This smoked pulled beef is melt-in-your-mouth tender, with a strong beefy flavor that pairs beautifully with smoke.
Good pulled beef needs to have a healthy dose of marbling and connective tissue to make the tender, pull-apart meat we need.
And that’s where chuck roast comes in. With exactly the right amount of intramuscular fat that we want as well as rich beefy flavor, beef chuck is perfect for making the strands of smoked beef that we want, whether it’s for pulled BBQ beef sandwiches or tacos.
Chuck Roast Explained
From the steer’s primal shoulder area, beef chuck sits just above the brisket and in front of the ribs. Because the shoulder is a well-worked area of the cow, beef chuck carries a healthy amount of muscle, as well as a mass of sinew and fat. This perfect blend of rich muscle fibers, healthy marbling, and connective tissue is what makes beef chuck such excellent meat for low and slow smoking.
It’s traditionally used as part of a pot roast, but is way better cooked low and slow over smoke. As the fat slowly renders and melts away, it turns beautifully tender and moist, and carries an incredible rich beef flavor.
Quick Tips
- Fat is Flavor: Don’t go overboard with trimming the beef before the cook. Keep it to a minimum by only trimming off loose bits of excess fat, and leave the rest intact to do its thing.
- Use a Water Pan: Place a disposable aluminum foil pan on your smoker’s grates and fill it with water. This will help regulate the temperature in your smoker chamber while also keeping the chuck roast’s surface moisture at a good level.
- Don’t Skip the Rest: We want as much moisture as possible to be absorbed in the meat’s fibers when it comes time to shred it, so make sure you give it at least 20 minutes to rest before you tear into it.
Smoked Pulled Beef Chuck Roast
Ingredients
- 4 lbs chuck roast
- 2 tbsp yellow mustard
- 2 cups beef broth
Dry Rub
- 2 tbsp kosher salt
- 2 tbsp fresh ground black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp chili powder
Instructions
- Fire up your smoker to 225-250°F (107-121°C). If you are using a charcoal grill, ensure you are set up for 2-zone cooking, with the lit coals placed to one side.
- Prepare the chuck roast by trimming off any excess fat on the surface. Once done, pat dry with paper towels.
- In a small bowl, combine the dry rub ingredients. Use a fork to crush or remove any lumps that may form.
- Apply a thin layer of yellow mustard across the meat’s surface, covering all sides. Then, season the meat liberally with the dry rub mixture across its entire surface on all sides.
- Once your smoker is at temperature, place the chuck roast on the smoker grates. Close smoker door and smoke to an internal temperature of 160-165°F (70-74°C), about 3-4 hours.
- Arrange a double sheet of aluminum foil on a counter surface. Place the meat on the foil, and create a pouch around it. Pour the beef broth over the chuck, allowing it to form in the pouch around the chuck.
- Wrap the chuck roast and beef broth tightly in foil, and place back in the smoker. Increase smoker temperature to 275°F (135°C) and smoke until meat internal temperature hits 205°F (95°C), about 2-3 hours.
- Pull the wrapped chuck roast from the smoker and leave to rest (still wrapped in foil) for at least 20 minutes.
- Unwrap the chuck roast and transfer the beef from the braising liquid to a chopping board or aluminum pan. Use forks or meat claws to shred the beef into strands. Pour over a little of the remaining braising liquid over the strands of beef for extra moisture and flavor.
- Serve right away as is, or as a filling for tacos or sandwiches.
