Beef Chuck Roll

Beef Chuck Roll One of my favorite foods to slow smoke is a good piece of Black Angus Beef. Brisket is a great piece to smoke; the problem with it is that the yield on a whole packer brisket is very minimal. Over the years, when we have slow smoked beef for family and friends, and expect a decent size crowd to feed (25 and up…) we turn to the Queen of beef, the chuck roll.

What separates the Chuck Roll from the Brisket is the Chuck Roll has little or no waste product (fat). It is a pretty lean piece of beef and is very forgiving. We prepare the Chuck Roll the same way we prepare a brisket and smoke it at the same temperature and pull it off the smoker at the same internal temperature. You can slice it or pull it which ever you prefer.

You can order a nice 20lb and up chuck roll from your local butcher or if you’re fortunate enough to have a Sam’s Club or similar bulk type supplier you can usually get this nice piece of beef.

My first step in preparing the chuck roll is to trim any loose pieces and spots of fat from the roll. Much like the briskets I prepare, I like to marinade it over night in Worcestershire sauce. I usually marinade for 8-10 hours, turning the roll half way through the marinating time. Afterwards, I remove the chuck roll from the marinade and discard the marinade. DO NOT DRY OFF THE ROLL!! Apply your favorite beef rub and prepare for the smoker, allowing the roll to sit out at room temperature which causes the rub to get tacky. The rub I used for this go round was Durkee’s Steak Dust.

Place in the smoker at 225-250 degrees for about 1 hour per pound until and internal temperature of 165 degree’s is obtained. We used a mixture of Oak and Mesquite wood for this Chuck Roll. Now you can either slice and serve at this point or wrap in foil and place the roll back on the smoker until an internal temperature of 195-200 degrees is achieved. Then allow the roll to rest prior to shredding and pulling.

For this experience, I chose to take the roll to 200 degree’s internal, and then shred and pulled the roll for a church gathering. This was a 25lb Chuck Roll and it feed 30 people with very little leftover!

If you are a brisket lover, I would highly recommend the Chuck Roll for your next smoking experience. I promise you won’t be disappointed with the amount you yield, the little waste you realize and the satisfied people who more then likely will be more then willing to help you devour this flavorful mound of delicious smoked meat.

Chuck Marting (The Bossman)

Posted by Chuck October 2007

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