# Smoked Pulled Beef Chucky  (Step by Step)



## Bearcarver (Jun 25, 2015)

*Smoked Pulled Beef Chucky*

This is a New Step by Step for my collection:

Mrs Bear had a small (3.02 LB) Chuck Roast in the Kitchen Freezer, and she said she was going to thaw it out & make it in the Crockpot for Saturday’s Supper.
I dropped back from my Zone Coverage & made a Beautiful Interception for my MES 40. “Crockpot My Butt, I’m Smoking that thing!!!”

So after 2 days of thawing the following actions occurred:

*Day #1 (Prepping)*
3:00 PM————Rinse, Pat Dry, coat with Worcestershire “Thick”. Then some CBP, Sea Salt, Garlic Powder, and Onion Powder.
3:10 PM————Put Roast on a Wire Cooling Rack in a Foil Pan, cover with plastic wrap, and put in Fridge overnight.

*Day #2 (Smoking)*
8:15 AM————Preheat MES 40 to 240°, Fill 2 rows of AMNPS with Hickory Pellets, and light one end.
9:00AM————Put Panned Chucky on second rack, and my Well Lit AMNPS on the bars to left of Chip Burner.
12:00—————Wipe my clean Maverick Meat probe with alcohol pad & insert in center of Roast. Internal Temp is now 148°
12:30PM———-IT is 151°
1:00PM————IT is 153°
1:30PM————IT is 154°
2:00PM————IT is 155°
2:30PM————IT is 160°—-AMNPS burned out, so I added my Foiling Juice (See *"Note" *Below) & Foiled it 5° early, instead of my usual 165°.
3:00PM————IT is 165°
3:30PM————IT is 180°
4:00PM————IT is 194°
4:15PM————IT is 200°—-Cut heat back to 100° and open door to drop heat in Smoker down below 150° to stop cooking. Close Door.
5:00PM————IT is 208°—-Remove Chucky from smoker, take to kitchen, Uncover & take pics, Pull Chucky apart.

More Pics, make Sammies, More Pics, and Eat. MMMMmmmmmm…………..

*Also: *Drain Juice from Pan, and put in Fridge to separate over night. Next day cut around the hard fat on top & pop it off to expose Awesome Au Jus.
Then after the first day, all reheated pulled beef gets heated up with some of that Au Jus added as needed.

*Note: My Foiling Juice for this was simple:*
2 ounces of Worcestershire Sauce (Regular)
4 ounces of Apple Juice.
Stir & Nuke to at least 150° before pouring it over Roast & Covering with Double Foil.


Enjoy & Thanks for looking,

Bear

*PS:  Anyone following this Step by Step, please leave a comment at the end of this thread, and let me know how it worked for you. Thank You.*


Doing this one in a Foil Pan, but on a wire rack to allow Smoke to surround it,
and to keep it from laying in the juices:








Chucky Spiced up & Ready for an overnight rest in the fridge:







This is how I balance the heat from left to right in my MES 40.
A Maverick probe on each side, and my adjustable heat deflector below.







Chucky through the Window:







As you can see, I use electrical tape to keep the temp probes from moving inside the smoker:







Hard to see, but there is real nice TBS coming from the top vent:







Chucky fresh out of the smoker:







Pulled Chucky ready for some Sammies:







First Sammy with a little of Mrs Bear’s Simple Sauce on the roll:







Close-up of the meat for my First Sammy:







A slice of Cheese & some Hot Peppers finish this one off nicely:







Side view of the Foiling Juice from the Chucky, after removing from the fridge the next day:







The Fat in the dish & the Au Jus in the bowl, after cutting around & popping the fat off in one piece:






THE END


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## daricksta (Jun 25, 2015)

Bearcarver said:


> *Smoked Pulled Beef Chucky*
> 
> This is a New Step by Step for my collection:
> 
> ...


Why do you always make it look so easy, Bear? Because you're Bear! I read about guys here who are afraid of the brisket. I'm in fear of the Chuckie. Remember, the one time I tried smoking one it stayed on 160° IT so long that it was the first day of Spring when I started and by the time it reached 190° IT I had just opened my presents on Christmas morning. Or something like that. I never got the IT up to 200° IT and so parts of the roast were tender but on other parts the fat hadn't rendered down and the meat was still a little tough. There's more to the story but I've told it quite a few times already.

Oh, what's that mesh cover thingy over the top vent?


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## Bearcarver (Jun 25, 2015)

daRicksta said:


> Why do you always make it look so easy, Bear? Because you're Bear! I read about guys here who are afraid of the brisket. I'm in fear of the Chuckie. Remember, the one time I tried smoking one it stayed on 160° IT so long that it was the first day of Spring when I started and by the time it reached 190° IT I had just opened my presents on Christmas morning. Or something like that. I never got the IT up to 200° IT and so parts of the roast were tender but on other parts the fat hadn't rendered down and the meat was still a little tough. There's more to the story but I've told it quite a few times already.
> 
> Oh, what's that mesh cover thingy over the top vent?


Rick,

If you look closely you'll see that mine only went from 148° to 160°, from 12:00 to 2:30.

That's 12° in 2 1/2 hours.

Then I foiled it, and it went from 160° to 200°, from 2:30 to 4:15.

That's 40° in 1 3/4 hours.

That Mesh thing is an upside down SS Sink Strainer---Keeps Bugs from going in my top vent.

Here's the Link:

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/99108/bugs-the-mes

Bear


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## tropics (Jun 25, 2015)

Bear that looks great,I never tried a Chucky but if prices ever come back down on Beef I will.Thanks for sharing.

Richie


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## Bearcarver (Jun 25, 2015)

tropics said:


> Bear that looks great,I never tried a Chucky but if prices ever come back down on Beef I will.Thanks for sharing.
> 
> Richie


Thank You Richie!!

And Thank You for the Points!!

This is the first Chucky I've done in over 3 years, for that same reason!!---Too expensive.

I only did this one because Mrs Bear found it on sale for $3.59, and I Intercepted it on the way to the Crockpot.

I just couldn't let it die a Tasteless Death in the Crockpot !!!

I used to pay $1.99 a pound for these things!!!

Bear


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## daricksta (Jun 25, 2015)

Bearcarver said:


> Rick,
> 
> If you look closely you'll see that mine only went from 148° to 160°, from 12:00 to 2:30.
> 
> ...


Something went seriously wrong when I smoked a Chuckie. But on that day I had problems with the smoker that I hoped are now resolved. Oh, what the heck--I'll pick up another chuck roast at the supermarket soon and try it again. I love a really good boneless chuck roast and with that extra layer of smoky flavor, yeah, I gotta try it again.

I forgot about your post about your bug barrier. We don't get stink bugs 'round these parts. In fact, I've had zero bug problems outside of some mosquitoes flying around.


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## daricksta (Jun 25, 2015)

Bearcarver said:


> Rick,
> 
> If you look closely you'll see that mine only went from 148° to 160°, from 12:00 to 2:30.
> 
> ...


I also gotta decide on which way to spell "Chucky". Looks like I just did.


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## tumbleweed1 (Jun 25, 2015)

Very nice indeed!

I made my Mississippi Pot Roast this morning in yes, the crock pot, but other than winter time, THAT won't be happening again.

I'd like to try it next time in the smoker- in a pan.

I'll also be trying your method right here in your step-by-step, it looks incredible!

Thanks for trying to make it easy for us newbies. 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





  

TW


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## gary s (Jun 25, 2015)

Wow !!! I know I sound like a broken record, But  ---- "Another home run for the Bear" and another great Step by Step,    Great job Buddy  Looks mighty tasty.

Points to you   
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





Gary


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## WaterinHoleBrew (Jun 25, 2015)

Nice interception Bear !  Glad there was no pass interference !   :biggrin:    Looks like ya got the ball (chucky) & got a pick six to me my friend, very tasty lookin smoke !


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## dukeburger (Jun 25, 2015)

Beauty sammy!!

Will have to try this one


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## Bearcarver (Jun 26, 2015)

Tumbleweed1 said:


> Very nice indeed!
> 
> I made my Mississippi Pot Roast this morning in yes, the crock pot, but other than winter time, THAT won't be happening again.
> 
> ...


Thank You TW !!

And Thanks for the Point !!

Darn--I wish I'd have gotten this posted a day or two earlier.

Oh well---Next time!!

Bear


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## pc farmer (Jun 26, 2015)

Great job Bear.

That sammie looks awesome.


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## Bearcarver (Jun 26, 2015)

gary s said:


> Wow !!! I know I sound like a broken record, But  ---- "Another home run for the Bear" and another great Step by Step,    Great job Buddy  Looks mighty tasty.
> 
> Points to you
> 
> ...


Thank You Gary!!

Bear


WaterinHoleBrew said:


> Nice interception Bear ! Glad there was no pass interference !
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thanks Justin!!

And I did this without letting any air out of that Chucky!!

Bear

And Thanks for the Points Guys!!


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## Bearcarver (Jun 26, 2015)

DukeBurger said:


> Beauty sammy!!
> 
> Will have to try this one


Thanks Duke!!

And Thanks for the Point !!

Bear


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## Bearcarver (Jun 27, 2015)

c farmer said:


> Great job Bear.
> 
> That sammie looks awesome.


Thank You Adam!!

And Thanks for the Point.

Bear


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## floridasteve (Jun 27, 2015)

Question:  why did you cook the roast in the pan?  I've done a few chuckies, but always placed them on the rack with a pan on the next rack down to catch the juices.  Just wondering -- trying to learn ;-)


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## Bearcarver (Jun 27, 2015)

FloridaSteve said:


> Question: why did you cook the roast in the pan? I've done a few chuckies, but always placed them on the rack with a pan on the next rack down to catch the juices. Just wondering -- trying to learn ;-)


I've done them a bunch of ways:

On a rack in the open until 165°---Then Wrap in foil with juice.

On a Rack with a pan on the next rack to catch drips until 165°---Then add juice & cover.

Then one time I tested using a pan with a Prime Rib, and I found that if you put it on a wire cooling rack in the pan:

#1   You still allow smoke to get all around the meat. 

#2   The meat does't lay in the juices.

#3   You only have to clean one rack, and that's just smoke, because the meat didn't lay on it.

#4   The pan does't get holes in it & leak, like I've had happen with just wrapping with foil.

#5   It's already in the pan when it comes time to add juice & cover it at 165°.

Bear


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## floridasteve (Jun 27, 2015)

Thanks, Bear.  I'll try it that way.  As long as it gets a good smoke penetration color, it does sound like the way to go.  And I've notices several in Pitmasters putting their meat in pans.


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## Bearcarver (Jun 27, 2015)

FloridaSteve said:


> Thanks, Bear. I'll try it that way. As long as it gets a good smoke penetration color, it does sound like the way to go. And I've notices several in Pitmasters putting their meat in pans.


Didn't mention reason #1.

With less washing needed, it keeps my Dishwasher Happy----Got her over 46 years ago!!

Bear


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## floridasteve (Jun 27, 2015)

Bearcarver said:


> Didn't mention reason #1.
> With less washing needed, it keeps my Dishwasher Happy----Got her over 46 years ago!!
> 
> 
> Bear



You're lucky.  Mine stopped working after 6 months.  Just makes a groweling noise.


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## Bearcarver (Jun 28, 2015)

FloridaSteve said:


> You're lucky. Mine stopped working after 6 months. Just makes a growling noise.


LOL---Good Answer!!

Bear


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## bdskelly (Jun 28, 2015)

Howdy! I've been traveling and just Catching up on posts today.  Awesome some as usual John!  Nicely done.








Question... What is that screen gizmo you have placed on the vent of your MES? 

Brian


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## Bearcarver (Jun 28, 2015)

BDSkelly said:


> Howdy! I've been traveling and just Catching up on posts today.  Awesome some as usual John!  Nicely done.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thank You Brian!!!

And Thanks for the Point !

That Mesh thing is an upside down SS Sink Strainer---Keeps Bugs from going in my top vent.

Here's the Link:

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/99108/bugs-the-mes

Bear


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## daricksta (Jun 29, 2015)

Bearcarver said:


> Rick,
> 
> If you look closely you'll see that mine only went from 148° to 160°, from 12:00 to 2:30.
> 
> ...


Thanks to your reposting of your step by step, I'll be trying my 2nd chucky in two weeks. I'll download and print out your step by step to use for reference.


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## Bearcarver (Jun 30, 2015)

daRicksta said:


> Thanks to your reposting of your step by step, I'll be trying my 2nd chucky in two weeks. I'll download and print out your step by step to use for reference.


Thanks Rick!!

This isn't actually a Repost. This is a completely NEW Step by Step, and it might be an easier one to follow, because my other 2 Chucky Step by Steps in my Index are from 2010 and 2011, and I think I got better at covering all the details since then.

Bear


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## daricksta (Jun 30, 2015)

Bearcarver said:


> Thanks Rick!!
> 
> This isn't actually a Repost. This is a completely NEW Step by Step, and it might be an easier one to follow, because my other 2 Chucky Step by Steps in my Index are from 2010 and 2011, and I think I got better at covering all the details since then.
> 
> Bear


Thanks for letting me know. Just to make it easier for me to find I bookmarked the page so I can refer to it in a couple of weeks.


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## smokin218r (Jun 30, 2015)

Dang that looks good!

I have dropped the ball and let a couple of chuckys die in the crock pot at the hands of others.

I still have a few in the freezer fortunately.


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## daricksta (Jun 30, 2015)

Smokin218R said:


> Dang that looks good!
> 
> I have dropped the ball and let a couple of chuckys die in the crock pot at the hands of others.
> 
> I still have a few in the freezer fortunately.


My wife and I each have become adept at cooking chuck roasts in Crock Pots and Dutch ovens. I've found that sometimes you bring home a boneless chuck roast that looks really good in the package but fails to fully render during cooking and so it still comes out a little tough. I've never understood how that happens but a supermarket butcher once showed me how to choose a good brisket. Some parts of the shoulder are better than others.


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## Bearcarver (Jun 30, 2015)

Smokin218R said:


> Dang that looks good!
> 
> I have dropped the ball and let a couple of chuckys die in the crock pot at the hands of others.
> 
> I still have a few in the freezer fortunately.


You have to set up a good Zone Defense right in front of the Crockpot !!!
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





Bear


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## smokin218r (Jun 30, 2015)

Or....













CrockPotPreview.jpg



__ smokin218r
__ Jun 30, 2015


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## Bearcarver (Jun 30, 2015)

LOL----Crockpots are great for keeping Meat warm at Picnics---After they have been Smoked in a Smoker.

Bear


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## ricka77 (Jul 3, 2015)

This just makes me want to go to sleep now and wake up tomorrow so I can get my Chucky going faster...  I'll follow most of the same step, but I will add in pre-running the night before, give me something to do later...other than make smoked burgers for dinner tonight.  I use a foil pan as well, and a perforated pan sits just right on top without falling through.

I'm going for a 3-4# as well, whatever I can find at the store...  I'll do some Q-view and post up my results from tomorrow on Sunday...


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## Bearcarver (Jul 3, 2015)

Ricka77 said:


> This just makes me want to go to sleep now and wake up tomorrow so I can get my Chucky going faster...  I'll follow most of the same step, but I will add in pre-running the night before, give me something to do later...other than make smoked burgers for dinner tonight.  I use a foil pan as well, and a perforated pan sits just right on top without falling through.
> 
> I'm going for a 3-4# as well, whatever I can find at the store...  I'll do some Q-view and post up my results from tomorrow on Sunday...


Thank You Ricka!!

And Thanks for the Points!!

Have an Awesome 4th!!

Bear


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## dukeburger (Jul 25, 2015)

Diving into this one tomorrow for a nice Sunday dinner with some ChefJJ's Smokey Au Jus. Keep an eye out!

Hope it looks half as good as yours does!


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## Bearcarver (Jul 25, 2015)

DukeBurger said:


> Diving into this one tomorrow for a nice Sunday dinner with some ChefJJ's Smokey Au Jus. Keep an eye out!
> 
> Hope it looks half as good as yours does!


Thanks Again Duke!!

I'll be watching---Don't let me miss it !!!

Bear


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## oldschoolbbq (Jul 25, 2015)

Nice , Bear . I always enjoy your post . The Q-view is clear and has vivid color , makes me want to eat the screen.
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





Have fun , my friend , see ya in the smoke.

Stan


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## Bearcarver (Jul 26, 2015)

oldschoolbbq said:


> Nice , Bear . I always enjoy your post . The Q-view is clear and has vivid color , makes me want to eat the screen.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thank You Much, Stan!!

I Appreciate the Kind Words!!

Good to see ya!!!

Bear


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## scvinegarpepper (Oct 8, 2015)

Hey Bear, looking good as always! I hate to resurrect an old thread, but I love that square wire rack you got. Where did you find a square one and about what are the measurements? That thing fits perfectly in that disposable pan. Gotta get on the Amazon and find me one! Might do my first chuckie this weekend.


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## daricksta (Oct 8, 2015)

I still fear the Chucky. I've only tried smoking one once and it was a nightmare. But I plan to get back on that horse and ride it victory, most likely next summer. I don't do much smoking during the winter.


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## Bearcarver (Oct 8, 2015)

SCVinegarPepper said:


> Hey Bear, looking good as always! I hate to resurrect an old thread, but I love that square wire rack you got. Where did you find a square one and about what are the measurements? That thing fits perfectly in that disposable pan. Gotta get on the Amazon and find me one! Might do my first chuckie this weekend.


Thank You!!

My "Old Step by Steps" are meant to be resurrected.

I call them Wire Cooling racks, but you can also find this size by typing this in a Web search "8" x 10" Half-Size Footed Draining Grate" (8" X 10" is called "Half Size")

Bear


daRicksta said:


> I still fear the Chucky. I've only tried smoking one once and it was a nightmare. But I plan to get back on that horse and ride it victory, most likely next summer. I don't do much smoking during the winter.


Actually I find Chuckies to be about 10 times easier to smoke than Briskets. They're more forgiving, similar to a Boston Butt.

Bear


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## daricksta (Oct 8, 2015)

Bearcarver said:


> Thank You!!
> 
> My "Old Step by Steps" are meant to be resurrected.
> 
> ...


You're right. A chucky should be the easiest meat in the world to cook, being a boneless chuck roast. But for some reason I chose the chuck roast from hell. It stalled at 160° for something like 10 hours. Seriously. I took it out of the smoker, put in a convection oven for awhile, put it back in the smoker and after TWO days of trying I think I got the IT up to 182° or something. I finished it off again in an oven and it STILL wound up a little tough and chewy in some places. Small little bits teased me with the tenderness that should have permeated throughout the meat.

Of course that was also the smoke where I had to contend with my MES temp shooting up to over 300° because I forgot to clean the hi-temp limit switch beforehand.


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## tumbleweed1 (Oct 8, 2015)

I need to do another chuckie.

They are wonderful.

TW


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## Bearcarver (Oct 9, 2015)

daRicksta said:


> You're right. A chucky should be the easiest meat in the world to cook, being a boneless chuck roast. But for some reason I chose the chuck roast from hell. It stalled at 160° for something like 10 hours. Seriously. I took it out of the smoker, put in a convection oven for awhile, put it back in the smoker and after TWO days of trying I think I got the IT up to 182° or something. I finished it off again in an oven and it STILL wound up a little tough and chewy in some places. Small little bits teased me with the tenderness that should have permeated throughout the meat.
> 
> Of course that was also the smoke where I had to contend with my MES temp shooting up to over 300° because I forgot to clean the hi-temp limit switch beforehand.


I remember that, and I think it was 90% the problem you were having with your smoker that caused that.

Bear


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## catfish1st (Oct 9, 2015)

Bearcarver said:


> *Smoked Pulled Beef Chucky*
> 
> This is a New Step by Step for my collection:
> 
> ...


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## Bearcarver (Oct 10, 2015)

That's Great, Catfish!!

Just give me a yell (PM) if you run into a question!

Bear


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## daricksta (Oct 11, 2015)

Bearcarver said:


> I remember that, and I think it was 90% the problem you were having with your smoker that caused that.
> 
> Bear


With the other 10% being me.

Just looked at your photos. I will indeed climb back onto that chucky saddle and ride again!


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## touchracing (May 27, 2016)

Chuck roast is one of my favorite things to smoke.  Makes for great enchiladas, tacos, chili.  I don't fret the stall with chucks.  I have foiled as low as 150 degrees if I'm in a hurry.  Still turns out great.


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## Bearcarver (May 27, 2016)

touchracing said:


> Chuck roast is one of my favorite things to smoke.  Makes for great enchiladas, tacos, chili.  I don't fret the stall with chucks.  I have foiled as low as 150 degrees if I'm in a hurry.  Still turns out great.


Yup----Good stuff, Them Chuckies!!!

Bear


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## dr k (Aug 21, 2016)

​Bear, 
I followed this recipe on technique rather than ingredients because I wanted to make poor man's burnt ends instead of pulling. I just used my rub with no other ingredients. I put the drippings in the fridge over night to separate the fat. 

I foiled over the pan at an IT of 160*F, stopped applyimg Pecan Amnps smoke and closed the vent.  I turned off the smoker when the Chuckie hit 180*F and left it inside. Over an hour and a half the Chuckie coasted up to 192*F and back down to 180*F. I cubed it at 140*F and added back the gelled drippings. I wanted try a one step smoke method instead of putting everything back in the smoker for more cooking/smoke. The rack and pan method is a great way to generate drippings for finishing sauces without soaking the meat in the juices, washing off the rub/bark. I'll have to start a new thread with a few pics I took. 
-Kurt


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## Bearcarver (Aug 21, 2016)

Dr K said:


> ​Bear,
> I followed this recipe on technique rather than ingredients because I wanted to make poor man's burnt ends instead of pulling. I just used my rub with no other ingredients. I put the drippings in the fridge over night to separate the fat.
> 
> I foiled over the pan at an IT of 160*F, stopped applyimg Pecan Amnps smoke and closed the vent. I turned off the smoker when the Chuckie hit 180*F and left it inside. Over an hour and a half the Chuckie coasted up to 192*F and back down to 180*F. I cubed it at 140*F and added back the gelled drippings. I wanted try a one step smoke method instead of putting everything back in the smoker for more cooking/smoke. *The rack and pan method is a great way to generate drippings for finishing sauces without soaking the meat in the juices, washing off the rub/bark.* I'll have to start a new thread with a few pics I took.
> -Kurt


Thanks Kurt !!

I'm glad you like that method---I use the rack in Pan now for my Prime Ribs, Chuckies, Butts, and for Double Smoking Hams for those reasons you like.

I gotta make some of those Chucky Burnt Ends too!!!---Real Soon!

BTW: Thanks for the Points.

Bear


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## bamasmoker77 (Sep 18, 2017)

Hey Bear,

Thanks for the recipe. My wife picked up three roast from Sprouts for $2.99 a lb. Best price I have seen them for around here. I followed the recipe pretty closely till I got to the wrapping part. I couldn't find the thick Worcestershire sauce in any of the stores I checked. I wound up just using the regular stuff, but gave it a good coating. Used the recommended spice rub and that worked out great. 

When I wrapped it, I put beef broth and a half bottle of Oktoberfest beer by Sam Adams in it. That also seemed to work out well taste wise. I used a low sodium broth since I was worried it might get a little salty. 

One thing I did notice and you might be able to help me with this. When I got to 205 and checked them they were still tough. I had read on a post where someone said let them go longer, so I put them back in. They got to 210 and stayed there for an hour. I checked and one was ready. The other was still tough so it went two more hours before it was fall apart tender. 

That being said, they were fantastic! My wife said it may be her new favorite. To be honest, she says that a lot when I use your recipes. lol

Thanks again!


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## Rings Я Us (Sep 18, 2017)

Bearcarver said:


> Yup----Good stuff, Them Chuckies!!!
> 
> Bear


208 works on pulled beef ribs to. 
Lol












IMG_20170913_223734.jpg



__ Rings Я Us
__ Sep 18, 2017


















IMG_20170913_231007.jpg



__ Rings Я Us
__ Sep 18, 2017





Good thread [emoji]128077[/emoji]


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## Bearcarver (Sep 18, 2017)

bamasmoker77 said:


> Hey Bear,
> 
> Thanks for the recipe. *You're very Welcome!*
> 
> ...


*Bear*


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## jokensmoken (Sep 19, 2017)

I love smoked chuck and do it as often as anything else and have experienced the same thing with it a few times...I'm not sure why...
I've had most cook in the expected time frame of 8 hours or less but had a few take as long as 12+ hours to get to that fall apart tenderness.
Makes ya go hmmm...

Walt.


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## detroitblues (Dec 1, 2017)

I found a buy one get one free for two 3lb chucks, so I'm going to try this tomorrow. I got the meat prepped, just have to wake up early to put the Chuck's on.

Am I aiming for any IT in particular, or just when it starts falling apart on a fork?

Also for you northerners, any tips on cold weather smoking?


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## Bearcarver (Dec 2, 2017)

detroitblues said:


> I found a buy one get one free for two 3lb chucks, so I'm going to try this tomorrow. I got the meat prepped, just have to wake up early to put the Chuck's on.
> 
> Am I aiming for any IT in particular, or just when it starts falling apart on a fork?
> 
> Also for you northerners, any tips on cold weather smoking?





 203°, 205° or 210°, it depends on the roast. Usually If you can keep it at 205° for awhile, it will get tender without getting the Temp any higher, but anywhere around there should be good. You obviously did real good !!  

As for cold weather, I've used 3 different MES units, and they all work better in cold weather than I do.
Wind is more of a problem than cold. Be great if you can keep it shielded from the wind, whether it's cold or warm out.
Wind can suck the heat right out of your top vent.

Bear


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## detroitblues (Dec 2, 2017)

Thanks! At 174 and going strong!


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## Bearcarver (Dec 2, 2017)

detroitblues said:


> Thanks! At 174 and going strong!



Just got here---You probably ate half & put half in the fridge by now!!
How was it?

Bear


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## detroitblues (Dec 3, 2017)

bearcarver said:


> Just got here---You probably ate half & put half in the fridge by now!!
> How was it?
> 
> Bear


It was good. I was surprised how much faster one cooked than the other of the same size!

I think I should have rested the second one longer. It was delicious but not as tender as the first. But I had more people to feed so I rushed it a bit.


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## Bearcarver (Dec 3, 2017)

detroitblues said:


> It was good. I was surprised how much faster one cooked than the other of the same size!
> 
> I think I should have rested the second one longer. It was delicious but not as tender as the first. But I had more people to feed so I rushed it a bit.




That's Great, I'm sure All Loved it.
That difference between the 2 is why we don't like to tell people how "Long" it takes to smoke a Roast, and answer, "We go by Temp, not Time.

Bear


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## jonrw70 (Dec 3, 2017)

I have wanted to do a chuck roast for a while, going thru the forum I started seeing pictures so I pulled the trigger and bought the one.  Here in Rochester, Wegmans has them for $5.29/lb.  Butcher was closed.  Thanks for the step by step to help me out !!


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## petehalsted (Dec 26, 2017)

Continuing my 2nd day of Christmas smoking. When I saw Bear's chuckies, I definitely wanted to try one. 

I was undecided if I wanted to do Chucky burnt ends or pulled beef. This chucky was tied by the butcher making it a denser/thicker roast, so I decided it would be better for pulled beef.

I prepped mine with a rub down of regular Whoosy sauce (love that word Bear!), since I didn't have any thick, and my Dirty Dalmatian Rub, which is my go to for Beef (Cracked Pepper, Kosher Salt, Lemon Pepper), and in to the fridge for about 12 hours.

Man did this thing stall!!! I always swore to myself, I would never be that guy posting a panicked stall post, but I came pretty darn close. Sorry I wasn't writing down times, so not sure how long or when the stall was, but it stalled at 157 and dropped all the way back to 152 before starting to climb again, I am sure the fact it was tied, contributed to the long stall. I crutch my brisket at 150, so I have never hit the stall. I will say that long stall gave this chucky a bark to die for!

I foiled at 165 with Whoosy sauce and apple cider, I didn't measure, just dumped in what I felt was close to Bears quantities. Unfortunately I did a really bad job of foiling, so I didn't much liquid gold as you can see in the photos. 

One last nod to Bear, man starting to feel like his publicist with this post, since this was the last think in the MES 30, I did as Bear described and just shut if off, opened the door until temp fell to 150, closed it and let it rest about 1 1/2 hours. Sure was nice to not mess with cooler and her Momma complain about having to wash towels.

Momma, liked it, I do 90% of the cooking, but here roasted chucky is the one thing that the family ask her to do instead of me. But I think more chuckies will make it to the smoker now that she has tried this. She isn't a fan of my Dirty Dalmatian (Pepper is "spicy" for her) but once mixed into the pulled beef, she was okay with it, and I was able to steal some nice pieces of bark before I pulled it.







Heading into the fridge










Not sure which of these is technically the "money shot"? 

As mentioned notice I have probably less than a cup and a half of liquid gold :-( 
I will make damn sure I do a better foil job next time, or I might just foil in a pan and get lazy. What's everyone's thoughts on that? Wrap in foil, or in a pan foiled?


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## Bearcarver (Dec 26, 2017)

petehalsted said:


> Continuing my 2nd day of Christmas smoking. When I saw Bear's chuckies, I definitely wanted to try one.
> 
> I foiled at 165 with Whoosy sauce and apple cider, I didn't measure, just dumped in what I felt was close to Bears quantities. Unfortunately I did a really bad job of foiling, so I didn't much liquid gold as you can see in the photos.
> 
> ...




Glad you liked it, Pete!!
I find the best way is to do like I showed in this Step by Step, and put the roast on a wire cooling rack, in a Foil Pan.
Then when 165° comes around, just cover the whole thing, leaving it in the pan just the way it is, and pour your Foiling juices right over it before wrapping.

Bear


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## smoking in ft. collins (Apr 13, 2018)

I have 2 chuckies that I plan on smoking tomorrow.  They are both about 3.25 lbs.  I am using a Green Mountain Grill with 2 additional ANPS with Competition Blend and Hickory pellets.  Wish me luck!


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## Bearcarver (Apr 14, 2018)

smoking in ft. collins said:


> I have 2 chuckies that I plan on smoking tomorrow.  They are both about 3.25 lbs.  I am using a Green Mountain Grill with 2 additional ANPS with Competition Blend and Hickory pellets.  Wish me luck!




That's Great !!
Luck be with you!
All I can add is to be sure to get it to 205° IT, or at least over 200° for an hour or so.
There is an area within the Chucky, near the center, but toward one end that is very hard to pull if it isn't taken high enough & long enough.
Let me know how it works for you!!

Bear


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## smoking in ft. collins (Apr 14, 2018)

bearcarver said:


> That's Great !!
> Luck be with you!
> All I can add is to be sure to get it to 205° IT, or at least over 200° for an hour or so.
> There is an area within the Chucky, near the center, but toward one end that is very hard to pull if it isn't taken high enough & long enough.
> ...


Well I started at 8 this morning.  Put the chuckies on (3.25lbs each) at 240* and lit up the Smoke Tubes.  Well it is now 2 PM and they are only in the 130's!  I was planning on a 5:30 serve time!


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## smoking in ft. collins (Apr 14, 2018)

smoking in ft. collins said:


> Well I started at 8 this morning.  Put the chuckies on (3.25lbs each) at 240* and lit up the Smoke Tubes.  Well it is now 2 PM and they are only in the 130's!  I was planning on a 5:30 serve time!


So it is now 3PM and both Chuck Roasts are sitting at 139*.  They have been on for almost 7 hours.  I am now putting contingency plans in place for dinner.  Looks like pulled chuckies for tomorrow.


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## Bearcarver (Apr 14, 2018)

smoking in ft. collins said:


> So it is now 3PM and both Chuck Roasts are sitting at 139*.  They have been on for almost 7 hours.  I am now putting contingency plans in place for dinner.  Looks like pulled chuckies for tomorrow.



I'm thinking maybe your Therms are wrong.
Below is another Chucky Smoke I did, and this one was 2 Chuckies at once, and you can see it didn't take near as long as yours are taking. I would just struggle through it & before next time, check your Therms for accuracy.

Here's that Twin Chuckies Smoke:
*Twin Chuckies*


Bear


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## smoking in ft. collins (Apr 14, 2018)

bearcarver said:


> I'm thinking maybe your Therms are wrong.
> Below is another Chucky Smoke I did, and this one was 2 Chuckies at once, and you can see it didn't take near as long as yours are taking. I would just struggle through it & before next time, check your Therms for accuracy.
> 
> Here's that Twin Chuckies Smoke:
> ...


Well I am not sure what the problem is.  

I have a Maverick that is showing both around 145* and an instant on thermometer that says 145* =- 1 or 2*.  I have a probe inside the cabinet of the grill and it reads 260*.  The temp is set on the grill at 250* so it is not off too much.  I am at 8 hours and the chuckies are not even to wrapping temp yet.

My backup plan is in motion.  I have the offset smoker going to make a tri-tip in time for my guests.  Just disappointing that this didn't work out.


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## Bearcarver (Apr 14, 2018)

I don't know which smoker you have, but with my MES, I keep my Maverick probe about 3" from the meat.
That's close enough to measure the Temp the meat is in, but not so close that in the beginning the cold meat affects the Temp reading.

Also:  You've been in the smoke long enough that you don't have to wait for a higher Internal Temp before you Pan it & wrap it.

I'm glad you have a good backup plan!!

Bear


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## smoking in ft. collins (Apr 14, 2018)

My smoker is a Green Mountain Grill pellet smoker. At 8PM they each reached 205*. 11:45 hours total. Haven’t pulled them yet but will post some pics when I do.


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## Bearcarver (Apr 15, 2018)

smoking in ft. collins said:


> My smoker is a Green Mountain Grill pellet smoker. At 8PM they each reached 205*. 11:45 hours total. Haven’t pulled them yet but will post some pics when I do.



So you ended up about 6 hours longer than you thought.
I would check those Therm probes in some boiling water. I think maybe you aren't cooking as hot as it's telling you it is.
How did it pull?? How does it taste?? Is it moist enough?

Bear


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## smoking in ft. collins (Apr 15, 2018)

bearcarver said:


> So you ended up about 6 hours longer than you thought.
> I would check those Therm probes in some boiling water. I think maybe you aren't cooking as hot as it's telling you it is.
> How did it pull?? How does it taste?? Is it moist enough?
> 
> Bear


Actually it was 3 hours longer than I planned.  Once 5PM rolled around, my guests showed up so I moved it into the oven and let it go at 240* until it hit 205*.  Took about 3 more hours at that point (IT was about 150-160* each).

I pulled it last night and took a taste and it is delicious so I am not unhappy with the result, just the timing.

The tri-tip was delicious and lunch today is going to be awesome!

John


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## Bearcarver (Apr 15, 2018)

OOOPS---Brain fart---I took it from 5:30 to 11:45, instead of to 8 PM.  Duh......

Well, I would still think there's a Therm problem---Either bad probe, or your positioning of the probe wasn't near enough to the meat.

However if the Therms check out OK, next time plan on getting it done 3 or 4 hours earlier, because you can always hold it for a few hours in a cooler until time to eat.

At least the Results were good & Tastes good.

Bear


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## jokensmoken (Apr 15, 2018)

Personally, I've had vast differences in time with my chuckies.
I do them quite often and as with most larger hunks-o- meat...its done when it's done.
I've had some finish in 6-7 hours and a couple take upwards of 12...
I've been smoking going on 10 years and trust my equipment and technique.
No real rhyme or reason...

Walt.


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## Bearcarver (Apr 15, 2018)

jokensmoken said:


> Personally, I've had vast differences in time with my chuckies.
> I do them quite often and as with most larger hunks-o- meat...its done when it's done.
> I've had some finish in 6-7 hours and a couple take upwards of 12...
> I've been smoking going on 10 years and trust my equipment and technique.
> ...




Yup, I know what you mean.
However in this case he put the Chuckies in at 8 AM, and at 3 PM (7 hours later) it was just coming out of the Danger Zone at 139°.
No Stall involved below 139°. I still believe you can't actually be at 240°, and only get to 139° in 7 hours.

Bear


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## jokensmoken (Apr 15, 2018)

Yeah bear. I'd have to agree in that scenario.
7 hours at 240° should have had him well into "stall" temps.
I might guess his pit temp was  considerably lower than 240°.

Walt.


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## jetsknicks1 (Apr 16, 2018)

Awesome, as usual Bear. Point!


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## Bearcarver (Apr 16, 2018)

jetsknicks1 said:


> Awesome, as usual Bear. Point!




Thank You Jetsknicks!!
And Thanks for the Like.

Bear


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## chopsaw (Apr 23, 2018)

Trying this one today . Be back when it's done .


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## jokensmoken (Apr 23, 2018)

Let us know how it turns out.  Personally smoked chuck is one of my favorites (I've done dozens) and I'm always interested in more info.

Walt


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## chopsaw (Apr 23, 2018)

jokensmoken said:


> Let us know how it turns out.  Personally smoked chuck is one of my favorites (I've done dozens) and I'm always interested in more info.
> 
> Walt


I sure will . Just learned that my suspicion of my TP-20 is justified . Bad probe . After I juiced and foiled , I T dropped to 138 ( that was the reading ) Then read 170 .  thought it was on the climb . Got busy , just looked . 162 ,,, went outside , I could tell by the smell it was ready . Instant read ,,, 210 , 211 went in with no effort .  On the counter with a towel over it . Hope I didn't dry it out .  Still foiled , but this thing smells fantastic . Post results later .


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## chopsaw (Apr 23, 2018)

This is Fantastic ! I tried this once before and didn't cook it long enough . Bear , once again ,,, good guide line to go by . I followed this one to the letter but my foil sauce was beef broth worsey and red wine . Thats what I had .


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## jokensmoken (Apr 24, 2018)

chopsaw said:


> This is Fantastic ! I tried this once before and didn't cook it long enough . Bear , once again ,,, good guide line to go by . I followed this one to the letter but my foil sauce was beef broth worsey and red wine . Thats what I had .
> View attachment 361683
> View attachment 361684





chopsaw said:


> This is Fantastic ! I tried this once before and didn't cook it long enough . Bear , once again ,,, good guide line to go by . I followed this one to the letter but my foil sauce was beef broth worsey and red wine . Thats what I had .
> View attachment 361683
> View attachment 361684


Looks pretty darn good from here.
How was the texture...curious how much over shooting the temp effected it.
I turned a butt roast to mush once by over cooking...the taste was spot on but it was almost like "meat pudding" lol...
I really appreciate Bears recipes and step by steps and refrence them often.  He always recommends wooshey sauce with his chuck which I really like but I tend to be partial to A-1 steak sauce...very similar results.  And chef JJ has an au jus recipe for brisket that's pretty awesome with chuckies too.
The combined experience and recipe base here is amazing.

Walt.


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## chopsaw (Apr 24, 2018)

jokensmoken said:


> How was the texture...curious how much over shooting the temp effected it.


It was perfect . A small part of the end was a little dry , but the rest was spot on . Not mushy at all . My sandwich was meat and bun . Didn't need anything else .


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## Bearcarver (Apr 24, 2018)

chopsaw said:


> This is Fantastic ! I tried this once before and didn't cook it long enough . Bear , once again ,,, good guide line to go by . I followed this one to the letter but my foil sauce was beef broth worsey and red wine . Thats what I had .



Oh Yeah!!
Looks Great Rich!
Glad it worked good for you!

Bear


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## mneeley490 (Aug 6, 2018)

I've been in the mood for some pulled beef for a while, and Winco had chuckies for $2.98 lb this week.
I'm going by Bear's instructions, with a couple of minor differences.
One, I didn't have a small enough rack to fit inside the pan, so I'm holding it up with some celery ribs instead.
Two, I again used Thick & Hearty A-1 instead of thick worcestershire, which I cannot find here.
And three, I bought a little, 2nd-hand Smokin' It model 1 recently, that I've been wanting to try out. (First chunk of pecan combusted and shot the temp up early on. 2nd try with a chunk of sugar maple partially covered in foil went much better.)
Anywho, including fooling around with the wood, my 4.5 lb chuckie hit 165° in a little over 4 hours. It's foiled now with the apple juice & worcestershire, and cruising right along.
Pics!











1 can of beer to the left of the element, for moisture.






Here it is at 165°.


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## mneeley490 (Aug 6, 2018)

Hmmm. Foiled at 165°, and the IT hit 210° about 1 hour & 15 minutes later. That seems pretty quick. Anyway it is in the cooler, wrapped in towels for now.


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## petehalsted (Aug 6, 2018)

mneeley490, that is one hunk of a Chuck roast, I am aniously awaiting your final results, as I have had my chuckie battles of late.


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## Bearcarver (Aug 6, 2018)

Sounds Great MN !!
All Lea & Perrins did was change the name from "Worcestershire Thick" to "Lea & Perrins Bold & Spicy Steak Sauce".
It's the exact same stuff.

Bear


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## mneeley490 (Aug 7, 2018)

Okay, my phone finally got around to sending the pics to my computer.

Here it is done. Once again, the lighting in my kitchen sucks. It looked much more appetizing than this.












Plated with some bbq sauce.






It was not tough, came out with about the same consistency as my pulled pork. Flavor was very good, and there was enough bark to give it some texture. I'd definitely go this route again. Thanks again, Bear, for another great recipe.


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## petehalsted (Aug 7, 2018)

Looks pretty good from here, bad lighting or not!


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## Bearcarver (Aug 7, 2018)

Oh Yeah!!
Gotta Love Pulled Beef Sammies!!
Nice Job MN!!

Bear


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## chopsaw (Aug 7, 2018)

Came out good . Once you get it figured out , it's hard not to do them like that .


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## dan the mano (Aug 7, 2018)

Bearcarver said:


> *Smoked Pulled Beef Chucky*
> 
> This is a New Step by Step for my collection:
> 
> ...


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## dan the mano (Aug 7, 2018)

*Day #1 (Prepping)*
3:00 PM————Rinse, Pat Dry, coat with Worcestershire “Thick”. Then some CBP, Sea Salt, Garlic Powder, and Onion Powder.
3:10 PM————Put Roast on a Wire Cooling Rack in a Foil Pan, cover with plastic wrap, and put in Fridge overnight.

 wow does that ever look good ... i gotta try that for sure , i just a quick question here for you .. just so i understand , while adding your CBP, what which is that , i mean i understand the sea salt garlic powder and onion powder , just not sure of the first one, then you say thick Worcester sauce , ive only ever saw the thin stuff . 

 again wow that sure looks good , i really like how you showed and talked about the times too . 
 thank you very much


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## petehalsted (Aug 7, 2018)

I ain't Bear but

CBP = Coarse Black Pepper
Thick Worcester has been renamed to Bold Steak Sauce


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## Bearcarver (Aug 7, 2018)

dan the mano said:


> *Day #1 (Prepping)*
> 3:00 PM————Rinse, Pat Dry, coat with Worcestershire “Thick”. Then some CBP, Sea Salt, Garlic Powder, and Onion Powder.
> 3:10 PM————Put Roast on a Wire Cooling Rack in a Foil Pan, cover with plastic wrap, and put in Fridge overnight.
> 
> ...




Thank You Dan!!
CBP = Black Pepper (Crushed, Cracked, or whatever you want to call it).
Lea & Perrins used to sell a "Thick" Worcestershire Sauce.
They still sell it, but they changed the name to "Lea & Perrins Bold & Spicy Steak Sauce". Same stuff, under different name.

As for showing the details in my Smokes,
I do that with all my "Step by Steps":
Just click on *"Bear's Step by Steps"*.

Bear


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## Njpmoose (Apr 25, 2020)

I got a prime chuck For the same price as a choice cut. I put mine in at 10:00 and it was done at 1:00 cooking at 250. I foiled at165. Does prime take that much less time? Oh yeah, mine was 2.6 pounds.


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## Bearcarver (Apr 26, 2020)

Njpmoose said:


> I got a prime chuck For the same price as a choice cut. I put mine in at 10:00 and it was done at 1:00 cooking at 250. I foiled at165. Does prime take that much less time? Oh yeah, mine was 2.6 pounds.




I have heard that, because of the Marbling, but from me it's only Hearsay.
I never bought anything Prime, because I never saw a Good price on anything Prime.

Bear


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## fMD87 (Jun 25, 2020)

Great post and thread! I recently cooked a few chucks and they were amazing. I have a few questions if you could help...

I pulled one at 195 and left the other to go to 205. The one at 195 was more tender. Is there a point when we can overcook it and make it rubbery or will it just start tasting like pot roast?

I noticed your turned your smoker off before you hit final temp. I assume this is from the carryover cooling. Is there any good way to assume what final temp will be after pulling the meat off the smoker?

Any experience with cooking these like a medium rare roast?

Thank you!


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## Bearcarver (Jun 25, 2020)

fMD87 said:


> Great post and thread! I recently cooked a few chucks and they were amazing. I have a few questions if you could help...
> 
> I pulled one at 195 and left the other to go to 205. The one at 195 was more tender. Is there a point when we can overcook it and make it rubbery or will it just start tasting like pot roast?
> 
> ...




#1.  Chuckies tend to vary in toughness on their own, which was probably why your Chuck pulled @ 195° was more tender than the one pulled at 205°.

#2.  I cut the heat back when I'm happy with where it is, and I don't want it to keep cooking. I don't shut it off completely, because I want my digital read-outs to still be working.
And When I Smoke at temps below 240° I usually only get a carry-over of 5° or 6°, and when smoking at 220°, only about 2° or 3° carry-over.

The only way I would cook a Chucky to medium Rare would be Sous Vide @ 132° for about 48 hours. Comes out more Tender than Prime Rib.
Link:
Chucky 50 hours. (By Far My Best Tender Sliced Chucky)


Bear


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## Princeau99 (Dec 5, 2020)

Bearcarver said:


> The only way I would cook a Chucky to medium Rare would be Sous Vide @ 132° for about 48 hours. Comes out more Tender than Prime Rib.
> Link:
> Chucky 50 hours. (By Far My Best Tender Sliced Chucky)


I've done the 50 hour at 132 and it was great! Currently have a 3 pounder in fridge. After following this thread  I'm just curious, which is your favorite method?


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## Bearcarver (Dec 6, 2020)

Princeau99 said:


> I've done the 50 hour at 132 and it was great! Currently have a 3 pounder in fridge. After following this thread  I'm just curious, which is your favorite method?




OK---You're actually comparing the wrong ones:
If you're comparing this Smoked Chuck for "Pulled Beef", you have to compare it with this SV Chuck---Pulled Beef Chuck Roast 
And on those 2, if I was younger & in better shape, I would prefer the one I did in the Smoker, but the shape I'm in steers me directly to the SV Pulled Chuck @ 165° for 30 hours.

That one @ 132° for 48 or 50 hours is not for Pulled Beef. It turns a Chucky into Beef similar to "Prime Rib".

Bear


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