Mexican Chuckie Barbacoa Pot Roast

  • Some of the links on this forum allow SMF, at no cost to you, to earn a small commission when you click through and make a purchase. Let me know if you have any questions about this.
SMF is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

noboundaries

Epic Pitmaster
Original poster
OTBS Member
SMF Premier Member
Sep 7, 2013
10,245
5,351
Roseville, CA, a suburb of Sacramento
I really didn't know what to call this concoction except DELICIOUS!  I've cook dozens upon dozens of chuckies over the years, braising most on the stovetop.  I've been smoking them since I took up my latest backyard addiction.  They are so flexible for just about anything you want to do with them.

I put this recipe together for the Super Bowl but my wife and I were a bit under the weather so we really didn't chow down on this until the next day.  Big mistake.  This chuckie was awesome!  People walking by my office at work after I heated the smoked roast in the microwave kept saying "OMG that smells delicious!  What is that?"  I'm probably going to make another this weekend.

I got the idea to inject with seasoned butter from one of Jeff's recipes, the seasoning rub idea online, and came up with the rest of the salsa/jalapeno/pickling juice idea as I was trying to figure out what liquid to add to the wrapped portion of the smoke.  It was a total shot in the dark that came out fantastic!  Very savory with a bit of a kick.

This is a great "quick" recipe.  Smoking at 280F mine reached 200F in just under 4 hours on the smoker, then I let it rest covered with towels a couple hours.  It could have been served sooner if needed.

Here's the recipe:

Ingredients
1 stick butter, salted
1/2 Tbs Creole seasoning (or any salt-based seasoning salt with tiny ingredients that won't clog your injector)
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp black pepper
1 Tbs dried Mexican oregano (you can use regular oregano if that's what you have)
1 1/2 tsp chile powder
1 tsp kosher salt
3 1/2 lbs boneless beef chuck roast
1  cup fresh salsa
1/2 can pickled jalapenos and carrots, including 1/2 can of the juice.

Directions

1. Blend the rub spices.

2. Rinse and dry the chuck roast.

3. Add the creole or seasoning salt to the butter then melt together.

4. Inject the roast with the seasoned butter about every 1" deep into the roast.

5. Sprinkle the roast with the rub, using all the rub.

6. Prepare the smoker using mesquite, hickory, or any of the stronger woods.

7. Heat smoker to 250F-300°F.

8. Place the roast on the smoker.

9. Once you hit the stall with an internal temperature between 150-160°F, place the roast in a double layer of heavy duty aluminum foil then add the salsa, canned jalapenos, and the juice to the roast.  Seal the foil tightly and put it back on the smoker.  Put the temp probe through the foil to track the internal temperature.

10. Cook for a couple of more hours or until the meat internal temperature is about 200°F for thick slicing, 205 for shredding.

11. Pull the roast off the smoker, leaving it wrapped, then cover it with towels, letting it rest for 60 minutes or more. 

12. Slice or shred the meat, saving the juices to spoon over the meat.

13. Eat as is or serve with tortillas and guacamole, pico gallo, and salsa.

 
Last edited:
Looks nice Noboundaries. Creole butter is my secret injection for chuckies. Keeps it nice and buttery-moist during the smoking session.
 
Wow that looks terrific, adding this to the EVER GROWING list of things I need to make after hanging out on this forum :)
 
pardon my noobness, but the thermometer stays in the meat during the initial cook (where internal temp needs to be between 150-160), as well as after adding the juice and veggies?

Wouldn't it give false readings from the ambient temp inside the smoker, and not the temp inside the meat, if left in the meat for any period of time?

Again, pardon my noobness.

Thanks
 
Learnem

Pardon me if I am not answering as you asked it.

On my Maverick the meat probe reads temp at or near the tip. The temp anywhere else in the smoker doesn't have an effect on it.

Noboundaries

Nice lookin there. May have to try this myself.
 
Last edited:
 
Learnem

Pardon me if I am not answering as you asked it.

On my Maverick the meat probe reads temp at or near the tip. The temp anywhere else in the smoker doesn't have an effect on it.

Noboundaries

Nice lookin there. May have to try this myself.
Learnem, what Dave from Mesa said.  Here's a paragraph from Wikipedia explaining how meat thermometers work. (Not sure if this violates the rules against links, but it is educational!).

A meat thermometer is a unit which will measure core temperature of meats whilst cooking. It will have a metal probe with a sharp point which is pushed into the meat, and a dial or digital display. Some show the temperature only; others also have markings to indicate when different kinds of meat are done to a specified degree (e.g., "beef medium rare").

Meat thermometers are usually designed to have the probe in the meat during cooking. Some use a bimetallic strip which rotates a needle which shows the temperature on a dial; the whole thermometer can be left inside the oven during cooking. Another variety commonly used on turkey is the pop-up timer, which uses a spring held in by a soft material that "pops up" when the meat reaches a set temperature.

Other types use an electronic sensor in the probe, connected by a flexible heat-resistant cable to a display. The probe is inserted in the meat, and the cable comes out of the oven (oven seals are flexible enough to allow this without damage) and is connected to the display. These types can be set to sound an alarm when the specified temperature is reached. Wireless types, where the display does not have to be close to the oven, are also available.

Dual probe thermometers like the Maverick usually have a chamber probe and a food probe.  The newest Maverick has two hybrid probes which can be used as either a chamber or food probe. 

And thanks for the compliment Dave!  This recipe gave me some ideas for beer can chickens this weekend.  Unfortunately we're having high winds all weekend so they might have to be in the oven. 
icon_cry.gif
 
Last edited:
Awesome.  Thanks for the information.  I have always been afraid of leaving the thermometer in the meat, as for the damage to the thermometer it may cause.

Thanks for the information guys.  Have a good weekend.  I'll post pics of mine on this thread, if you don't mind.

Rolling to the store now to get the few things I need. 
 
 
Awesome.  Thanks for the information.  I have always been afraid of leaving the thermometer in the meat, as for the damage to the thermometer it may cause.

Thanks for the information guys.  Have a good weekend.  I'll post pics of mine on this thread, if you don't mind.

Rolling to the store now to get the few things I need.
Learnem, you are talking about a "probe" not a thermometer, right?  If you are using a one-piece thermometer with the gauge attached to the probe, those are not meant to be used while smoking or cooking.  They are designed to be used as a spot check after a certain amount of time to check on the progress of the meat and the final desired temperature.  If your thermometer looks ANYTHING like the one in the picture below, DO NOT SMOKE or COOK WITH IT IN THE MEAT.

 
Whoops.  Too late.  what are the consiqensces of leaving that in for the entire cook?

Also, I slacked on the pictures, but MAN OH MAN was it good! that 3.5lb roast disappeared within less than an hour.  I think I will try it with a tri tip today.
 
 
Whoops.  Too late.  what are the consiqensces of leaving that in for the entire cook?

Also, I slacked on the pictures, but MAN OH MAN was it good! that 3.5lb roast disappeared within less than an hour.  I think I will try it with a tri tip today.
No consequences to the meat, but it could ruin the thermometer, especially if there are any plastic parts that could melt.

Glad you liked the Mexican Chuckie.  Just my wife and I ate ours and it was gone in two days.

Tri tip cooks fast and no need to wrap.  Sprinkle with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and a little dried basil or oregano.  It cooks pretty quick, around an hour to hour and 15 minutes at 280F chamber temp.  I take the meat internal temp to 135 for a nice medium rare, take it off the smoker, cover with aluminum foil, then put some old towels on top of the foil and let it rest for about 60 minutes.  Cut against the grain and eat like roast beef, or cut those pieces in 1" squares and serve with tortillas, pico de gallo, salsa, sour crème like you would fajitas.  I can tell my kids who live three hours away I'm smoking or grillin' tri tips this weekend and they'll drive home just to eat!  (It's my wife's secret tactic when she wants to see our daughters and doesn't want to drive to them.  Works almost every time.) 
 
I'm no stranger to tri tip.  I have had a Santa Maria BBQ for a few years, and learned from the best over on the Central Coast. 

I'm going a different direction with this one.

I'm going for 220 on the smoker, and the original parameters from your OG recipe, with the exception of combining butter and bacon grease with the injection, and leaving it in foil until it falls apart. 

Thanks for all the help!
 
Cool, let us know how it turns out!  In the hundreds of tri tips I've grilled or smoked I've never cooked one to a high temp before.  Definitely interested in the results!
 
400



The tri tip turned out really good. The.cool thing about the.Bacon grease and butter is that it hardend up inside the meat after a few minutes..

Either one was delicious.

Again OP,thanks for all the help.
 
SmokingMeatForums.com is reader supported and as an Amazon Associate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases.

Latest posts

Hot Threads

Clicky