# Opinion: Best cut of beef for pulled beef



## gruelurks

Ok, I've got the hang of pork butt. Now the wife is asking for smoked, pulled beef. I searched the forum and the stickys for the best advice, but was inconclusive. What do you all feel is the best cut for tender pulled beef similar to pork? I am all ears for a finishing sauce too.

Thanks!
Mick


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## desertlites

I would have to say brisket-foiled and cooler before pull-save the drippings and make an a-jus


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## capt dan

My vote would be for a  chuck roll or shoulder clod!Lotsa flavor and smoke them just like a butt! If done right, they will pull just as easy.


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## bbq engineer

Pass me the Chuck. Love pulling them just like pulled pork. They are much like a brisket, but for me and Mrs. Engineer, a more manageable size. I love open faced hot roast beef sandwiches but using the smoked chuck on some bread, layer on the mashed taters, and then hit it with some mushroom gravy...dang, I'm making myself hungry! Here is a pic of some pulled chuckie that I recently smoked.


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## fire it up

I would have to say chuck.  Chuck or brisket but if forced to choose one I guess chuck.
Just did a chuckie for Italian beef yesterday (have to post the final pics) and it was phenomenal.


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## bigsteve

Chuck or Brisket?  What a choice, kinda like chooseing between Ginger or Maryanne.


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## fire it up

I like to wet age my brisket so I guess that would be more like Mrs. Howell...


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## mossymo

The very best cut (choice) would be both Ginger and Maryanne -Rib Roast. But in the meat department I would settle for a Mrs. (Lovey) Howell - Chuck Roast. That will be your best bang for the buck.


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## ronp

CHUCK ROAST for sure. Find a nice marbled one and it will be the closest thing to a butt. Briskets are too grainy and dry by comparison, but then that's only me.


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## forluvofsmoke

I've had very good results with the chuck. I asked the folks here if it would pull well and I got alot of "go for it" in response. It's not too spendy and enough interior fat like a pork butt...great combination.

Shoot for 203~205* I/T. I brase after 170* to finished temp and rest.

Eric


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## pops6927

The chuck on beef is equivalent to the butt on pork.  Brisket is great with the flat sliced and the tip pulled, but the chuck is better all around.


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## deltadude

I've only done a few chuck roasts, I think if its going to pull depends on the fat content, more fat better pull.  I just did two on Tuesday one about 3.5 lbs the other around 5 lbs.  I smoked them both at 225, the smaller one I took off after about 6 1/4 hrs at 195 (It was dinner time had to eat something), the larger one at 7 1/4 hrs at 215.  Neither were as tender fall apart as a pork shoulder, but they where very Knife tender like cutting almost through butter.  One might say I could have left them on a little longer.  I think I foiled too late, may have toughened them a bit.

As for sauce.  I have stated before I use lots of Cattlemans, so for the roast when I foiled I used about 1/4 cup of drip juice from water pan, and thus when I opened the foil the meat juices plus drip juice made a nice Au Jus, so I go 50/50 Au Jus mixed with Cattlemans, so there is a nice smokey beef flavor to the bbq sauce.  The sandwiches weren't pulled beef, they were super tender sliced with bbq sauce and were Yum...


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## meandmytwodogs

I have to vote for Chuck Roast on this one too. The flavor is much better than brisket too imho.

Dave


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## iadubber

I use chucks whenever I want pulled beef. Usually can get it pretty cheap and it has great flavor and a nice fat content.


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## rivet

"I'm with you fellers..."  chuck roast here!


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## pignit

Yep.... definitly the chuck roast. Do them just like the pork and they are excellent. For me... it's hard not to cure a brisket and make strammi. I'd almost feel like I wasted one to try and cook it to pull. But.... the bottom line is your gonna have to try both to see which one you like the best. Around here whole brisket is cheaper than chuck. I find chuck on sale and stock up cause I know I'm gonna need some pulled beef in the fridge.


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## gruelurks

Thank you all for the replies. I am going to practice a couple chucks next week and see what happens. We're having a bbq/pinball party here in September to close out the summer, and some guests are adverse to pork. Beef is good all around so I wanted to try that for a change.


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## richoso1

What he said about chuck roast.


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## danbury

Chuck roast for the win, for me.


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## hemi

Around here The brisket is a rare bird , in central NC anyhow. Sam's Club
and Walmart are pretty good at stocking a packer cut or two but the 
most common brisket is cured brisket.  I can find good lookin Chuck roasts
at food lion or iga for 1.79 or so. And the Chuck don't take as long to cook and as tender as U want it to be with the least effort and maybe a bit 
more forgiving.  at least in my experience anyhow..  Chuck fer ME !!
   Hemi.


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## bigsteve

The responses surprised me.  With so many folks making so much Brisket regulary here, I assumed Brisket would be the over all favorite response.


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## 9manfan

I've gotta go with the chuck, brisket was good also, but my vote goes to the chuck,,,


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## earache_my_eye

He did ask which cut is better for PULLED beef...;)

A brisket's tough to beat for slicing and burnt ends, tho...


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## fishawn

Shred the Chuckie!


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## btircuit

It's odd that I was pulling a 10 lbs. brisket from my new BB GOSM tonight when I ran across this thread. It smoked for 14 hrs until 196 internal then I just finished rapping/resting. The smell is filling the house and it's driving me nuts. The problem is it's 11pm and by the time I dive into this thing I won't be finished until about 2am. Thank God tomorrow is Sunday and I can sleep it off.
Anyway... the way I see it, chuck is great for pulled beef but IMHO... YOU CAN'T BEAT THE FLAVOR OF BRISKET!


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