Pulled beef from chuck roast

Winner 2024

Ingredients

1,2 kg Chuck Roast

Spray mixture (50/50 apple juice – apple cider vinegar)

Beef rub of your choice

Butter

Brown sugar

Supplies

BBQ with lid

Smoking wood (I used Cherry and Mesquite – this meat can handle a strong smoke)

Aluminum foil or Butchers Paper

Probe thermometer

Indirect setup (with plate setter)

Spray bottle

Drip tray optional

Pulled beef, in this case made from a slow-cooked chuck roast, is an incredibly versatile topping with a rich smoky flavor that you can use in many dishes. So always make as much as you can because it will always come in handy! This juicy and flavorful shredded beef version is perfect for elevating various dishes and snacks. Think classic dishes like tacos, where the rich taste of pulled beef pairs perfectly with fresh toppings like guacamole and salsa. Or use it as a topping for a nacho platter, adding an extra savory touch. Pulled beef is also ideal as an extra topping to transform a simple burger into a true flavor explosion. And let's not forget the pulled beef sandwich, a true comfort food classic everyone loves. My advice is the same as with pulled pork: make too much rather than too little, as it freezes well and can later be used on a nacho platter, tortillas, or simply on a sandwich.

Summary

Indirect cooking
Dome temperature 100 - 110 degrees Celsius
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 8-9 hours
Servings: 5-8 people

Preparing the chuck roast

Make sure your meat is fully thawed before starting. Because it’s a large cut, place it in the fridge at least 2 days in advance to thaw slowly. Once you remove your chuck roast from the packaging, pat it dry with kitchen paper. Then apply a layer of oil or yellow mustard around it as a sticky base for your rub. Choose a rub that complements beef well, but don’t be afraid to try new rubs—new flavors bring new insights.

Apply a generous layer of rub to your chuck roast, making sure all sides are covered. Wrap the chuck roast in cling film and leave it in the fridge overnight to let the rub penetrate the meat (dry bining). Let the rub sit for at least 2 hours, but overnight is best if you have the time. This adds flavor to your meat and prevents excessive moisture loss during smoking.

On the day you make pulled beef, prepare your BBQ for indirect heat. On a Kamado use the Plate Setter, and on a kettle BBQ make sure there’s enough space on the grill with no coals underneath. Set the BBQ to about 100-110 degrees Celsius.

Phase 1: Smoking the chuck roast

Once your BBQ reaches 100-110 degrees Celsius, add the smoking wood. I used two chunks, one cherry and one mesquite. Check every hour to ensure there’s enough smoke in the BBQ. If not, add an extra chunk as needed; we want to smoke for about 3-4 hours total. Place the chuck roast on the grill away from direct heat and insert a probe thermometer if desired.

Pulled beef Chuck roast

Let the meat smoke for 3-4 hours at 100-110 degrees Celsius. After the first hour, check if the spices are forming a nice crust (bark). If it looks dry, start spraying with your apple juice/apple cider vinegar mix. Repeat spraying every half hour. This helps tenderize the meat and prevents drying out.

During these first three hours of smoking, the internal temperature isn’t crucial. The meat interacts best with the smoke as long as the temperature stays under 70 degrees. My chuck roast reached about 60 degrees after 3 hours at 105 degrees (larger pieces will take longer). Time to wrap.

pulled beef

Phase 2: Wrapping and cooking

In the second phase, wrap the chuck roast in butcher paper, though aluminum foil works too.

If you don’t wrap the meat, the internal temperature will stall around 74-80 degrees for a long time (“The Stall”), causing a lot of moisture to evaporate and extending the cooking time. Wrapping the meat keeps it moving through the stall and preserves all the flavorful juices.

Add some apple juice/apple cider vinegar, butter (or beef tallow), brown sugar, and some of your rub into the wrap for extra flavor layers.

Insert your probe thermometer into the thickest part of the meat (make sure it’s not in a chunk of fat, which can give a false reading). I use the thermometer as a pin to keep the package sealed.

Return the wrapped meat to the BBQ, again using indirect heat. You can increase the dome temperature to around 110-120 degrees Celsius. Aim for an internal temperature of about 95 degrees. For me, the meat reached 96 degrees after about 5 hours in this second phase, and it was tender enough. The best way to check tenderness is by inserting a thermometer or skewer into the meat—if it goes in like butter, it’s ready to come off the BBQ.

Pulling the beef

Place the wrapped meat in a dish and open the foil. Let it rest briefly to release steam. Be careful, as there’s a lot of fat and liquid in the package, around 100 degrees! After 5 minutes of venting, close the package again and let it rest for another hour. The meat will continue to tenderize during this time.

After an hour, remove the chuck roast and place it in a large baking tray. Add all the juices from the package.

Put on gloves and use two forks to pull the meat apart—it should come apart very easily. Work from one side of the tray to the other. You can pull it finely or leave some larger pieces for sandwiches. If you encounter excess fat, either massage it into the pulled beef for flavor or remove it for a leaner version. Remember: fat = flavor.

If you find leaner pieces, pull them more finely and mix them through the rest of the pulled beef so you don’t get dry bites.

Once you’ve shredded the beef to your desired texture, you can add some BBQ sauce for extra flavor. I usually prefer to serve the sauce separately at the table.

Your pulled beef is now ready to serve or use.

pulled beef