BBQ Select Bourbon Beef

Today was a nice day to do a low & slow cook, 70 deg & breezy. I had a 4.5 lb. English cut chuck roast to smoke using the BBQ Select bourbon pellets. The English cut chuck is a chuck roast with some ribs & a strip of meat attached. I had done one before that turned out good cooked low & slow like a pork butt for pulled beef.

I decided to go with just salt & pepper and onion slices folded in. I wanted just basic seasoning so I didn’t cover up any of the bourbon taste. I seasoned, folded & tied the roast and got it on my smoker at 9:30 AM. I was able to hold the smoke temps at 165 to 170 deg and was getting some good smoke.

I had planned to smoke 2 to 3 hours before going to 225 deg. I checked it after 2 hours & liked the color I had so I went to 225 deg. The IT was about 105 deg. At 12:30 PM I had an IT of 140 deg so I went to 250 deg. At 1:30 Pm the It was at 165 deg. so I double wrapped in foil adding ¼ cup of beef broth. I went to 275 deg to finish the cook. Total cook time was 6 hours 15 minutes.

At 1:15 PM the IT hit 200 deg. so I pulled it covered with a couple of towels and let it rest for 45 min. before pulling. I had a good smoke ring. My son & I both tried some. The bourbon flavor was not as much as I had hoped for. We both thought it was there but pretty feint. You kinda got the bourbon as an after taste.

It was our pizza night & we plan to have the beef tomorrow night for sandwiches. I am hoping it is like a lot of smokes, it taste better after sitting overnight. I will let you know.

I cleaned the smoker after doing the chicken & ash levels were OK. After today’s cook I would say pellet consumption was equal to my usual pellets. I thought I was getting a little more smoke than my usual pellets.

Link to BBQ Select Pellets

Pellets & Smoker

English Chuck Roast

Seasoning & onions added

Folded & Tied

After 2 hours of Smoke

After the rest, ready to slice & pull

Good smoke ring

All ready for some good sandwiches

Smokin Don

Update on my Bourbon Beef:
Tonight we had bourbon beef sandwiches & potato salad for supper. I tasted the beef cold & on the sandwich. Even though I didn’t think I got enough bourbon taste from the bourbon pellets, it was a different taste than my usual oak pellets. I don’t drink a lot of hard liquor but when I do it is bourbon & water so maybe I was expecting too much. I have never used straight bourbon in my cooking over the years that I can remember so I don’t have that taste to compare to.

Everyone thought the sandwiches were great.

My Plate