My beefy weekend

[DaveD]

Gonna get some beef on this weekend. Tonight I've got a pair of Choice pasture-raised filets (from CrowdCow) in the sous vide, after dry brining for several hours then dousing with garlic powder and pepper. Vacuum packed with a bay leaf and a generous dollop of wagyu beef tallow, and I'll be searing on a ripping hot CI skillet currently heating on the grill, also in tallow. (I bought that tub because I need it for the next thing...)



Tomorrow I'm using this 2lb/0.9kg chuck roast to make burnt ends following the process in a video from Chuds BBQ. I dry brined the chuck all day today, and after dinner I'll cube it up and douse it with a rub for smoking tomorrow. The tallow is required for the second half, after several hours they go into a pan immersed in tallow. Stay tuned!

[DaveD]

The filets were outstanding! That wagyu tallow adds some explosive flavor - I brushed some on the steaks when I plated. Yum!

From post-sous vide to the plate...

[DaveD]

Got the chuck all chunked up for tomorrow's burnt ends cook - my first stab at this one. Gave it a dusting of my house beef rub, and will hit it again before they go on tomorrow. Beef!

[MsTwiggy]

I look forward to seeing your burnt ends😎🔥🔥🔥❤️🐿

[WayneT]

Well planned and executed. Bravo!

[realdocBBQ]

Errrrrm....

Chunking up the chuck BEFORE the smoker to make burnt ends? This is a new technique to me, I worry about them getting so barky that they're all bark and just dried out?

[DaveD]

Errrrrm....

Chunking up the chuck BEFORE the smoker to make burnt ends? This is a new technique to me, I worry about them getting so barky that they're all bark and just dried out?

Yup. That's what Chuds and several others do whose vids I've watched... having bark all over is exactly the point, it would seem. Four hours "dry" and then several more hours immersed in tallow, which ought to keep anything from drying out. Here's the Chuds vid:

[fzxdoc]

Errrrrm....

Chunking up the chuck BEFORE the smoker to make burnt ends? This is a new technique to me, I worry about them getting so barky that they're all bark and just dried out?

FWIW, Malcolm Reed also makes chuck burnt ends starting with cutting the chuck roast into chunks

Malcolm cooks his chuckie chunks for 2 hours (rub only) then 1hr 45 min (sauced) at 275°. He does not confit the burnt ends

Chubbs cooks for a total of 7 hours at 275-300°: 4 hours rub only, 3 hours submerged in beef tallow and does not add a sauce except for dipping when eating.

It will be fun to see how your cook turns out, DaveD . I know Malcolm's burnt ends get high praise from Jfrosty27 who showed them off on the SUWYC topic a little while back.
The Chubbs method looks intriguing. I'd like to give it a try as well, so your feedback will be valuable. Enjoy the cook!

Kathryn

[bbqLuv]

Yep, and it works, more bark

[DaveD]

Thanks, I hadn't seen Malcom's. I wonder if the tallow bath will yield a better result than his beef broth + bbq sauce treatment. I don't plan on putting any sauce on until tableside, as in the Chuds vid.

[DaveD]

It's a really beautiful day here in northern VA, barely a breath of wind, the dew point is down several degrees, seasonable temps that should top out around 87F/30C. A fine summer day, ideal smoking conditions!




Chuckie chunks (or is that chunky chuck?) went in about 9am for the first hour on the low-T "smoke" setting (~150F/66C), then bumped the set point up to 250 for the rest of the way. Here they are after the first hour:

[Michael_in_TX]

That does indeed look like a beautiful day in which to be cooking outside!

[DaveD]

Another 90 minutes in, things are nominal.



Pulled out the pan (only two drips yet) and ladled in a couple big dollops of wagyu tallow so it can liquefy and take up some smoke flavor too.




We're about halfway through the first phase... keeeeeeeeep going!

[DaveD]

Hokay, 4.5 hours in and time to move the chunks into the pan of tallow. Color is looking good, some reasonable barkiness happening.



Internal temps ranging from 185-192F/85-89C, but nowhere near tender enough yet of course.



With the rack pulled out a little ways to make it easier to get a decent photo, it's not level so you see the tallow pooling in the forward part of the pan. But once it's slid back in it's level. But they are only about half immersed, so I'll just flip 'em over every 30-45 minutes.

[DaveD]

Dang, I wish I could post the aroma from these chunks of meat...!

Been in the tallow a little over an hour now. Temps are up above 200F/93C.

[DaveD]

Last stage was to put the chunks back on the tray for 30-45 min after the tallow bath. I dropped the temp way down when I did that, but... (see below)



The verdict? Very good, but not great. The smaller pieces were chewy, and the larger pieces were fine but not quite as juicy as I would like. Two things I would do differently: larger chunks, like 2 in/5cm on a side, making sure there *are* no small pieces, and skip that last step back on the tray - just plate directly from the tallow bath. Excellent flavor though, and the larger pieces were awesome. I give it a solid B grade.

After the last tray stage, and you can easily see the change from the above pic.

Plated with sides of steamed zucchini and our house black bean charro.


Will definitely do this again with the above changes. And herewith the close of My Beefy Weekend - my lovely bride will be handling the food production tomorrow

Speaking of whom, she made us some brownies for dessert with her signature move of swirling in some tahini...