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Pepper Stout Beef -- need help

OhioEgger
OhioEgger Posts: 994
in EggHead Forum
I've wanted to try this for a long time, and finally got around to it.
Got a nice chuck roast, about 3 pounds. Applied rub and smoked it indirect with post oak at around 275-300°F until IT was 165°F.
Placed it in a pan filled half full with cut up onions, red peppers, mushrooms and well lubricated with Guinness stout and Worcestershire. Covered tightly with HDAF. Back in the Egg at 350°F until it was 210°F. Shredded the beef and it just didn't seem right.
I've done lot of pulled pork, but the beef didn't shred nearly as easily as a butt does. Had to really work at it. And then eating it was fine, good flavor and all, but it just wasn't as tender as I expected it to be.

So I'm wondering if I should have gone by time instead of temperature for the finish? Raising it from 165 to 210 took only about an hour and a half. I expected much longer. Or maybe it was fine and I was just wrong expecting it to be really tender?






Cincinnati, Ohio. Large BGE since 2011. Still learning.
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Comments

  • SmokingPiney
    SmokingPiney Posts: 2,319
    edited August 2017
    It definitely doesn't cook like a pork butt. The beef will not pull apart like a pork butt, and it will have a bit more chew than pork -  - much more coarse grain in the beef. 

    As long as the taste was fine and everyone enjoyed it, declare success. 

    Yours looks good! 
    Living the good life smoking and joking
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  • Meeeshigan22
    Meeeshigan22 Posts: 308
    I'll tell you the two best batches I made, I passed out and missed the 165 target and they went to 200'ish before I pulled and put in the veggie/juice bath. Wrapped and finished as normal, more tender and flavorful.
    Highland, MI

    L BGE, Primo, and a KJ Jr
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  • JohnEggGio
    JohnEggGio Posts: 1,430
    edited August 2017
    Mine from a week ago came apart pretty easily, using 2 dinner forks.  I went 2+ hours on the braise, pretty much ignoring temperature.  If you have the time, you could continue the braise in your oven, or even on the stovetop.
    Maryland, 1 LBGE
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  • johnkitchens
    johnkitchens Posts: 5,234
    I think you should have cooked it longer. Mine are almost as easy to pull as a pork butt. 

    Louisville, GA - 2 Large BGE's
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  • ronw9471
    ronw9471 Posts: 112
    I did one last last night...well I did two chuck roasts that totaled 5 pounds. I tried to shred them at 165 and couldn't do it. I put them back on for a couple more hours and they both shredded almost as easily a a pork butt. I did mine in a dutch oven, not sure that would make any difference though. Pretty good sandwiches today using hard rolls, extra sharp white cheddar cheese and horseradish sauce.
    Parrish, FL

    My Photo Website: www.ronwooldridgephotography.com

    XL Big Green Egg
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  • Durangler
    Durangler Posts: 1,122
    I'll start the braise at 165, as you did. Then run it to 212 or 215. Pull and let it rest for at least 30 minutes. 
    There will be some non-rendered stuff, for sure. Pick that stuff out.
    The meat will shred with a bit more effort. Pork does shred easier.

    XL BGE, 22" Weber Red Head, Fiesta Gasser .... Peoria,AZ
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  • StillH2OEgger
    StillH2OEgger Posts: 3,900
    It often takes higher temp than 210. If you want it to pull like a pork butt, it has to probe like butter.
    Stillwater, MN
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  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 36,872
    Trust the feel as mentioned above and that likely won't arrive til 210*F or higher.  It will shred like a butt and have a great flavor profile.  
    The friggin cow drives the cook   ;)
    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period. CHEETO (aka Agent Orange) makes Nixon look like a saint.  
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  • Theophan
    Theophan Posts: 2,656
    lousubcap said:
    Trust the feel as mentioned above and that likely won't arrive til 210*F or higher.  It will shred like a butt and have a great flavor profile.  
    The friggin cow drives the cook   ;)
    STRONGLY agree!  Ignore the temperature, ignore the time.  Just cook it till it's tender.  If it's not tender, yet, then it's not done yet.  It really is that simple.

    I've only made this twice, but it pulled easily.  I didn't time it, didn't check the temperature even once after I started the braise part of the cook.  I just kept sticking a fork in it and twisting a bit.  When it was easy to make the fork twist, the beef was "pulling" just by doing that.  No freakin' idea what the temperature was, or the time.

    If the beef didn't pull easily and was too chewy, then it wasn't done, yet.
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  • OhioEgger
    OhioEgger Posts: 994
    Hey, thanks so much for all the good info. Really appreciated. Looks like my understanding was about right, so next time I'll nail it. This forum is such a great resource! 
    Cincinnati, Ohio. Large BGE since 2011. Still learning.
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  • smbishop
    smbishop Posts: 3,061
    @OhioEgger
    This is the recipe I followed last weekend, turned out perfect.  I didn't use any smoking wood...  http://www.thewolfepit.com/2009/10/pepper-stout-beef.html?m=0
    Southlake, TX and Cowhouse Creek - King, TX.  2 Large, 1 Small and a lot of Eggcessories.
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  • OhioEgger
    OhioEgger Posts: 994
    Yes, thanks -- that's the one I based my effort on. I was just focused (incorrectly) on temperature instead of time for the braising part. Next time I'll know.
    Cincinnati, Ohio. Large BGE since 2011. Still learning.
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  • Theophan
    Theophan Posts: 2,656
    OhioEgger said:
    Yes, thanks -- that's the one I based my effort on. I was just focused (incorrectly) on temperature instead of time for the braising part. Next time I'll know.
    If you mean that the correct thing would have been to focus on time (instead of temp), I hope you'll re-think that.  Two different chunks of meat can take two different amounts of time to get tender.  Like @lousubcap said, "The friggin cow drives the cook."  Forget about temp AND forget about time.  Just cook it till it's tender and obviously, testably ready to pull, however long that takes.
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  • OhioEgger
    OhioEgger Posts: 994
    Yes, that's what I intended. By "time" I meant "when it's ready." 
    Cincinnati, Ohio. Large BGE since 2011. Still learning.
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