I have a 2.5 lb. beef shoulder clod roast that came in my monthly Sonrise Ranch box. This is not a cut I've cooked before, so I'm looking for any advice. I'm looking to cook for 5 people this weekend, which makes a half pound per person, so that's good. But I really don't want the stress of a failed meal, so if it's a risky cut to cook, I might fall back on trusty pork shoulder. What say you, pit dwellers?
Edit: should have mentioned, I prefer to cook with charcoal on my PK Grill, in case that influences suggestions.
Treat it like a chuck roast or brisket. Just did an 11 pound one that hit 2 stalls and took 12 hours. Used big bad beef rub and it came out wonderful. Sorry no pics.
Thanks for the tip. I'm away from home now but when I get home, I'll look at the cut and try to see if it has enough fat and connective tissue to cook brisket-style. My Sonrise Ranch monthly subscription is for smaller cuts 'cause I'm cooking for 2-4 people mostly. So at 2.5 lbs, this is definitely NOT a full size shoulder clod. So if it looks too lean, I might be worried about it drying out.
You could also make Pit Beef with that hunk. I suspect that it is very lean, so it might tend to dry out of cooked like a brisket. I have never done one, but here is Meathead's recipe from the free side:
If you decide to use this recipe, make note of which way the grain runs before you dust it with rub so that you will know where to cut across the grain.
That looks great, but at least 1 of the guests considers any beef "raw" and "bloody" if it has any pink color. Basically, he would want me to ruin this roast. So I'd need an alternative. Hmm... Decisions.
radshop - just cut his portion off and return it to the grill to cook to his preference - just make sure it's not an end piece covered in delicious bark since it will be ruined anyway.
For further info on my comment above, cut off the end slice and slice his off first. Slice it thin and however many slices you think would be his portion. Return them to the grill, (or any way you want to cook them), and they should cook quickly when sliced thin. Of course, they will be dry and not too tender, but he should be used to that anyway....
After the info I got here and thinking through the menu, plus adding 1 more guest to the list, I decided to do both beef and pork with taco fixings so folks could eat meat alone BBQ style or make tacos. I had a small pork shoulder about the same size as the beef shoulder, so I smoked both low & slow. As was suggested by RonB the beef got a little dry, but only slightly so. Once it was sliced and the juices were poured back on it, it was actually really good. I also did Meathead's Murphy potatoes and stuffed eggplant, plus a salad and plenty of beverages, and it was a hit all the way around. Considering I started with almost 5 pounds of boneless meat for 6 people, it's a good sign that only enough is left over for 2 more servings of meat - equal amounts of beef and pork.
Forgot to mention - having been warned about the possibility of drying, I injected about a cup of beef broth prior to the cook. I think it helped a lot. Also, I crutched with foil and another cup of broth at 160 F.
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I know I'm bumping my own thread here - hope that's not bad form. But I finished off the last of the leftover smoked beef shoulder last night. It was SO good, I feel like I didn't do it justice before. Turns out some of the leaner parts were a little dry, and that's what I had in my first serving. But based on what the guests said and the rest of what I ate, that was only a small part of the whole.
In addition to that, as a learning opportunity, I thought about what I did right (counter to my own tendency to think about what I did wrong). I'm far from an expert but more than a novice, so I'm passing on my thoughts here in case they help anyone else:
* With an unfamiliar cut of meat, I came here for advice. It wasn't all consistent, so I had to weigh it for myself.
* I took the guests into consideration in my decision on what to cook and how to cook it
* I went with the cooking method I was comfortable/familiar with - I'll experiment on myself and my kids, not on out-of-state guests where the cost of failure is high. I want to relax and enjoy, not stress.
* I had a Plan B - since I was a little unsure about the beef, I also cooked the sure-thing pork shoulder
* I bought enough beer
been looking for a shoulder clod (a big one) to cook recently. They are kinda hard to find here. I cook them exactly like a brisket, with lots of injection.
Agree with above, I did a monster 22 lb beef clod for super bowl this year and it was really good. I took mine to 200 low and slow with cherry wood. I aggressively injected, BBBR'd and seasoned my clod because I had read that it was a leaner cut and it worked well.
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