Beef is one of the tastiest meals that you can make. You can consider a plethora of options when choosing the best cuts of meat to smoke on your smoker. This article will guide you about each type and how you can incorporate them into your recipes and cooking plans.
Shoulder Roast Cut
Use boneless and not bone-in shoulder roast for the best results. It’s also important to trim as much fat as possible. This will provide plenty of tender beefy flavor while helping keep your meat moist as it smokes.
Shoulder roast is best when slow-smoked, sometimes taking up to 6 hours depending on its thickness and how hot your smoker can get.
- Internal temperature: 160F
- Smoking temperature: 250F
- Time: 5 hours
Also Read: Chuck Roast vs Shoulder Roast
Rib Cuts
Smoking ribs is becoming increasingly popular as backyard grillers discover how easy it is to get tender, fall-off-the-bone meat with a smoky barbecue flavor. Ribs aren’t only popular for their taste, but also because they can be cooked ahead of time and serve several people at one sitting. Smoking beef ribs does take more time than grilling them, though.
Smoke the ribs in an indirect heat zone (not directly over coals) for about four hours per pound. For example, if you have two racks of baby back pork ribs that weigh 4 pounds each, plan on cooking them for eight hours.
Also Read: Should Ribs Be Smoked with Bones Up or Down
The best way to cook beef short ribs is by slow roasting them in an oven set between 250F and 300F until fork-tender, about 3 hours per pound.
- Internal temperature: 165°F (Beef Ribs)
- Smoking temperature: 250F – 300F
- Time: 5-6 hours
Flank Steak Cuts
This cut is lean but full of flavor and takes marinades well. Although most cuts will take longer to cook, flank steak does best when cooked for no more than 90 minutes.
It can dry out if left for too long, so it’s best-served medium-rare. This cut is easy to prepare, inexpensive, and flavorful. You can serve it with grilled corn and avocado slices drizzled with lime juice.
- Internal temperature: 145F
- Smoking temperature: 225F
- Time: 3 hours
Ribeye Steak Cuts
Smoking ribeye steak is simple. You can use your favorite dry rub or sprinkle it with salt and pepper. Add some flavor by pouring beer over your meat before smoking it.
Do not forget to leave enough room in your smoker. It doesn’t take long for these cuts to smoke themselves. When you pull them off, enjoy them immediately, slice them thin against the grain, and serve with some extra beer on top.
Internal temperature:125F
Smoking temperature: 225F
Time: 6 hours
Brisket Cuts
Smoking brisket beef cuts is becoming all the rage, and for a good reason; it can be incredibly tender and flavorful. It is also lean meat that doesn’t need a lot of added fat during cooking.
Keep in mind that brisket can dry out quickly if left unattended.
- Internal temperature: 205°F
- Smoking temperature: 225-250°F
- Time: 10-14 hours
Also Read: How Long to Smoke a Brisket at 225°F
Sirloin Steak
Top sirloin steak is packed with flavor and has low fat. It’s thick enough for you to slice it up into large chunks, which makes it ideal for smoking or grilling. With just 1g saturated fat and 4mg cholesterol per 100g serving, it’s an incredibly healthy meat.
Sirloin steak is relatively low in calories, too; depending on how you cook it, one portion can be as low as 236 calories per 100g serving.
- Internal temperature: 145F
- Smoking temperature: 225F
- Time: 1 hour
Delmonico Steak
The Delmonico is thick, rich in nutrients, and full-flavored. The cut works best when cooked slowly over medium heat. Use mesquite wood for best results, and set your grill up for indirect cooking by adding wood to one side only.
Do not use hickory wood chips with these beef cuts, as it creates an overpowering flavor that should be avoided with these meats.
- Internal temperature: 145F
- Smoking temperature: 350 F
- Time: 1 hour
Skirt Steak
If you’re looking for an easy steak to throw on your smoker, try skirt steak. The beef is skinny and flavorful, which makes it ideal for smoking. In fact, it has earned quite a reputation among grill masters as one of the best cuts of beef to smoke.
Smoking skirt steak gives it a robust flavor that marinating can’t replicate. It also develops nice charring outside while remaining juicy and tender inside. To prepare it for smoking, rub some salt and pepper over both sides of each steak. Then place them in a large resalable plastic bag with two tablespoons of olive oil or melted butter (or both).
Seal tightly and refrigerate overnight or up to 24 hours. When ready to cook, remove steaks from the bag and allow them to come up to room temperature before placing them on your smoker at 225 F for about one hour per inch of thickness.
- Internal temperature:
- Smoking temperature: 225 F
- Time: 1 hour
Top Round and Bottom Round Steak
If you have trouble finding the top round, use the bottom round instead; they are interchangeable in recipes. If using top round roast, it may be necessary to remove some excess fat before placing it on the smoker grate.
Top Round Steak is typically sold as part of a whole roast or steak, which requires special preparation if you need smaller pieces or portion sizes.
- Internal temperature: 125F
- Smoking temperature: 225-250F
- Time: 4-5 hours
Chuck Roast
When you need to feed many people, chuck roast is one cut that can easily do that. This cut comes from one part of the cow: its shoulder. In comparison with other cuts, chuck roasts are not very tender and have higher fat content, about 15 percent. In addition to that, this is an affordable option.
Cooked correctly, it can be tender, juicy, and quite flavorful. If you want to cook more than one chuck roast, look for them in chubs or bundles.
These are groups of two or three tied together by butcher string. You can use these chubs/bundles whole or slice them into individual portions before cooking.
Remember that your cooking time will vary depending on how thick each piece is sliced; larger pieces will take longer to cook than smaller ones. And don’t forget to leave enough time.
- Internal temperature: 205F
- Smoking temperature:
- Time: 5-6 hours
Final Thoughts
As you can see, you can never run out of choices when looking for the best cuts of beef to smoke on your smoker.
Always know the cuts that suit the occasion and how to smoke them. You can try a combination of various beef cuts for better results.
