Smoked Cross Rib Chucky & Taters: Q-View

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forluvofsmoke

Smoking Guru
Original poster
OTBS Member
Aug 27, 2008
5,170
409
Hey All! It's seems like it's been a couple weeks since I've posted a smoke, so I thought I better get off my keester and get with the program! LOL!!! This smoke ended up finishing as a twist from the original plan, but came out just as tasty as I would have expected it to be. BTW, this is a double-drool alert post...I'll give you advanced warning as you browse and scroll down the page, so, no need to worry just yet...

This is another of my spur-of-the-moment recipes which I wanted to share with everyone:
smoked, cubed Cross-Rib Chuck with Red Bell Pepper Rub, along with a smoked Onion, Garlic
and Red Bell Pepper stock/broth, all combined with smoked quartered red potatoes.

The 4-1/4lb boneless cross-rib roasts were cut approx 2" thick and were placed tightly against
each other where the bone is removed. This is a typical packaging which appears to be one piece
of the roast in a flat package.

I thawed them on the counter-top covered with a towel for about 4 hours until the top was
softened approx 1/2-3/4". I continued thawing in fridge (35-36*) overnight for approx 13 hours.

I removed them from the package, trimmed the accessible connective tissues and fat (just a few
ounces) and applied my Red Bell Pepper Rub (extra coarse grind) while partially frozen and rested
for 30 minutes while preparing the smoker.

Here's the very simple and versatile rub, if your new to the RBP craze:

Red Bell Pepper Rub


½ T Black Peppercorn, rough ground

4 T dried Red Bell Pepper, rough ground

2 T Kosher Salt

1 T dried chopped Onion, rough ground

1 T dried minced Garlic


 

Smoke provided by cherry/pecan @ 200-205 with a wet pan in the Smoke Vault 24 to an internal
temp of 140*, give or take, then steamed @ 215* until relatively tender @ ~180* I/T, and rested
for 10-15 minutes before cubing and combining to finish.

Just into the Smoke Vault 24:

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I placed a 4" deep half-size steam table pan inverted over the food grate with another half-size
pan to support the grate for close-proximity steam (similar to foiling or foil-tented pan, except
keeping the meat elevated so it's away from the liquids).

Steam pan contents: 1 Tbls worcestershire sauce; 1 Tbls sesame oil; 2 tsp oyster sauce; 3 Tbls
sherry cooking wine; 1 cup water; 1 medium clove minced garlic; 1/4 cup chopped dried onion;
1/4 cup dried diced red bell pepper (note: no added salt, as the meat will add some saltiness
after it's all combined and heated through for sevral hours):

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2 hours into the smoke, I added the steam pan on the lowest grate (to catch meat drippings and get
some smoke to the pan ingredients) directly over the smoker's water pan and raised the meat grate
one position for additional clearance to reduce heat baffling:

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At 3 hours in, I inserted temp probes...124* in the larger cut and 129* in the smallest.

4.5 hours in...144* I/T on the smaller cut, with 135* in the larger cut, and I decided it's tater
time...I had weighed-out 5lbs-1oz, hand-washed in cold water, air-dried on some extra smoker grates
(Bradley) and tossed 'em in...no seasoning, oil or butter...the sauce should take care of any
additional flavoring just fine...KISS method here, if you will:

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I added 2 cups of water at a time to the steam pan as it had evaporated about 80% of the liquids I started

with, and maintained that amount every couple hours, then moved the grate directly onto the steam pan and

covered the chuckies with the second pan, bumped mid-chamber temps (cabinet therm) to 215* with the upper

chamber temp just above the taters @ 240*, and we're still smoking with cherry/pecan:

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I tooth-picked the a few of the taters of differing sizes @ 7.25 hours (2.75 for the taters), and
they were just begining to get tender, so I pulled them out to cool while the chuckies finished.

8.5 hours...I/T's sluggish...removed water pan to reduce heat baffling.

11 hours in, I/T's are 151/160*.

12.5 hours in, I/T's are 156/168*.

13.25 hours in, I/T's are 162/180*. The the largest one @ 162 was getting tender enough to yank and rest,

so out they came. I placed chuckies into pan of liquids to soak while cooling, covered with top pan and set

in 20* fridge overnight to cut-up and toss into the potatoes to heat for the finish:

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Here's your first drool alert...





Next afternoon...slicing and tossing it together cold:

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Taters still were quite firm after the smoke, which is how I wanted them...cutting revealed they needed more time as I had counted on, that worked out nicely:

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OK, I think by now, you all know where this is leading, but, just in case, here's your final DROOL ALERT!!!  ENJOY!





3 hours @ 250* to reheat and finish:

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It's strange how shooting from the hip to recover from un-forseen circumstances can make such a great meal. Mild smoke flavor in the taters, a bit stronger in the beef chuck, and with the flavors of the red bell pepper rub blend...then, when it all came together as one...man, what a marriage made in smoke heaven!

Thanks all!

Eric
 
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Thanks everyone, that made for a tasty dinner...so simple, yet, it brought rave reviews from the family. I will admit, it's a nice twist from the same ol' pulled beef chucky smoke.

Great smokes and fine eats to all!

Eric
 
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