# Rub for Beef?  Also, chip type suggestions?



## katemail13 (Nov 14, 2017)

Hi, all!  

I bought some beef loin bottom sirloin tri-tip (quite the mouthful, eh?) pieces (big pieces) at Sam's Club last week.  I have smoked lots of pork, some chicken, some fish, and even some cheese, but I have yet to smoke any beef.  

The meat is thawing in the fridge right now, and I realized I don't know what rub (if any) to prepare it with, as all the rub recipes I have are for pork, or chicken.

Also, I am not sure what type of wood chips I should be smoking with.  I almost always use hickory for pork, and mesquite for chicken, but I have branched out a bit.  I do have hickory, alder, mesquite, and apple chips currently (and I live in a small town without immediate access to other chips).  Of these, which will be best for beef?  And for the future, is there a better choice of chips for beef?

Thank you in advance of any help!

Katie


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## cjohnson3006 (Nov 14, 2017)

Hickory, alder and mesquite all go well with beef. As far as seasoning goes, a little salt, pepper and garlic powder works well and is simple. Depending on how far you want to go, you could add some paprika, cumin and a tad brown sugar. I personally don't care for a sweet beef. Good luck


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## motocrash (Nov 14, 2017)

I like to keep my beef simple and let the meat do the talkin'.First I rinse,pat dry then rub with worcestershire -not to heavy,just wet it then coarse kosher salt and course black pepper.Of the chips you have apple would be my first pick.Happy smoking and let us know how it turns out whatever you decide.

Bill


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## chef jimmyj (Nov 14, 2017)

Here are some Rub recipes. I like mesquite on beef but wife HATES even the smell, so Hickory is my next best choice...JJ

*Coffee Q Rub*

1/2C Sugar in the Raw (Turbinado)

2T Sweet Paprika (Hungarian)

2T Fine Ground Coffee

1T Kosher Salt

1T Chili Powder (contains some Cumin and Oregano) Ancho Chile is same without cumin, oregano etc.

1T Granulated Garlic

1T Granulated Onion

1T Black Pepper, more if you like

1tsp Ground Coriander

1tsp Ground Dill Seed

1/2tsp Grnd Allspice

Cayenne or Chipotle Pwd to taste, start with 1/2tsp and go from there.

*Bubba Beef Rub*

Good on anything Beef. Burgers and Steaks too!

2T Turbinado Sugar

2T Kosher Salt

2T Black Peppercorns

1T Coriander Seed

1T Dill Seed

1T Dry Minced Onion

1T Dry Minced Garlic

1T Dry Lemon Peel (optional)

1tsp Allspice Berries

1tsp Dry Thyme Leaves

3 Bay Leaves, crumbled

1-2ea Dry Whole Chipotle Chiles, stems and seeds removed or 1tsp Chipotle Powder.

Add Cayenne if more heat is desired.

All Spices are Whole and are toasted in a dry pan over Medium heat until fragrant, 1-2 minutes. The Garlic and Onion do not need to be toasted.

Let the Spices cool then Grind in a cheapo Coffee Grinder until slightly less than Coarse. Mix with the Salt and Sugar. Store in an air tight container. Makes about a Half cup...JJ

Many folks enjoy dipping their Beef in Au Jus for flavor and moisture. This recipe is made in the Smoker while a Beef Roast or Brisket is being cooked.

*Chipot-i-le Desert Dust*

1/2C Sugar in the Raw (Turbinado)

2T Sweet Paprika (Hungarian)

2T Chipotle Powder

1T Kosher Salt

1T Chili Powder (contains some Cumin and Oregano) Ancho Chile is same without cumin, oregano etc.

1T Granulated Garlic

1T Granulated Onion

1T Cocoa Powder

1tsp Black Pepper, more if you like

1tsp Thyme

1tsp Oregano

1/2tsp Grnd Allspice

Makes about 1Cup.

*Run for the Border Rub*

One for the Chili Heads!

2T Kosher Salt

2T Ancho Chile Powder

1T Chipotle Powder

1T Oregano, Mexican is preferred 

1T Gran Garlic

1T Gran Onion

1T Black Pepper

1T Cayenne

1-2tsp Gnd Cumin

1tsp Cocoa Powder

1/2tsp Cinnamon

Optional:

2T Turbinado Sugar (Sugar in the Raw)

Makes 3/4 to 1Cup Rub.

This stuff is HOT and full flavored with touch of Smokiness. Feel free to adjust the heat to your taste by playing with the amount of Chipotle and Cayenne Powder. All the ingredients are available at the Grocery Store. This stuff will also Kick Butt as the seasoning in a batch of Chili. Start with 1/2C per gallon and adjust to taste...JJ


*Smokey Au Jus*

1- Lg Onion,

4-5 Carrots,

3-4 Ribs Celery

3-4 Peeled Cloves of Garlic

Toss them in a pan under the Beef, and let the whole deal Smoke for one hour,

THEN add 4-6 Cups Beef Broth,

2 Tbs Tomato Paste,

1/2tsp Dry Thyme (4-5 sprigs Fresh)

1-2 ea Bayleaf

Finish the Smoking process to the IT you want. 

While the Roast is resting, dump the pan juices veggies and all into a 2-3Qt Sauce pot and add 1Cup Red Wine, something you like to drink, and bring the Jus to a boil, lower the heat and simmer 20-30 minutes. Strain out the veggies and let the Jus rest a minute or so for the Fat to rise. Skim off the bulk of the fat then using strips of paper towel laid on top of the Jus, drag quickly across to take off the last little bit of fat.

The purpose of Smoking the Vegetable for 1 hour before adding the Broth and Herbs is...The Smoked vegetables Roast in the Dry heat concentrating their Flavors and Sweetness giving the finished Jus a Richer, Deeper, Full Flavor.

Serve the sliced Beef Au Jus or thicken the Jus to make Gravy.

NOTE: If you are using this recipe with Brisket or a long smoke, additional Water will have to be added periodically to maintain the proper volume. Do not add more Broth as repeated addition and reduction will make the Au Jus too salty..


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## phatbac (Nov 15, 2017)

I love to smoke beef and have done lots of roasts and cuts over the years.  If I'm doing any kind of beef rib or roast often times i use Worcestershire sauce to make the rub stick (its also liquid salt) and the coat with black pepper and maybe garlic. or another route i take is to you steak seasoning. like Montreal (grill mates) or Chicago seasoning both you can get at the grocery store for a few bucks. don't use a lot if any Worcestershire sauce with the steak seasoning because those are salty too. Often times you want to take a roast to med rare or medium (my fav) so take it to 130 degrees IT to 135 IT and let rest for 30 minutes. Mesquite in my opinion is a very aggressive flavor and burns hot to if you use it go hotter and faster. hickory burns hot too but its as strong as mesquite.  Oak is a nice mellow woodsy flavor for beef as well. experiment with different ones and see which you like (try even mixing 50% apple 50% hickory).  And don't over cook your beef!

Happy Smoking,
phatbac (Aaron)


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## gmc2003 (Nov 15, 2017)

katemail13 said:


> Hi, all!
> 
> I bought some beef loin bottom sirloin tri-tip (quite the mouthful, eh?) pieces (big pieces) at Sam's Club last week.  I have smoked lots of pork, some chicken, some fish, and even some cheese, but I have yet to smoke any beef.
> 
> ...



I like a simple SPOG rub. As for chips, since you use mesquite for chicken - it seems like you favor a stronger smoke flavor.  I would suggest you continue with mesquite and try it on you beef loin. If you want to expand your tastes JJ has you covered.

Chris


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## katemail13 (Nov 15, 2017)

Thank you, everyone, for the suggestions/help!  JJ - Thank you extra for the rub recipes!  I saved them, and will try them!  The coffee Q rub sounds great!

Katie


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## chef jimmyj (Nov 16, 2017)

You are welcome...The info above is all outstanding and will give you somethings to try. Good bunch of folks here...JJ


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## tallbm (Nov 16, 2017)

gmc2003 said:


> I like a simple SPOG rub. As for chips, since you use mesquite for chicken - it seems like you favor a stronger smoke flavor.  I would suggest you continue with mesquite and try it on you beef loin. If you want to expand your tastes JJ has you covered.
> 
> Chris



The main here said it as I was planning to say it.
If you can control mesquite smoke then I honestly feel there is no other wood to use on beef... mesquite and beef cannot be beat! :)

SPOG (Salt, Pepper, Onion, and Garlic) is king in my book.  If you don't know what to seasoning or rub to use then you can never go wrong with SPOG.  I use Dehydrated/Minced Onion and it works awesome as well.  It's what Costco carries as apposed to carrying onion powder... odd aye.
Once you go SPOG you can add Paprika for pork rubs or other stuff as you like but it is the most rock solid seasoning and the base for all other good seasonings/rubs I can think of :)

Get ready to enjoy it all :)


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## katemail13 (Nov 17, 2017)

Thanks, everyone, for your replies!  Fall and winter are smoker season for me, so I am looking forward to so, so much more experimentation!  

Katie

P.S.  Here's a link to my post today, with pics of how my first beef smoke ended up!  :)

http://smokingmeatforums.com/index.php?threads/first-beef-smoke-ever.269882/


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