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BBQ Beef

Every end of the beef critter gets the full attention of today's BBQ'er!

Chuck roast is cut from the cow's shoulder. It is a heavily exercised muscle, which gives the beef good flavor but it also makes it tough.

Hamburger: We make and use chuck ground together with sirloin (75/25). Because of chuck's high ratio of fat to meat, we then require only about 10% added pork fat. (20% fat to 80% meat is considered the best for a hamburger). Man is that good stuff!

The eye of round roast is cut from the rear leg of the animal. It is similar in appearance to the tenderloin, but because it is cut from a well-exercised muscle, the eye of round is lean and tough.

How to smoke: Trim all excess fat from roast. Using your hands, rub all over with your favorite dry rub. Place prepared roast on the oiled smoker rack. Smoke for approximately 2 hours or until internal temperature reaches 125 to 130 degrees F. for medium-rare. Thinly slice it and go to my Hatch Chili Cheese Steak recipe and use it instead rib roast. It's to die for!

A rib roast is cut from the rib section between the shoulder and the short loin (behind the ribs). The three most common rib roasts are standing rib roast, rolled rib roast and rib-eye roast. These are all from the same cut with the standing rib roast being bone in (up to 7 ribs). The rib eye is taken from the heart of the cut and is the most tender of the rib roasts. Typically purchased graded USDA as Prime from which we get the "Prime Rib" cut in fancy restaurants.

Prime Rib: We make do just fine with a "Choice" cut (usually around $9/pound at Sam's or Costco) and slow roast it with a simple Morton's rub. Can't tell the difference and don't let your grown kids know the cooks on - they'll come runnin'!

The top round roast is cut from the upper thigh of the hindquarters of the beef cow. The top round is not a heavily worked muscle, which results in a roast that's more tender and flavorful than other cuts from the round. Sometimes labeled as London Broil, which is a recipe and not a cut.

Rump roast is a triangular cut from the upper part of the hindquarters. The beef is lean and flavorful, but can be quite tough and should be cooked low and slow.

The sirloin tip roast (also known as round tip roast)is cut from the hindquarters, adjacent to the sirloin. The sirloin tip roast is flavorful, but like most lean cuts, it can be tough. The sirloin tip roast can be used for kebabs or low and slow. A popular cut from the bottom of the sirloin roast is tri-tip. A cut I've only ever found in Texas and good for fajitas. It may also be called a "California" cut elsewhere.

I cooked fajitas with a variety of cuts—skirt, hanger, flap, flank, short rib, and tri-tip. Of these, skirt, hanger, and flap were the most successful however, if they can be found.

Best Fajita 3-10 hour marinade (I'm going with Serious Eats here)

1/2 cup (120ml) soy sauce
1/2 cup (120ml) lime juice, from 6 to 8 limes
1/2 cup (120ml) canola oil
1/4 cup (55g) packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cumin seed
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chili powder (see note)
3 medium cloves garlic, finely minced (about 1 tablespoon)

Brisket, the king of the roasts for the BBQ'er! The breast of the animal, just above the leg, is where a brisket is cut. The brisket is composed of more muscle than any other cut. Cooking a brisket so that it’s tender and mouthwatering is time-consuming, and you’ll get the best results when you prepare it over a two-day period, as every self respecting Texan knows! And believe it or not, some of the best smokes use only cracked salt and pepper as a rub.

Brisket is also the beef cut pickled and salted into corned beef. A smoked corned beef becomes pastrami when done properly.

Aaron Franklin is one of the most famous pit masters in America. And he’s earned it! His restaurant Franklin Barbecue is one of the best BBQ joints in Texas (get there at 9AM and hope they don't run out!). He’s also the host of BBQ with Franklin on PBS where he shares his favorite recipes, tips, and techniques with the rest of the country. Plus he wrote one of our favorite cookbooks about smoking meats.

Franklin Barbecue: A Meat-Smoking Manifesto

My Favorite Corned Beef Brine recipe: (Brine for 10 days in a refrigerated environment)

Boil til salt/sugars are dissolved and then cool with ice before adding brine to a brisket in a sealed 2-gallon zip lock bag.