Beef, Other than Chuck, for shredded beef??

[HowlingDog]

Happy New Year All!!

I am not a big fan of chuck roasts and I am wanting to try shredded beef again. The chucks I have tried tend to have a fair amount of gristle and stringy stuff through out, and I have not been pleased with the shred. If you had to pick one or two other meats to try for shredded beef, what would you recommend? Brisket flat? Other? Bueller???

Need to add another dish to the menu and I think shredded beef is it for 2020.

Thanks.

 

[S-met]

Rump/bottom round. Peeled beef knuckle is another option. Could probably do a brisket too.

 

[HowlingDog]

Thx S-met!

 

[jcam222]

The smaller end of a beef clod makes spectacular pulled beef. The large end can be slices or you can grind it

 

[HowlingDog]

Thanks. I have been doing more searching and almost universally everyone recommends chucks. Maybe I need to find another store other than Ralphs/Kroeger for chucks. There is a Smart/Final close by I think I will mosey to tomorrow.

 

[fivetricks]

Kroger meat sucks. They actually recently stopped cutting most of their meat and now have it shipped in pre-packed. There have been lots of QC problems since the switch over.

Source: my whole family is employed by Kroger at various MGMT levels lol. They won't buy their meat @ Kroger's anymore so that should say something....

 

[SlickRockStones]

Our Kroger often has chuck roast on sale for $3.49-3.99. Never had a problem and they always had some nice ones to choose from. I get knuckles from GFS that we get sirloin tip roasts for pit beef and tons of good stew meat that will shred.

 

[mike243]

I bought a shredder that you use on a drill, works very well on pork and don't see why it wouldn't work on beef, less than $20 ,

 

[zwiller]

I usually buy Kroger chuck and have good results. That said, I do look for those that look somewhat lean. Also, I run chuckies up to 205F. We are pretty picky eaters and we would be put off by gristle and/ore stringy stuff but so far so good. I see many posts here of things I think are pulled a little too early and think that is usually the main culprit for the funk. All this being said, brisket truly does have better flavor and since I can get them usually cheaper that is what I prefer now. Tri tip run high could also work and can be cheap depending on your location but no dice for me.

 

[HowlingDog]

Thanks All. Went to the local Smart/Final and the in house butcher pointed out a lean looking center cut chuck and said it was ideal for pulling/shredding. I am going to test it out tomorrow and see if a better cut of chuck will yield results for me! I am taking the easy way out on this test and throwing it in the crock pot. If it works, the next time I plan to smoke it then shred it. Crossing fingers!

 

[noboundaries]

When I make shredded beef, I use chuck, in a pan, and wrap it at the stall with veggies and a liquid. The wrapping and liquid braised the smoked meat and breaks down that gristle into gellatin.

That said, I'd use brisket in a heartbeat and smoke , wrap, and braise it the same way. Great way to use a flat.

 

[chef jimmyj]

Chuck is made up of several muscles separated by tough connective tissue, the stringy stuff. Some will cook away, some won't. But, that stuff is only between the muscles. When time to pull the meat. Separate the indivdual muscles and use a knife to Scrape it away. Same with any remaining fat. What's left will be pure, clean meat with nothing that will disgust anyone...JJ

 

[HowlingDog]

Thanks Everyone for all your comments. I did indeed throw a chuck into the crockpot today. Here is what I started with:


Left it in for 6.5 hours and I was really really pleased with the results (compared to previous attempts)


I cleaned it up after resting, removing all the icky stuff and it was nice and tender/flavorful. I am already trying to figure out when I can toss one on the smoker for BBQ beef, barbacoa and quesadillas!!! It can be addicting, yummy but addicting

 

[pops6927]

Try a bottom round roast! Here, I made corned beef/Pastrami out of one and it shredded just fine as corned beef! http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/259066/beef-corned-beef-and-pastrami

 

[S-met]

Try a bottom round roast! Here, I made corned beef/Pastrami out of one and it shredded just fine as corned beef! http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/259066/beef-corned-beef-and-pastrami

Funny, I was thinking that cut while I was at work today. Specifically, any tough meat that you would need to braise or stew would work.

 

[phathead69]

Howling
My favorite chuck for pulling is smoking for 4 or 5 hours. Pull inside and instapot it until tender. Lot like the crock pot but I think the pressure does better job of breaking done the yucky stuff. Pleanty of juice to add back to it after its pulled