Smoking Outside Round - Help needed

[goredcar]

Hi all... winter here so I have not been as active smoking. We are expecting warmer temperatures this weekend so I thought  that I could try a outside round roast that I froze a while back.  From what I have read it is is a tough cut to make tender so I would appreciate any advice. I plan to treat it like a brisket. It is quite large and flat so it looks kind of similar. It is about 10 pounds and has pretty decent fat marbling. I have it fully thawed and covered in rub and it is now refrigerated. I plan to leave it in the fridge for 24 hours. 

I have read conflicting opinions on whether to baste with a mop. I'm thinking that it will need to be basted to keep moist. I was also considering injection of marinade. Any suggestions for an injection recipe would be greatly appreciated.  Should injection be done prior to cooking or during?

I have a Traeger grill and had planned to smoke at 200 for 4-6 hours aiming for an internal temp of 140. Then wrap in foil for an hour prior to cutting. Planning a baste every 30-40 min

I have not smoked a beef roast this big or this particular cut so any suggestions would be greatly appreciated :)

 

[worktogthr]

The cuts from the round are generally leaner and therefore chewy if cooked passed medium rare/medium.  This would be a good cut for some roast beef.  You can cook it anywhere from 200 like you suggested to 350 or up but I would not take it passed 140 IT like you mentioned.  It can be sliced for a roast beef dinner or sandwiches but I would recommend thin slices regardless of which option you choose.    As far as basting is concerned, that might not actually improve the overall moisture of the final product but there are varying opinions on the basting of meat while it is cooking.

 

[goredcar]

Thanks... this roast is pretty marbled with fat so I am hopeful for some tender meat.  I will let you know how it turns out :)

 

[goredcar]

OK, so here is a quick update.  The roast was good. I put a rub on it overnight and then injected with a recipe I found for beef. It consisted of

2c beef broth

1/4 cup Worcestershire 

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp cayane

2 tbsp dark soy sauce

I cooked for 5.5 hours at 200F and got an IT of 135. I then wrapped in foil, covered with a towel and let sit for 1 hour before slicing. Meat was tender and flavourful. Smoke profile was just right. My only issue was cosmetic as you could see darker marks in the meat where I had injected. I'm guessing that it was either the Worcestershire or the dark soy that caused the issue. What do you guys use for beef injection that does not leave unsightly dark blotches? 

 

[SmokinAl]

You need to move the injector needle out as you are pushing the plunger down.

You can pull it out & push it in multiple times in different areas in the same hole.

What you have is a large pocket of injection fluid in one place.

What you want to do is saturate the meat without leaving pockets of fluid.

Al

 

[goredcar]

Thanks Al! This was my first time injecting so I have lots to learn.