Smoked Chuck Roast: Sliced or Pulled (AmazingRibs Recipe)

Close-up of a delicious steak cooking on a grill over an open flame, emitting smoke.

Written by

Outdoor Cooking King

in

This recipe is taken directly from AmazingRibs.com, the Smoked and Sliced Beef Chuck Roast recipe (the recipe card credits Meathead). Chuck roast is a popular stand-in for brisket, and we add a second, more brisket-like method from Smoked BBQ Source so you can see where two published approaches differ. Metric and Celsius conversions are ours, rounded.

Why Chuck Stands In for Brisket

AmazingRibs describes chuck as coming from the shoulder directly above the brisket, with comparable flavor at a more manageable price and weight. Smoked BBQ Source adds that chuck roast is well marbled and rich in connective tissue, rarely needs trimming, and shortens the cook compared with a full packer. Its author points out that you get brisket-style bark and slices from a smaller piece of meat.

Ingredients (AmazingRibs)

  • 3 pounds (about 1.4 kg) boneless beef chuck roast
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons Morton Coarse Kosher Salt (about 1/2 teaspoon per pound of meat)
  • Coarsely ground black pepper
  • 2 to 3 chunks of your favorite smoking wood, if using a charcoal grill

The recipe lists 5 minutes of prep, about 6 hours of cooking, and 8 servings, and says it yields roughly 2 1/2 pounds (1.1 kg) of edible meat.

Method

  1. Salt ahead. Season with the kosher salt, ideally 1 to 2 hours before cooking, so it has time to absorb. AmazingRibs calls this dry brining and says you can eyeball the amount, roughly what you would sprinkle on a steak.
  2. Set up the cooker. Prepare a smoker for indirect cooking at about 225°F (107°C). On a charcoal grill, pile hot briquettes on one side for two zones and add the wood chunks. On a gas grill, leave one side off and hold about 225°F on that side.
  3. Pepper and place. When the cooker is ready, add the pepper. Put the roast on the indirect side as far from the heat as possible, with the lid vent fully open and directly over the meat so smoke is drawn across it.
  4. Smoke to 180°F. Cook until the internal temperature reaches 180°F (82°C), checked with an instant-read thermometer. AmazingRibs says this takes about six hours and leaves the chuck tender yet sliceable like brisket.
  5. Serve. Remove, slice and serve. The recipe gives no resting time.

Sliced or Pulled? The Temperature Decides

AmazingRibs ties the finished texture to the final temperature. Stop at 180°F for slices. For pulled beef, take it to 205°F (96°C), as in its separate smoked and pulled chuck roast recipe.

The Brisket-Style Variation (Smoked BBQ Source)

Smoked BBQ Source’s recipe by Jordan Hanger takes the roast further. It uses a 4-pound (1.8 kg) roast, 1 tablespoon olive oil as a binder, 2 tablespoons brisket rub and 2 tablespoons beef tallow or butter, with the smoker at 250°F (121°C). The steps are:

  • Coat and season, then let the roast sit for 30 minutes.
  • Smoke to 175°F (79°C), spritzing with water (the article text suggests apple cider vinegar) after the first three hours.
  • Wrap in butcher paper with the tallow or butter and return to the smoker until 195-205°F (91-96°C) or probe tender. The author’s roast felt tender at 198°F (92°C).
  • Rest wrapped, in a towel-lined cooler or a warming oven, for an hour, then slice 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick against the grain.

Where the Two Recipes Differ

The finishing temperature is the biggest gap: 180°F versus 195-205°F. AmazingRibs cooks unwrapped at 225°F and serves at once; Smoked BBQ Source runs 25 degrees hotter, wraps, and rests. Smoked BBQ Source says its roast is done by feel rather than a fixed number. Its page also lists a range of resting times, from 30 to 45 minutes up to an hour, or holding at 165-180°F (74-82°C) for up to three hours. If you want a firmer slice, follow AmazingRibs; if you want a texture closer to brisket, the Smoked BBQ Source route is the one to try.

Food Safety Notes

Both finishing ranges are texture targets. The USDA’s temperature chart lists 145°F (63°C) with at least a 3-minute rest as the safe minimum for beef steaks, chops and roasts. If you hold the meat, USDA guidance is to keep hot food at 140°F (60°C) or above and refrigerate leftovers within two hours, or one hour above 90°F (32°C). A hold at 165-180°F stays above that line.

Keep reading

Sources

More posts