Chuck roast is one of the most underrated cuts for the smoker. It’s cheap, it’s forgiving, and when you shred it and pile it on ciabatta with some au jus, people act like you spent all day on it. You kind of did, but it wasn’t hard.
Smoker at 250. Smoke to 165, braise to 203. Plan on 6-8 hours total.
Ingredients
The roast:
- 5-7 lb chuck roast
- 1/2 cup Bear and Burton’s W Sauce
- 2 tbsp Meat Church Blanco
- 2 tsp coarse black pepper
Braise and au jus:
- 2 white onions, quartered
- 3 carrots, chopped
- 3 celery stalks, chopped
- 3 tbsp garlic paste
- 32 oz beef stock
- 1 cup red wine
- 1 packet French onion soup mix
Assembly:
- Ciabatta bread, sliced into slider portions
- Sliced cheddar cheese
Steps
- Trim the chuck roast but leave some fat. Coat with W Sauce, then season with Blanco and black pepper. Let it sit at room temp for 15 minutes.
- Smoker at 250 with oak or hickory. Smoke until 165 internal. Use a Thermapen ONE.
- While the roast smokes, build the braise. Combine the onions, carrots, celery, garlic paste, beef stock, red wine, and French onion soup mix in a cast iron pot. Move the pot to the smoker so it picks up smoke too.
- When the roast hits 165, drop it in the pot and cover. Back on the smoker until 203 and probe tender. Your thermometer should slide in with no resistance.
- Pull the roast out and shred it. It should fall apart. If it doesn’t, it needed more time.
- Strain the braising liquid through a fat separator. That’s your au jus.
- Pile the shredded beef on ciabatta, top with cheddar, toast until the cheese melts. Serve with warm au jus for dipping.
Temp matters on a chuck roast. Too early and it’s chewy. 203 and probe tender, every time.
