# How to do a top sirloin roast?



## alwayshopeful (May 1, 2016)

I have a newly broken in 18.5 inch WSM with sand in the water pan.

I (meaning my family) have porked out on ribs and pork roasts and have found pig to be very forgiving. I love how easy it is to control the temperature compared to my previous smoker. I now want to move on to beef.

Last year I "learned" to smoke on a heavily modified Brinkmann “ECB” smoker. Again, pork was easy but the three times I attempted beef it was disastrous. The results, at best, can be compared to dried out smoked shoe leather.

I would appreciate pointers. I will be smoking a 6-8 pound top sirloin roast next weekend. Should I brine it and inject it or just use a rub? Mop? Should I foil the roast late into the smoke? What wood will compliment the beef? What heat should I aim for and for how long?

Cheers,

Bill


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## sfprankster (May 1, 2016)

Your sirloin roast is going to be good!!!

A lot depends on how you like your beef...

Rare, med rare, med and so on...

Are you using a thermometer to check the roast temperature? Or the finger press method?

I'd start with a basic rub, salt, pepper, garlic and onion to begin with. This will let the beef be the star of the plate. I have never been one to inject meat. Brining, on the other hand, I have been known to do, just not with beef.

From your explanation, it sounds as if you went too far(temperature) on your previous beef smokes. But I am just guessing at this point. Knowing which cuts you have tried would give more information to determine where you need to pull the roast out of the smoker.

I smoke my beef roasts @ 225-235 on my WSM, over a combination of hickory and almond/pecan. The timing of the smoke is something I don't go by. I go by the internal temperature to know when it's done.

The finish temperature depends a lot on the cut. Sirloin is a leaner cut, so as not to dry it out, you need to remove it from the smoker at a lower temperature. I personally like my beef on the rare side and I would pull the sirloin at around 120. Let it rest for 30-45 minutes and place it over a high, direct heat on my kettle. This is what is known as a reverse sear. This will give the roast a nice, caramelized finish.

Rare: 120-130

Medium Rare: 130-135

Medium: 135-145

Medium Well: 145-155

Well: 155+

As to mopping or saucing, I would wait until the last 30-45 minutes of the smoke. This will allow any sauce to glaze and thicken on the meat.

I'm sure others will come into this thread with their methods and ideas.

Have fun!!!


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## alwayshopeful (May 1, 2016)

We like our beef medium.  I use a Chefalarm thermometer with probe.

Do I need to foil the beef part way through the smoke so it does not dry out?

My other beef (all roasts) smokes were done on the Brinkmann “ECB” smoker.  I did not have the temperature control then as I have now (with the WSM).


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## sfprankster (May 2, 2016)

I wouldn't foil a sirloin roast. Pull it at 130-132. it will continue to raise 4-8 degrees while resting. It should finish right in the middle of the temperatures considered medium.

Let it rest and enjoy!!!


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## chef jimmyj (May 2, 2016)

You got some great advice here. I would only add...AU JUS! Goes great with the meat and mostly cooks while you smoke...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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## alwayshopeful (May 2, 2016)

Thanks guys! 

Bill


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## alwayshopeful (May 3, 2016)

Am I right in my thinking that if I smoke a six-seven pound roast at 230F'ish to reach an internal meat temperature of 135F that the time in the smoker should last roughly 2 hours??? After that sear it then let it rest before slicing.  Want a medium roast.


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## appwsmsmkr1 (May 3, 2016)

AlwaysHopeful said:


> Am I right in my thinking that if I smoke a six-seven pound roast at 230F'ish to reach an internal meat temperature of 135F that the time in the smoker should last roughly 2 hours??? After that sear it then let it rest before slicing.  Want a medium roast.




Look at it this way, if you under cook, you can always heat it in the oven. But if you over cook, there's no turning back. Yes that sounds about right. Use a meat thermometer. I like mine rare so I would go to 130 then let it rest. Make sure you take some pics. I also agree with jj and make the aus ju and serve with mashed potatoes. Good luck and let us know how it turns out.


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## sfprankster (May 3, 2016)

Hard to say exactly how long it will take, but a couple hours sounds about right.

I always go by the internal temperature to decide when to pull it from the smoker. Once pulled, let it rest before you reverse sear the roast. It will continue cooking(another 4-8*) once it's pulled from the smoker. The reverse sear is over very high, direct heat and only to caramelize the exterior.


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## dirtsailor2003 (May 3, 2016)

AlwaysHopeful said:


> Am I right in my thinking that if I smoke a six-seven pound roast at 230F'ish to reach an internal meat temperature of 135F that the time in the smoker should last roughly 2 hours??? After that sear it then let it rest before slicing.  Want a medium roast.


With roast like this its not about how much it weighs, but how thick it is. If the roast is in the 4"-5" range it will probably take 2-2 1/2 hours to reach the IT you want when running the smoker at 225°-250°. I prefer to smoke slicing roasts at a lower temp to get more smoke. I usually try and run my smoker at a temp of 180°-200°. We like ours a bit on the rare side so pull at 130-135°. Yes at that internal temp the meat is going to red and its going to release quite a bit of liquid. So if that's not what you're looking for take to a higher IT. Even at 145° you're going to see red meat and liquid. For timing I always figure 3+ hours. The nice thing about these roasts is they can rest for up to 2 hours before serving. You need to rest at least 30-45 minutes after smoking prior to slicing. If you need to hold it longer wrap in a couple layers of foil, wrap in a towel and place in a cooler.

Oh yeah you can't beat JJ's Au Jus.


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