A Chuck Roast for the Spit

[Retired Spook]

I would think twice the size of yours could easily be had, but a problem you may run into is that there are very few butcher shops that break down whole beef quarters anymore. It's all done at corporate processing plants now and shipped out as "box beef" or, like Walmart gets, pre-cut and packaged meats. So you're stuck with whatever the store has, no specialty cuts.

There really isn't much true "shoulder roast" in that area. Get a little above and behind there where the shoulder blade is and it's chuck roast, or blade roast or 7 bone chuck, like this...
View attachment 654567
The upper bone in this picture is the cow's shoulder blade, or 7 bone as it's called. Some meat cutters or butcher shops may fudge it a little depending on what the customers want and what they can charge, but the muscle groups start to change some. But I wouldn't hesitate to do a boneless chuck roast the same way you did the shoulder. A meat department that actually cuts meat will cut you one about any size you want...

Thank you sir!

 

[Gonna Smoke]

Thank you sir!

You are more than welcome! A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, I was a meat cutter for Winn Dixie, The Beef People. At that time we actually got beef in in whole quarters...front quarters and hind quarters. That's how I was taught to cut meat. The front quarter would include the shoulder, chuck, rib, brisket, shank, and some neck. We would break it down to sell as roasts, ribeye steaks, stew meat, burger, etc. That was over 40 years ago and not that I could physically do it today, it's like riding a bike...whew, time flies...

 

[Retired Spook]

That roast beef was so good I think I might try anutherun...

9.24-pounds of prime boneless chuck shoulder...

According the the meat manager, the red lines (image below) indicate approximately where the previously spit roasted shoulder roast came from and is the "prime of the prime" for these packages. I am going to try and trim the largest roast I can out of it - leaving more at the larger end of the roast - and grind the rest for burgers.

Or maybe I will smoke the whole thing sort of like a baby beef shoulder clod!

 

[JLeonard]

Little late for the finish here.....But WOW! what a finish. Mighty fine looking,

Jim

 

[Retired Spook]

Little late for the finish here.....But WOW! what a finish. Mighty fine looking,

Jim

Thank you Jim! It was awesome.

 

[civilsmoker]

Yes Sir! That is some very nice looking beef! That would make me a very happy camper anyway you "sliced it"

 

[Retired Spook]

Yes Sir! That is some very nice looking beef! That would make me a very happy camper anyway you "sliced it"

Thank you sir!

 

[Texas Cookin']

That looks great. Gotta love HEB!

 

[indaswamp]

AWESOME! Perfectly cooked too!

 

[Bigtank]

That looks wonderful, enjoy the carousel ride!

 

[Retired Spook]

AWESOME! Perfectly cooked too!

Thank you sir!

 

[Retired Spook]

That looks wonderful, enjoy the carousel ride!

Thank you sir!

 

[Retired Spook]

That looks great. Gotta love HEB!

Thank you sir!

 

[Gonna Smoke]

That roast beef was so good I think I might try anutherun...

9.24-pounds of prime boneless chuck shoulder...

That seems like an excellent price for prime shoulder and that's about the size I figured you should be able to find. I can't wait to see what you do with that...

 

[Retired Spook]

I am having an internal debate as to whether I should repeat the spit roast, or smoke it. I am very curious to see what the results would be if smoked after an over-night rest with the unsalted beef broth / Lea & Perrin's Worcestershire sauce injections, the only downside being what I presume would be a much longer cook time in the smoker - although I could smoke it hot the way Kreuz Meats says they do for their shoulder clod...

We'll see what happens - I have a couple days of unpleasantly warm weather to get through before I have to make a decision.

But I will say that the rotisserie method of roasting a beef over an open fire produces spectacular results, in my humble opinion. I am very happy that I bought myself that rotisserie for Christmas.

 

[tx smoker]

I'll never buy a prime rib ever again! Taste fantastic 3X past my best hope!!! I am at a total loss to explain this

Isn't that an amazing feeling? Doesn't happen often but when it does, it sure feels good. That is an absolutely gorgeous roast and it's great to hear that it exceeded all of your expectations. Congrats sir!!

Robert

 

[bakerman]

Looks great. Now I have to run it on mine.

 

[Retired Spook]

Isn't that an amazing feeling? Doesn't happen often but when it does, it sure feels good. That is an absolutely gorgeous roast and it's great to hear that it exceeded all of your expectations. Congrats sir!!

Robert

Thank you sir!

 

[Retired Spook]

Looks great. Now I have to run it on mine.

Thank you sir!

 

[CTXSmokeLover]

That looks so perfect and delicious! I might have to pop in to HEB and grab one. This site is killing me, now I need a spit and a wok!