblade chuck (strip just under the 7-bone to the first seam)
boneless chuck roast (to the chine, including the lower round piece which is the eye of the chuck, similar to the rib-eye, same vein of meat)

By seaming out a chuck into it's various parts and merchandising each part as a separate cut, you can get a profit yield far higher than just stab'em and slab'em whole chuck roasts whacked out of each chuck and chop the neck into neck roast for stew. Even if you pull back and grind half the merchandized cuts you're making more profit than stab'em and slab'em.

The two cuts I buy the most often are the chuck-eye steaks, thick cut for grilling,


and whole chuck mock tenders for roasting (I tie them up first for rounder conformity):




Chuck for pulling you'd probably want to get the boneless chuck roast, which is under the blade, looking like this:



Hope this helps understanding all the differences with blade chuck!

Pops, I love it when you get technical !!!!!!

Pops, I've learnt more from your posts than from any meat-books or surfing. You are one great instructor!

Pops, you never cease to amaze with your wealth of knowledge.
I have to give you points for a perfect explanation!

I've had my meatcutter cut me 4-5 inch chucks lots of times before and they have been excellent. Used them for braised roasts, never for pastrami though. I think if yu get them that thick you end up with a bit of everything POPS talked about and may be the ideal size for a pastrami....my guess anyway.

Good luck to you on your project and keep us posted.

Pops, first thanks for the detailed explanation on chucks. Your knowledge is greatly appreciated and thanks for sharing.

I agree that a boneless under blade chuck, one of the most common ones you see at the supermarket, is excellent for smoking and pulling. I recently did a large 7 bone chuck which also came out really good. It was pulled and made wonderful sandwiches

Thanks y'all! I'm just glad to have a venue to be able to share and explain about meats, it's really not good cocktail conversation, lol!
For pastrami, you may want to consider shoulder vs. chuck, it is more like brisket flat but more tender, and has more whole muscle groups that lend to slicing, like this:



Also known as English Cut or Boston Cut, it's still part of the chuck but lower than the chuck roast, it's to the rear of the arm bone, i.e. a full cut arm bone shoulder roast:



You just separate the arm bone roast from the shoulder roast; the arm bone roast can be used for pot roast or also makes a great, meaty soupbone!

Anyways, a shoulder roast cut might work better for pastrami if you want to slice it; a chuck roast would have more varigated seams that would make the slices fall apart more.

Either one is going to be gooooood, though!

http://www.foodsubs.com/MeatBeefChuck.html

There are atleast 7 types of chucks. I have had some pull, some not and some pull partially. I seem to have the best luck with Underblades and 7 bone chucks. I think another real good point is to go to atleast 205* internal if you plan on pulling it. Just did two tonight, took alittle longer than 5 hours at 225*. One marinaded in Mojo, one in Zeisty Italian. Mojo one got Jeff's rubb and the other Hallman's. Absolutely some great pulled beef.