Think of this as pulled pork made with beef. A chuck roast smokes until it has a dark bark, then braises in a pan until it falls apart. The shredded beef works in sandwiches, tacos, burritos and nachos.
The recipe
Ingredients
- 1 beef chuck roast, 3–4 lb
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce or yellow mustard, as a binder
- 3 tbsp Texas-style brisket rub or all-purpose BBQ rub
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 medium onion, sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, smashed
- 2 tbsp butter
- Smoking wood: oak, hickory or mesquite (chunks, chips or pellets)
Steps
- Trim any thick, hard fat from the outside of the roast. Coat it with the binder, then season all sides with the rub.
- Set up your smoker for 250°F with oak, hickory or a mix of oak and mesquite. Wait for thin, clean smoke.
- Smoke the roast until it has a dark bark and reaches about 165–170°F inside, usually 4–5 hours.
- Put the onion and garlic in a foil pan. Set the roast on top, pour in the broth and add the butter.
- Cover the pan tightly with foil and return it to the 250°F smoker.
- Cook until the roast reaches 200–205°F and a fork twists easily in the meat, 2–3 hours more.
- Rest the roast in the covered pan for 30–60 minutes.
- Shred the beef with two forks or meat claws, removing any large pieces of fat. Toss it with some of the pan juices.
Why this works
Chuck roast is full of fat and connective tissue. That makes it tough at normal steak temperatures. Beef is safe at 145°F, but chuck needs to go much higher to become tender. At about 200–205°F, the tough tissue melts into gelatin and the meat pulls apart.
The first part of the cook builds bark and smoke flavor. Wrapping it in a pan with broth pushes it through the stall and keeps it moist. The pan juices also make a quick sauce for the shredded beef.
Best wood
Oak is a clean, steady beef smoke. Hickory is a little stronger. Mesquite is bold, so use it in a mix with oak and keep it to about a third of your wood. Our wood pairing chart has more ideas.
How to tell it's done
Temperature gets you close. Feel tells you when to pull it. Stick a fork in and twist. If the meat turns easily and shreds, it is ready. If it fights you, give it another 30 minutes. A good leave-in thermometer helps you track the long cook.
Ways to serve it
- Sandwiches. Pile it on a toasted roll with provolone and a spoonful of pan juice for dipping.
- Tacos. Add 1 tsp cumin and 1 tsp chili powder to the rub. Serve in warm tortillas with onion, cilantro and lime.
- BBQ beef. Toss with Kansas City BBQ sauce and serve with slaw.
- Nachos. Layer it over chips with cheese and jalapeños.
Make ahead / storage
Shredded beef keeps 3–4 days in the fridge. Store it with some of the pan juices so it stays moist. It freezes well for up to 3 months. Reheat covered in a 300°F oven or in a pan with a splash of broth.
Variations
- Cube it instead. Want sticky, saucy bites? Turn the same roast into poor man's burnt ends.
- French dip. Add 1 cup more broth to the pan and serve the juice on the side.
Keep reading
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Beef Brisket Injection
A simple beef broth brisket injection that keeps the flat juicy, with how much to use per pound, where to inject and how to keep it safe.
Cajun Beef Jerky
Spicy Cajun beef jerky with a homemade Cajun rub, hot sauce and garlic, heated to the USDA 160°F before drying.