First smoke - boneless chuck beef ribs

[ColoradoSmoker90]

Well, I've got some questions for y'all!

I have a char-broil electric. I filled the water pan, started the temp at 225. I did this for about 3hr and opened it to check on the meat. Looked VERY dry so I got two aluminum trays, rubbed bbq sauce all over and poured some beef broth inside, and cooked covered for about 50 minutes. This helped bring back some moisture. I also upped the temp to 240 in hopes of making it a bit more tender (I'm new to smoking, maybe I shouldn't have upped the temp?) I decided to pull these out at an internal temp of roughly 185. I left them to sit for 20 minutes in the tray, covered. Thought to myself they looked pretty good, see below. The first picture was after marinating overnight. WELL, meat was extremely tough. Not even the slightest bit enjoyable. The flavor was phenomenal but what could I have done differently?

Was the low fat content a contributor to the meat not being tender enough? Please let me know your thoughts!

 

[1MoreFord]

You didn't cook them long enough. 185°F isn't hot enough for the fat to render and collagen to break down. Cook them to where they probe tender. Probably above 200°.

 

[ColoradoSmoker90]

You didn't cook them long enough. 185°F isn't hot enough for the fat to render and collagen to break down. Cook them to where they probe tender. Probably above 200°.

Thank you, I appreciate the feedback. I'll be sure to do that the next time around.

 

[jcam222]

I’ve never seen boneless like that before. Perhaps it’s the same as chuck flap. I agree you need to take them to around 205. I’m surprised they looked dried out at the teams you were cooking. You can always spritz them. I use a simple spritz of 1 cup white vinegar to 1/4 cup Frank’s red. hot. I usually run about 275F when I do plates.

 

[Brokenhandle]

Yep definitely what Ford said! I wouldn't be afraid to up smoking temps also, if your smoker goes higher. But heck of a good first try!

Ryan

 

[ColoradoSmoker90]

I’ve never seen boneless like that before. Perhaps it’s the same as chuck flap. I agree you need to take them to around 205. I’m surprised they looked dried out at the teams you were cooking. You can always spritz them. I use a simple spritz of 1 cup white vinegar to 1/4 cup Frank’s red. hot. I usually run about 275F when I do plates.

They looked so dry, I was pretty surprised! I never thought of adding Frank's red hot to a spritz - sounds very good. I'll do that for sure. Thanks for the feedback!

 

[ColoradoSmoker90]

Yep definitely what Ford said! I wouldn't be afraid to up smoking temps also, if your smoker goes higher. But heck of a good first try!

Ryan

Thank you! I am pretty bummed it wasn't a satisfactory first smoke - but it's all a learning process. I at least learned that I can make it TASTE good lol just need to really work on my temps.

 

[Brokenhandle]

Thank you! I am pretty bummed it wasn't a satisfactory first smoke - but it's all a learning process. I at least learned that I can make it TASTE good lol just need to really work on my temps.

We have all been there! At least you didn't have to feed it to the dog!

Ryan

 

[smokerjim]

They look good , Agree with the others about temps, also do you have a independent thermometer to check temp inside smoker factory thermometers are known not to be always accurate.

 

[SmokinAl]

I think that was a great first try, you just didn’t cook them long enough. If you have leftovers, just put them in a pan with some broth & cover with foil & into a 350 degree oven until they probe tender. A toothpick or skewer should go in without any resistance, or an instant read therm should be around 200-205. I’m sure next time you will nail it!
Al

 

[ColoradoSmoker90]

They look good , Agree with the others about temps, also do you have a independent thermometer to check temp inside smoker factory thermometers are known not to be always accurate.

Hey there I did buy a ThermoPro thermometer, is this what you mean? Or do you mean a thermometer with multiple probes to monitor the IT and the temp inside the smoker? I've been trying to do research on those but I'm not sure which one to go with - thoughts?

 

[ColoradoSmoker90]

I think that was a great first try, you just didn’t cook them long enough. If you have leftovers, just put them in a pan with some broth & cover with foil & into a 350 degree oven until they probe tender. A toothpick or skewer should go in without any resistance, or an instant read therm should be around 200-205. I’m sure next time you will nail it!
Al

Thank you, Al! So is 200-205 typical for beef? Also, it seemed SO dry, it makes me think cooking it longer would dry it out more. Should I be spritzing it? I did have a water pan filled with water and then the last 50min or so I had it covered with bbq sauce/beef broth in a pan.

 

[SmokinAl]

Thank you, Al! So is 200-205 typical for beef? Also, it seemed SO dry, it makes me think cooking it longer would dry it out more. Should I be spritzing it? I did have a water pan filled with water and then the last 50min or so I had it covered with bbq sauce/beef broth in a pan.

Believe it or not when it’s dry, it’s undercooked, and yes 200-205 is typical for THAT cut of beef. Obviously you would not want to cook a ribeye to that temp. Chuck is just like a butt or brisket, it has a lot of connective tissue that needs to break down & make it tender & juicy. That’s why you need to take it to higher temps. I use a water pan in all my smokers, but I think it acts more as a heat sink than something that is going to make your meat more juicy. If you would have left it in the pan covered in foil, with the beef broth & BBQ sauce for a couple of hours longer you would have had melt in your mouth BBQ! Good luck next time, remember this is a learning experience, and I think you learned a lot on this smoke!
Al

 

[smokerjim]

Hey there I did buy a ThermoPro thermometer, is this what you mean? Or do you mean a thermometer with multiple probes to monitor the IT and the temp inside the smoker? I've been trying to do research on those but I'm not sure which one to go with - thoughts?

You are correct, I was talking about inside of smoker. I have had luck with the inkbird products but there are others out there.

 

[NoCoPK360]

Here is a pretty good article about cooking at altitude. If you get it much above the boiling point where you are at it can dry out pretty easily. I usually start checking things around 198 and they are typically done at a lower temperature than people at sea level might experience.

How to Barbecue at High Altitudes

I reached out to three Rocky Mountain pitmasters to find out why cooking barbecue at a high altitudes can change everything.

girlscangrill.com