Cool weather seared prime chuck roast by RS

[Retired Spook]

A neighbor has been after me to teach him my seared chuck roast technique. So, I picked up a 3.55 lb prime chuck roast from HEB

I gave both sides a good layer of Kosher salt, put it on a rack, and put in the fridge for 2-days.

Today was cooking day

And this is the roast after 2-days of dry brining set on the counter for minimum 2-hours to come to room temperature - which is a few degrees cooler than in the middle of hell-mer here in the Ninth Circle of Hell...

I started a nice fire and enjoyed the wonderful ambiance while waiting for the oak to burn down into usable coals


Since the weather was so wonderful and I was enjoying myself so much, I completely forgot to add any granulated garlic or ground pepper, or take any photos while cooking!!! Nevertheless, I cooked it 10-minutes each side and this is just off the grill before wrapping tightly in 2-layers of grill master aluminum foil, wrapping in a couple of towels, and then placing it in my microwave (because it is a small space that limits heat loss) and let it "rest" for exactly 90-minutes.
This is immediately after opening the foil up

And this is sliced...

It came out wonderful even lacking the garlic and black pepper - just awesome tasting. I am just a chuck man and it will never change and this is an awesome way to cook one. I am stuffed and I am enjoying a nice hot cup of French roast, black, and I have that happy goofy look on my face...

 

[Rafter H BBQ]

Looks really tasty RS, nice cook!

 

[Retired Spook]

Looks really tasty RS, nice cook!

Thank you sir, it was very good, and... there are leftovers!

 

[JLeonard]

man that looks great. And yeah...I could probably loose track of time with a cup of coffee and watching the fire burn.

Jim

 

[Retired Spook]

man that looks great. And yeah...I could probably loose track of time with a cup of coffee and watching the fire burn.

Jim

I was mesmerized

 

[Nefarious]

Really 10 minutes a side?

 

[Retired Spook]

Really 10 minutes a side?

Yes sir! Why do you ask?

 

[Nefarious]

Yes sir! Why do you ask?

It's amazing that you can get that much color and texture in 20 minutes? I have to cook chuck roast for hours?

 

[clifish]

Looks great Spook, I have never cooked/smoked a chuck...yet.

 

[912smoker]

That looks great RS and looks like a seared chuckie is a must do!

Keith

 

[Retired Spook]

It's amazing that you can get that much color and texture in 20 minutes? I have to cook chuck roast for hours?

Well, most folks cook chuck roasts very low and slow, or braise them for a pot roast, but seared (not burnt) over very hot coals and then allowed to cook in their own heat while wrapped tightly in foil (timing depends on thickness of roast), is just something I really enjoy.

This cook was probably the best cooking fire I ever built - I regret that I forgot to take pictures of the cook or of the roast when flipped, because it really turned out beautiful - and the fire was just perfect.

The slight chill in the air must have had something to do with it!

 

[Gonna Smoke]

That is a good looking roast...both before and after it was cooked...

 

[Retired Spook]

That is a good looking roast...both before and after it was cooked...

Thank you sir! When I saw it in the meat case at HEB I said: "that is mine!"

 

[edmonds]

That's a mighty fine looking prime chuck - so nicely marbled.

I'm also a proponent of grilled chuck/arm roasts, and I've been interested by your previous posts on this method. But I like them a little more done than pictured here. I've found the more rare chucks to be a little chewy, but then I've never done prime. Would the carryover heat be enough to cook to more medium-rare?

Seems like a real easy method, and I've been thinking about giving it a try. But I've been happy with my method of grilling longer at 325F. Still about 2 hours total, but of course uses more wood, and I enjoy the time spent.

Looking forward to your next cooking adventure.

 

[civilsmoker]

RS, I'm a huge fan of a fire seared steak! looks tasty!

I smoke a lot of chuck low and slow but a Chuck Eye is a perfect fire searing cut! They are a hard cut to find, but rivel a ribeye steak!

 

[Retired Spook]

That's a mighty fine looking prime chuck - so nicely marbled.

I'm also a proponent of grilled chuck/arm roasts, and I've been interested by your previous posts on this method. But I like them a little more done than pictured here. I've found the more rare chucks to be a little chewy, but then I've never done prime. Would the carryover heat be enough to cook to more medium-rare?

Seems like a real easy method, and I've been thinking about giving it a try. But I've been happy with my method of grilling longer at 325F. Still about 2 hours total, but of course uses more wood, and I enjoy the time spent.

Looking forward to your next cooking adventure.

Thank you, sir! Always honored by your thoughts and opinions.

Were I to cook one to a more medium finish, I would raise the meat up away from the coals some so that the meat would sear a little slower - and cook longer - say 15/18-minutes per side (but that is just an instinct guess - I go by look and feel of the meat), and the thickness of the roast is what tells me how long to leave it wrapped in foil - thinner roast 45-minutes / thicker like this one 90-minutes. And in this cool weather I double wrapped it in heavy foil (but I always do that) and then wrapped it with towels before placing it in the microwave to finish self-cooking.

I have no science behind any of this but just feel from doing it for quite a few years - I probably should keep comprehensive notes.

This one came out nice and tender - not tenderloin tender of course - but it was marbled so nice that it came out great. Like I stated previously, when I walked up to the meat case and saw it, I told the meat cutter: "That is Mine."

Looking forward to your next cook!

 

[sandyut]

That looks great! Never heard of cooking a chuck this way, but turn out great! Nice work.

 

[Retired Spook]

RS, I'm a huge fan of a fire seared steak! looks tasty!

I smoke a lot of chuck low and slow but a Chuck Eye is a perfect fire searing cut! They are a hard cut to find, but rivel a ribeye steak!

I love chuck eyes and every once in a while there are a few perfect little mini-rib-eye looking chuck steaks that I jump on when I see them. A chuck eye is the last little extension of a rib-eye into the chuck that results from where the meat cutter separates to two primals - and that is what makes it so good.

How is that for a pan seared chuck eye?

 

[Retired Spook]

That looks great! Never heard of cooking a chuck this way, but turn out great! Nice work.

Thank you sir!

 

[civilsmoker]

I love chuck eyes and every once in a while there are a few perfect little mini-rib-eye looking chuck steaks that I jump on when I see them. A chuck eye is the last little extension of a rib-eye into the chuck that results from where the meat cutter separates to two primals - and that is what makes it so good.

How is that for a pan seared chuck eye?
View attachment 685946

That is perfection!

Certified Piedmontese has chuck eye steaks..... I may be adding a few to my next order...but i'm pretty well stocked for the next couple of months!