Smoked Beef
Submitted by ynnek
Smoked beef rubs a lean roast with garlic, onion, paprika, cumin, and cayenne, then smokes it low and slow over hickory with indirect heat. Backyard barbecue technique for tender, smoky beef.
YIELD
8 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
4 hrsREADY
12 hrsOld-school smoking on a regular charcoal kettle grill, no fancy electric smoker required. The two-fire indirect setup is the move that turns any kettle into a backyard smoker. Coals on either side, drip pan with water in the middle, meat on the grate above the pan. The ambient heat circulates, the water keeps the air humid, and the hickory does the rest.
Soaking the smoking wood overnight isn’t superstition. Dry wood burns fast and gives off harsh smoke. Wet wood smolders for longer and produces the cool, fragrant smoke that flavors the meat instead of charring it.
The spice rub is a fairly classic Texas-style mix: paprika and chili powder for color, cayenne for heat, cumin for earthiness, garlic and onion powder for the savory backbone. Overnight rub time isn’t a suggestion. The salt needs hours to penetrate the beef roast and start its dry-brine work.
The drip pan with water is doing two jobs at once. It catches drippings (which would otherwise burn and produce acrid smoke) and the evaporating water keeps the meat from drying out during the long cook.
Pro Tips
- Don’t peek. The directions are right about this. Every lift of the lid drops the temperature 25 to 50 degrees and adds 10 to 15 minutes of cook time.
- Aim for an internal temp of 195F (90C) for sliceable beef, or 203F (95C) for shreddable. Use a probe thermometer.
- Rest the smoked roast loosely tented in foil for 30 to 45 minutes before slicing. Cutting too soon spills all the juices.
- Slice thin against the grain for the most tender bite.
Variations
- Use mesquite or apple wood instead of hickory for a different smoke profile.
- Add 1 tablespoon brown sugar to the rub for a sweeter Kansas City-style bark.
- Spritz the meat with apple cider vinegar every hour after the first 2 hours to build extra bark.
Ingredients
Directions
Use a covered Grill or make a cover for your grill with aluminum foil.
Build two fires on each side of where the meat will be.
Place a drip pan (alumimum foil again) with water under where the meat will be.
Soak your smoking wood (preferably hickory) at least overnight.
Mix the spices together to make a dry rub.
Rub the spice mixture on the trimmed beef roast and let marinate overnight in your icebox.
When the fire has developed to ash covered, add the smoking wood and the meat, cover, and don’t peek for at least 2 hours.
Then add charcoal and smoke for another 2 hours.
As always, adjust as necessary but the slower you smoke, the longer it will take and the more tender the meat will be.
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