What should I smoke? And a few other questions...

reannalynne · May 26, 2014

My husband and I are still very new to smoking, we haven't done very much at all yet. The only thing I have smoked so far has been sirloin tip, and I was hoping to smoke something for dinner tomorrow since I will be home all day. We have the cheap 'beginner' Master Forge green vertical charcoal smoker. My freezer is full of beef, because my family has a farm and my father just recently butchered a cow. What cut of beef would you recommend me smoking? I would assume a roast of some sort.

Also, when I smoked before, I used chunks of wood with the coals, can I use chips or do i need chunks? Any other tips for me so I can (hopefully) have a successful smoke?

We eventually plan on getting a better smoker, but at this point that is what we have and we have made no modifications to it yet. My husband seems kind of afraid of the smoker --- he smokes ribs on the propane grill with little tin pans and foil with water/chips. I want to use the smoker more this summer but definitely need guidance.

Thanks in advance.

Reanna

Rafter H BBQ · May 26, 2014

Hi Reanna, I would suggest maybe a Chuck Roast ! It's a great smoke & probably a good one to go with in your smoker where you'll be learning its in's & out's ... As far as the chips/chunks question, as I'am not familiar with your smoker... Is there a place for the chips in a small tray in your smoker ? Also, you'll want a good thermometer if ya don't already have one !

Justin

reannalynne · May 26, 2014

I don't think it has a separate place for the chips to go... last time I had chunks and just mixed them in with the coals.

Rafter H BBQ · May 26, 2014

ReannaLynne said:
I don't think it has a separate place for the chips to go... last time I had chunks and just mixed them in with the coals.

Ok, I would do the same as ya done before ! If ya do the Chuck Roast or as folks on here will commonly refer to them as "Chuckies" ! They are a bit of a long smoke as a Chuck is a piece of meat kinda like a Boston butt when talking about pork roasts....Chucks are a tough piece of meat to start with because of the connective tissue in them that makes them tough, but when smoked Low & Slow will turn into very tender & flavorful pulled beef as the connective tissue will basically render & melt into the meat ! Of coarse if ya don't have time or don't want to do a long smoke ya could do some ribs or reverse sear ya a nice ribeye steak.... Ya have a lot of possibilities !

reannalynne · May 26, 2014

WaterinHoleBrew said:
Ok, I would do the same as ya done before ! If ya do the Chuck Roast or as folks on here will commonly refer to them as "Chuckies" ! They are a bit of a long smoke as a Chuck is a piece of meat kinda like a Boston butt when talking about pork roasts....Chucks are a tough piece of meat to start with because of the connective tissue in them that makes them tough, but when smoked Low & Slow will turn into very tender & flavorful pulled beef as the connective tissue will basically render & melt into the meat ! Of coarse if ya don't have time or don't want to do a long smoke ya could do some ribs or reverse sear ya a nice ribeye steak.... Ya have a lot of possibilities !

I'll have approximately 8 hours to smoke...is that long enough? I plan on starting around 11am (I would start earlier, but have a Dr. appointment at 10) I don't have wood chunks, but I DO have wood chips, which is why I was wondering if I could use those so I didn't have to run to the store.

It's approximately a 2# chuck roast.

Rafter H BBQ · May 26, 2014

Yes, ya sure can use chips.... I soak mine overnite in 1/2 beer & 1/2 water, they seem to produce better smoke to me, just my opinion.... If ya have 8 hrs. ya may need to go with somethin other than a Chuckie as they can be time consuming ! What other types of beef cuts ya have ? Do ya have some Beef Back Ribs, Tri Tip roast, Prime Rib Roast ?? If not, what kinda cuts do ya have ?

reannalynne · May 26, 2014

Right now I have 2# chuck roast and I have a small rump roast, about 1-1/2#? and an appx. 3# sirloin tip roast, maybe 3-1/2#. (They aren't labeled with weight since we wrap them ourselves and just write on the package what it is, not size)

timberjet · May 26, 2014

you will be fine with that time frame for that small of a chuck roast. When all I have is chips I make small foil pouches for them and poke some holes for air flow and just throw in with the coals. I find chips like to just flare up and burn up too fast without a little help. You will want to season it up tonight and let it soak up the flavor all night if you can. I also like to inject butter or cajun butter right before smoking too. I think it helps with moisture control. Do you have a good meat thermometer and an accurate smoker temperature one as well? I really like a recipe on this site called Beef Barbacoa. You can find it by typing into the search bar at the top of the page. Any more questions fire away. Happy smoking. timber

Rafter H BBQ · May 26, 2014

Honestly, if ya have a small chuck roast like that.... ya would probably be just fine to go that direction ! Smaller ones are great, just the smallest I can find over here are roughly 6-8 lbs. so I usually just smoke the whole thing !

timberjet · May 26, 2014

ReannaLynne said:
Right now I have 2# chuck roast and I have a small rump roast, about 1-1/2#? and an appx. 3# sirloin tip roast, maybe 3-1/2#. (They aren't labeled with weight since we wrap them ourselves and just write on the package what it is, not size)

I would do the chuck roast. The other two roasts are much better done rare to med. rare and sliced for sandwiches. Any of them would be good though and I would say no more than four or five hours total..

Rafter H BBQ · May 26, 2014

Sounds like timberjet has some info for ya, if I can be of any other help to ya, just send me a private message ! Hope your smoke is fun & successful ! Thumbs Up

reannalynne · May 26, 2014

timberjet said:
I would do the chuck roast. The other two roasts are much better done rare to med. rare and sliced for sandwiches. Any of them would be good though and I would say no more than four or five hours total..

4-5 hours for the chuck, also? I assume i should keep the smoker right around 200... is that accurate? Like I said, I am very new to this, so I'm sorry for all of the questions.

timberjet · May 26, 2014

225 or 235 is fine.http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/159333/bears-step-by-step-index

this link is a great quick reference for all the basic smokes like this. I would copy and paste it somewhere in your browser for quick reference. Basically you do a chuck roast just like you would a pork shoulder or boston butt. I do mine at 225 degrees until I reach the stall point which is when the meat get's to about 158 degrees. Then I foil with more rub and usually I add some kind of liquid like apple juice or whatever I have in the fridge. Then I keep cooking until the internal temp. hits 195 or so. I always double or even tripple foil these days to catch all that wonderful juice. Then after all that you want to wrap a couple of towels around that baby and stick it in a cooler for an hour or so. That lets the juices get redistributed and is one of the most important steps. Also are you sure that is a 2lb chuck? I have never seen one that small. mine are usually all 5 or 6 pounds when I get my cows cut up.

reannalynne · May 26, 2014

Thank you! I am thawing it in cold water now and then going to rub it down for the night.

timberjet · May 26, 2014

My dad has a smoker and is scared to death of the dang thing.... I hear ya on that one. Cracks me up that thing is still shiny new inside and he has had it for over a year.

smoking b · May 26, 2014

Here is a chuck I did recently if it helps in any way at all... http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/...se-seared-steak-pulled-chuck-soda-bread-stuff It's a very simple way to do one with great results. However you decide to do it make sure you post pics for everyone to drool over & above all relax & enjoy your smoke

reannalynne · May 26, 2014

timberjet said:
My dad has a smoker and is scared to death of the dang thing.... I hear ya on that one. Cracks me up that thing is still shiny new inside and he has had it for over a year.

I think he's more afraid of how much work you have to put into it because it's an el cheapo and takes a lot of monitoring.

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