chuck roast vs brisket

[jac63]

I've smoked a lot of pork butts, ribs, chicken wings, etc and have had great results but I don't have a lot of experience with beef. I've done 2 briskets and while OK they were somehow lacking IMO. My only real success with beef has been with ribs. So today I decided to experiment with a 3.5# chuck, hoping to learn some thing that I can translate to brisket. I injected the roast w/beef broth, rubbed with SPOG. Put on my Pit Boss at 200* until it hit 160* IT. I then wrapped in parchment paper with a small drizzle of the broth and turned the smoker up to 250*. I probed w/a toothpick at 200*, 203* & finally got probe tender at 207*. Pulled off and wrapped in foil and towels and rested for 2 hours. Turned out excellent, far better than I had anticipated in fact. So can I take this method to brisket and expect similar results? Or is there enough difference in the meat cuts that it won't work? Thanks for your thoughts.

 

[fivetricks]

Sounds like a winning strategy to me.

 

[smokerjim]

looks great

 

[gmc2003]

Looks like your plan of attack worked out well. I don't see the need to let it rest for a couple of hours - unless of course your done early, and need to keep it hot. A fifteen minutes to a half-n-hour should be enough time. Judging by the pics I'd say your ready for brisket.

Point for sure
Chris

 

[chilerelleno]

Yes, there is enough similarity.
Fire up the Brisket and you'll rock it like Ozzy.

Great looking Chuck, very nice.
Like!

 

[jac63]

Thank you for the encouraging replies, very much appreciated. Now all I need is an excuse to pick up a brisket and give it a whirl.

 

[noboundaries]

Great looking chuckie. That will absolutely work with brisket, just probe the flat, not the point.

 

[hardcookin]

I think you got it dialed in. You should be fine.

 

[jac63]

Sounds like a winning strategy to me.

Thank you

looks great

Thanks

Looks like your plan of attack worked out well. I don't see the need to let it rest for a couple of hours - unless of course your done early, and need to keep it hot. A fifteen minutes to a half-n-hour should be enough time. Judging by the pics I'd say your ready for brisket.

Point for sure
Chris

Thanks, I didn't know how long to allow so I got started plenty early, finished a couple hours before supper. Didn't seem like the rest hurt it any.

Yes, there is enough similarity.
Fire up the Brisket and you'll rock it like Ozzy.

Great looking Chuck, very nice.
Like!

Thank you, it exceeded a my expectations by a lot!

Great looking chuckie. That will absolutely work with brisket, just probe the flat, not the point.

Thanks, just what I needed to know.

I think you got it dialed in. You should be fine.

Thank you

 

[SmokinLogs]

Great looking Chuckie you got there!

 

[tallbm]

I've smoked a lot of pork butts, ribs, chicken wings, etc and have had great results but I don't have a lot of experience with beef. I've done 2 briskets and while OK they were somehow lacking IMO. My only real success with beef has been with ribs. So today I decided to experiment with a 3.5# chuck, hoping to learn some thing that I can translate to brisket. I injected the roast w/beef broth, rubbed with SPOG. Put on my Pit Boss at 200* until it hit 160* IT. I then wrapped in parchment paper with a small drizzle of the broth and turned the smoker up to 250*. I probed w/a toothpick at 200*, 203* & finally got probe tender at 207*. Pulled off and wrapped in foil and towels and rested for 2 hours. Turned out excellent, far better than I had anticipated in fact. So can I take this method to brisket and expect similar results? Or is there enough difference in the meat cuts that it won't work? Thanks for your thoughts.

View attachment 397041 View attachment 397042

Hi there and welcome!

Yep this process should work well for a brisket. You basically did everything right that you would do with a brisket. I recommend you do a full packer brisket. Put your temp probe in the thickest yet center most portion of the flat. The point will always get tender way before the flat. When the temp tells you to check for tenderness check all over especially the thickest center most portion of the flat. When it is tender all over it is done!

Also if you want to avoid burning up the thin part of the brisket flat carve it off and re-purpose that thin yet good eat for something else. See the following image to explain what I mean:

BrisketFlatTrimAway

• tallbm
• Oct 7, 2017

Take these extra brisket tips and the cooking approach you used for your chuck and you should have one hell of a brisket! :)

 

[jac63]

Great looking Chuckie you got there!

Thank you.

Hi there and welcome!

Yep this process should work well for a brisket. You basically did everything right that you would do with a brisket. I recommend you do a full packer brisket. Put your temp probe in the thickest yet center most portion of the flat. The point will always get tender way before the flat. When the temp tells you to check for tenderness check all over especially the thickest center most portion of the flat. When it is tender all over it is done!

Also if you want to avoid burning up the thin part of the brisket flat carve it off and re-purpose that thin yet good eat for something else. See the following image to explain what I mean:

BrisketFlatTrimAway

• tallbm
• Oct 7, 2017

Take these extra brisket tips and the cooking approach you used for your chuck and you should have one hell of a brisket! :)

awesome info, thanks for sharing. Tips like this are what make this forum so great. Thank you.

 

[zwiller]

I find chuckies to be alot like butts, very forgiving and pretty much no way to mess up. Brisket IS a bit different but I think your process would work well. Probe tender is the KEY. Brisket is different in that, overdone is better than under. Many believe that tri tip is next to try after chuckie as an intro to brisket. Kind of a no fail brisket. Tri tip is outrageous here so no go for me. Your chuckie looks good to me but just a wee bit fatty for our tastes. I find running hotter 275F helps render that down better.

 

[jac63]

Took almost this exact same process to a small 4# flat today. Not saying it's the best brisket I've ever eaten but it's certainly the best one I've done. Super moist and tender.

Thank you all for the tips and guidance, you have been very helpful and it's much appreciated.

 

[smokerjim]

looks great