Chuck Roast – The British Brisket Alternative

We sell a lot of BBQ’s & smokers here at The Shacks and when I ask what’s the first cook going to be I cringe when I hear “I’ve got a brisket ready to go”. Why? Well mainly the UK butcher has no idea what a BBQ brisket is. Of course they know what a brisket is and where in the cow it comes from but they tend to take the point meat off for stewing meat or mince, trim the fat of the flat then stuff it and roll it into a slow roasting joint. Whilst they are not wrong, you do need to roast it slow it’s not for smoking for 10 hours on your new BBQ / smoker.

Why not I hear you cry. Well, the sole reason we smoke many cuts low and slow on a smoker or BBQ is because it is a working muscle which is tough BUT mainly because it has intramuscular fat that needs to be broken down. I’m afraid the UK brisket flat does not have this intramuscular fat, it doesn’t have a fat seem and therefor smoking it for 10 hours will dry it out and ruin it! You can go on-line and spend £80 or more on a US imported brisket with all the proper fat seems and fat cap but this is not what BBQ is about. So what’s the alternative, sausages and pork shoulders? No, I give you the Chuck Roast.

Many butchers do not cut this joint as they don’t see a need for it. Darts Farm butchers do (here in South Devon) and I’d love to hear form other butchers that do but ask you butcher for it, it’s a cracking low and slow cut of beef. Darts Farm sell it as a Rib Roast, this is not wrong the chuck is from the top end of the ribs where they meet the neck, a good tough working muscle but most importantly for low and slow it has fat, on it and in it.

So how do you cook it? By smoking this joint at 135C or 275F for two to two and a half hours to get smoke flavour on it (normally to 60C or 140F internal) they wrap it in pink butcher paper for the remainder of the cook. You do this to prevent it drying out by surrounding the beef in it’s own rendered fat. I did put mine back on the KJ to crust the outside up a bit but this is up to you, it’s just as good when it’s nice and juicy on the outside as well.

So do yourself a favour, look for and buy a Chuck Roast or Rib Roast, I like bone in as I think bones add to the flavour but boneless is fine if that’s what you can get. My Chuck Roast weighed 2.2kg or around 5lb and in total took just under 6 hours to cook to probe tender or as you are bound to ask, 95C or 203F.

Was is juicy? Very

Was it tender? Tender enough for your nan to eat it

Was it worth it? Yes as it only cost me £20!!