Sous Vide & Smoked Beef Chuck

[Grizzle_Vizzle]

I'm finally getting around to posting this cook...

I was having a few people over for dinner, so I decided to make a beef chuck roast.  I used my fairly new sous vide contraption to simplify the whole process, which I think worked well for simplifying but I probably need to tweak my technique to get better results.


The beef was from a very reputable local butcher. I know pasture-raised meats cost a lot, but I'm not sure I'd shell out the same amount for this cut again.


Seasoned with S&P

In the bath overnight at 145˚F

Turned it up a bit for the day shift (maybe a mistake?)

Tossed on the Performer with 75% hickory/25% cherry. Targeting ~275˚F

Made a pan sauce with juice left in the SV bag. Added lots of diced onions & garlic.

Finished sauce...and a Mai Tai on the side, naturally

Pulled at after ~4 hrs in the kettle. Forgot what temp I was targeting (maybe 170?), and let it rest for a while.

The finished product:



The flavor was pretty good, but I was expecting a much softer texture (list brisket).

The best part was eating it the next day...


Cheers




P.S. - my first cook post - I hope the photos load correctly 

[Nate]

[SmokeVide]

Your photos aren't showing, Grizzle.
I've found that chuck roasts are a good cut for cooking SV and then finishing on the grill or smoker. You can experiment with all kinds of variables -- SV temp, SV length, pre-sear or no pre-sear, smoke time, seasonings -- and get a wide variety of results.
You can end up with something very similar to prime rib, or you can end up with what my family prefers -- beef that's moist, tender and fall-apart like it was cooked in a crockpot, but it also has a sear and subtle smoke flavor.

[MikeRocksTheRed]

Crap! Sounds good but I can't see so good!  Lol.

[hawgheaven]

Hard to say what to recommend... cuts of beef are way different consistency between animals. Normally for beef, I season with S&P, rosemary and add a couple pads of butter to the bag. Time? Questionable upon the cut you are cooking. I've seen guys cooking a London Broil for 30 hours. NO!! It turns out so mealy, it's hard to swallow. Ya' gotta play. I have not done a chuck roast in the SV yet, so I'm prolly not much help here. I got London Broil and eye roast down tho... 6-8 hours at 134, then hit the grates and sear. Good stuff.

[Grizzle_Vizzle]

Can you right-click on the photo icon and click "Open image in a new tab"? Or is that option only available for me?