Four pound chuck roast

[ribeyeguy]

Okay, this was going to happen two weekends ago but never did due to circumstances, namely my wife. This weekend it's going to happen come hell or high water. Here's my step by step plan, please tell me what I need to change, scrap, add, subtract, whatever. And again, I appreciate your help more than you can imagine. The goal is to have pulled beef much like a pulled pork.

The cut is a 4 pound boneless chuck roast with decent marbling, picked it up tonight.

I plan on dry brining it starting tomorrow night for a Saturday smoke. Questions: how much salt to use and how should I store it between Thursday night and Saturday morning?

Early Saturday morning we'll coat it with EVOO and BBBR about 30 minutes prior to putting it on the Weber 18-1/2" smoker. Question: Should this be done the night before?

Early Saturday morning I'm going to inject it with beef stock. Question: Should this be done the night before or even done at all?

I plan on smoking it at 225 to 250 until it holds at 200 to 205 internal for an hour, then wrapping it and putting it in a cooler for an hour before pulling it.

Smoking it over Kingsford blue bag and hickory wood with an occasional hunk of mesquite thrown in for good measure. Depending on how much I drink there might also be cherry wood, apple wood, pecan or alder thrown in although I'll try to resist getting creative.

I know it's a lot to ask but any tips/pointers/corrections/admonishments would be greatly appreciated!

[Tim E]

Your going to love it.
I'm no expert but by what I have been told by the experts in our midst, and my recent experience....
You could dry brine tonight if you want. I did mine for 6 days. Store in the fridge until your smoke on Saturday. I did the BBBR rub 24 hrs prior on my chuck cook. I dont know how much the extra time matters, but the chuck roast was absolutely awesome tasting. I took it to 209 intternal per David Parrish directions, and it made perfect pulled beef. Good Luck on the cook!

[Breadhead]

ribeyeguy ...

I'll go first.

1. Dry brine with salt only, 1/2 teaspoon per pound is the general rule. Thursday night for a Saturday morning cook is good.

2. Use a sheet pan with a cooling rack on it to elevate the roast, so it gets good circulation in the fridge. Don't wrap it.

3. I don't inject Chuckies. They have plenty of fat in them.

4. Take the roast out of the fridge after you have your kettle to the proper heat. Give it a light coating of oil and apply the BBBR and put it on the grate.

Cold meat at low temps will take on more of the smoke flavor.

I cook Chuckies to 207° to 210°.

That's my technique. Other's may have different techniques.😎

[ribeyeguy]

Tim E and Breadhead, thank you! I've never done a chuckie before so your advice is greatly appreciated!

[Breadhead]

ribeyeguy ...

You can smoke a Chuckie and a Brisket together. They cook exactly the same. I inject a brisket but I don't inject a Chuckie. I cook a brisket to 203° maybe a little lower if you can glide your temp thermometer through it like its butter soft. Chuckie I cook to at least 207°.

Good luck on your cook.👍

[David Parrish]

Good advice in this thread. We want pics of the results!

[Huskee]

Worthy of note is that the '1/2 tsp salt per pound of meat' MUST be coarse Kosher salt, if you're using table salt use half that, or 1/4tsp per lb. The saltiness preference varies from person to person fo course, but for your first time you should do this by the book.

I also suggest after the meat hits the final temp, 205-210, keep it there an hour or so (still on the smoker) then you hold it in a faux cambro another hour or three. Then pull. Best thing ever.

[ribeyeguy]

Good advice in this thread. We want pics of the results!

And pics you shall receive!

[ribeyeguy]

Okay, so it's Chuck Roast Eve and yes, I feel like a little kid on Christmas Eve. One last minute question. Assuming a constant smoking temperature of 250 (is that too high?), what's a ballpark estimate of the time on the smoker? Not including the wrap & wait in the cooler but the actual cooking time? I've got temperature probes that will tell me when it's done, I'm just trying to figure out when to get it on the fire tomorrow morning. It's a four pound chuck roast by the way.

[David Parrish]

I'd plan on 8 to 10 hours. 250F is a good target temp.

[ribeyeguy]

8 to 10 hours? I was thinking more like 6. I'd better go make a beer run.

[Huskee]

Mine the other day (two ~3.5 to 4 lbers) took between 7 and 8 to get past the stall, which is when I wrapped. Then another hourish to get up to the 207-209 range.

[ribeyeguy]

I'm used to cooking a pork butt for that long but for some reason I didn't plan on that long for the chucking. Oh well, it's supposed to be beautiful tomorrow, just more time in the early Fall outdoors.

The wife put the rub on earlier today, picture #1 will be posted shortly.

[DWCowles]

I did two 5 lbers on the pellet smoker @ 240 and it took 10 hrs for the IT to reach 208 F then they went in the cambro for 2 hrs before pulling

[ribeyeguy]

Okay, I suck at taking pictures with my tablet. I'll post better ones tomorrow taken with an actual camera. Here's a top shot of the roast after about an hour of the rub being applied. No idea what the lighter streaks are. Might be the fat ribbons.

[ribeyeguy]

Okay, it went on the smoker at 7:00 this morning and the grate temperature has remained pegged at 250. I'm going to check the internal temp in a half hour or so. I'll post picture #1 after I check it.

[Danjohnston949]

I'll bet it's looking Great! Enjoy, Dan