Got a big Boneless Chuck, not sure if I should wrap with foil or paper, maybe use a pan?

[EdP]

The last chucks I smoked were smaller, this is 4.4lbs. I wrapped the last ones in foil with some guiness stout.


Chucks need liquid added, right? I think paper would dry it out.

I'm cooking it at 275.

I'm thinking I'll wrap in foil and finish it unwrapped on the smoker to try to get the bark back.

I saw a video with liquid in a covered pan, and removing the foil on top and draining/saving the liquid to firm up the bark at the end.

 

[noboundaries]

So, a question. Are you wanting to smoke it like a brisket? Or have it taste like a smoked pot roast? I keep the two separate and have several recipes for smoked pot roast; Pepper Stout Beef, Cuban Ropa Vieja, and Mexican Pot Roast are three that I remember copying or posting.

https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/pepper-stout-beef.269556/

https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/easy-cuban-ropa-vieja-beef.166127/#post-1845602

https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/mexican-chuckie-barbacoa-pot-roast.157264/

 

[SmokinVOLfan]

IF you are going to shred it my vote would be to take it to 165 then throw it in a pan with some beef broth and dark beer and wrap that sucker up until 205. If a hard bark is pretty important to you then I would wrap it in butcher paper. Can inject it with low sodium beef broth before smoking if you would like

 

[chilerelleno]

Chucks do not NEED to have liquid added.

Paper does not dry meat out.
Double wrapped butcher paper by no means dries out the meat you will find a large puddle of your drippings inside with meat when you open that paper up.
It does the same thing as foil, holds heat, stops evaporative cooling and braises.
What it doesn't do is ruin a good bark, it lets it breathe a little bit.
My favorite wrap is pink butcher paper.

That said, paper, foil or pan/foil, if you're gonna wrap all are proven methods.
You just need to try them all and find out for yourself which one you prefer or which one works best for what recipe.
Example, if I'm going to braised beef cheeks for smoked barbacoa I'm going to use foil to braise them as I'm not really looking for a bark.

 

[EdP]

So, a question. Are you wanting to smoke it like a brisket? Or have it taste like a smoked pot roast? I keep the two separate and have several recipes for smoked pot roast; Pepper Stout Beef, Cuban Ropa Vieja, and Mexican Pot Roast are three that I remember copying or posting.

https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/pepper-stout-beef.269556/

https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/easy-cuban-ropa-vieja-beef.166127/#post-1845602

https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/mexican-chuckie-barbacoa-pot-roast.157264/

IF you are going to shred it my vote would be to take it to 165 then throw it in a pan with some beef broth and dark beer and wrap that sucker up until 205. If a hard bark is pretty important to you then I would wrap it in butcher paper. Can inject it with low sodium beef broth before smoking if you would like

I'd like to shred it, but with some bark.

Wrapping or double wrapping with butcher paper will hold liquid for a few hours? I'll cook this at 275, and don't want it to dry out.

 

[EdP]

Chucks do not NEED to have liquid added.

Paper does not dry meat out.
Double wrap butcher paper by no means dries out the meat you will find a large puddle of your drippings inside with meat when you open that paper up.
It does the same thing as foil, holds heat, stops evaporative cooling and braises.
What it doesn't do is ruin a good bark, it lets it breathe a little bit.
My favorite wrap is pink butcher paper.

That said, paper, foil or pan, pan/foil, if you're gonna wrap all are proven methods.
You just need to try them all and find out for yourself which one you prefer or which one works best for what recipe.
Example, if I'm going to braised beef cheeks for smoked barbacoa I'm going to use foil to braise them as I'm not really looking for a bark.

Thanks, I think I'll try double paper wrap, and drink that guiness instead of pouring it on the meat.

 

[noboundaries]

Wrapping or double wrapping with butcher paper will hold liquid for a few hours? I'll cook this at 275, and don't want it to dry out.

I can tell you right now, based on that statement above, you believe, incorrectly, that a chuck roast will dry out if cooked too long, which will lead you to UNDERCOOK a chuck roast. An undercooked chuck roast will taste dry and tough. Only time in heat will give you a tender chuck roast. Leave it on the smoker, wrapped or not, until it pokes tender, even if you are HOURS beyond the point you expect it to be done. I've found that chuck roasts can be more ornery than briskets, even though they are both chuck cuts.

 

[EdP]

I can tell you right now, based on that statement above, you believe, incorrectly, that a chuck roast will dry out if cooked too long, which will lead you to UNDERCOOK a chuck roast. An undercooked chuck roast will taste dry and tough. Only time in heat will give you a tender chuck roast. Leave it on the smoker, wrapped or not, until it pokes tender, even if you are HOURS beyond the point you expect it to be done. I've found that chuck roasts can be more ornery than briskets, even though they are both chuck cuts.

Thanks for the tip. I'll have plenty of time for this, so I won't be rushed to serve it.

 

[chilerelleno]

Butcher paper will hold the drippings or braising liquid for as many hours as you keep it wrapped.
It will not dry out.
Noboundaries is spot on, an under done Chuck or Brisket is dry and tough, regardless of the internal temperature it has to Probe Tender.
Finished internal temperature is a rough guide line, probe tender is the perfect sweet spot.

Now on the other hand you can take something like a pork butt and if you're going to pull it, you need it probe tender or it will not pull.
But if you're going to slice it you can slice it at 165° and it will be tender and juicy.

 

[EdP]

Butcher paper will hold the drippings or braising liquid for as many hours as you keep it wrapped.
It will not dry out.

Ok, I’m going to give this a try.

 

[chilerelleno]

Note:
Use a high quality, heavy butcher paper, not the thin regular stuff.
The good stuff is almost twice as thick as the regular/cheap stuff.

And make sure it is a uncoated paper not the poly coated freezer paper.

 

[EdP]

Note:
Use a high quality, heavy butcher paper, not the thin regular stuff.
The good stuff is almost twice as thick as the regular/cheap stuff.

And make sure it is a uncoated paper not the poly coated freezer paper.

Here's what I have, not sure if you'd consider it heavy but it doesn't seem thin.




Made in USA Brown Butcher Paper Roll 17.75" x 1200" (100ft), FDA Approved, Ideal for BBQ Smoking Wrapping Meat of All Varieties, Table Runner, Arts and Craft Projects, Unwaxed, Uncoated, Virgin
by NY Paper Mill

• 100% MADE IN USA: NY Paper Mill Butcher Paper is manufactured right here in America in accordance to the highest FDA standards. It's definitely a safe and healthy choice for you and your family.
• AUTHENTIC TEXAS STYLE: Our paper is chosen by many BBQ enthusiasts to create the Texas style brisket smoking. The paper protects the meat from the full assault of the smoker, while its high breathability property also allows the steam to escape the wrapping. Thus this will not create soggy exterior bark.
• FINEST QUALITY: All natural where there is no wax and polymer coating on the paper. We only choose the finest pure virgin pulps to make our paper.
• STRONG AND DURABLE: Our specially formulated treatment on the internal paper structure gives the extra boost to the paper's wet strength so that it will not fall apart that easily when it gets soaked in oil or water.
• MULTI-PURPOSE FOOD SERVING: Beautiful brown tint has made it an excellent aesthetic choice for serving foods such as sandwiches, burgers, fries and etc.

 

[chilerelleno]

That looks good to me.

 

[Sal Barsanti]

Chucks do not NEED to have liquid added.

Paper does not dry meat out.
Double wrap butcher paper by no means dries out the meat you will find a large puddle of your drippings inside with meat when you open that paper up.
It does the same thing as foil, holds heat, stops evaporative cooling and braises.
What it doesn't do is ruin a good bark, it lets it breathe a little bit.
My favorite wrap is pink butcher paper.

That said, paper, foil or pan/foil, if you're gonna wrap all are proven methods.
You just need to try them all and find out for yourself which one you prefer or which one works best for what recipe.
Example, if I'm going to braised beef cheeks for smoked barbacoa I'm going to use foil to braise them as I'm not really looking for a bark.

When would you wrap in butcher paper?

 

[Sal Barsanti]

Here's what I threw on at noon today. Two different chuck cuts.

 

[EdP]

My chuck's going too. I split a piece of post oak and added a couple small chunks of mesquite. It's going about 275.

I'll probably wrap it around 165.

 

[EdP]

It hit 170 and the bark looks good to me, so I double wrapped it in paper for that last couple hours.

 

[chilerelleno]

Looking good.

 

[Sal Barsanti]

It hit 170 and the bark looks good to me, so I double wrapped it in paper for that last couple hours.

So pulling at 170 is for slicing, right.? Are you resting the roast?

 

[Sal Barsanti]

wrapped my roasts at the 4 hr marker. Temps were between 165 and 185.