But which one is best? Freshly cut wood produces too much white smoke which in turn leaves your food with a bitter taste. You also want to stay away from any wood that has been chemically treated such as stained or painted because these chemicals can contaminate your food. Ideally, the cut should have good marbling which adds to the flavor of the cooked meat. In any case, stocking up on hickory, oak, or pecan will allow you to smoke any type of meat you like. The best type of wood for smoking meat is a matter of personal preference as long as you stick to properly dried hardwoods. Chuck Roast - This cut is probably one of the best meats to smoke in a smoker, bar none. The first thing that comes to mind when you think of a classic Texas-style barbecue is beef and it is no accident. Choice brisket comes in a close second and is a great alternative to Prime if you cannot afford Prime cuts. I find that store bought cuts tend to be a bit small, so I’d go to a butcher to try and get a 5lb piece. The advantage of chuck roast is that it’s a smaller cut of meat so it takes far less time to smoke. 135 degrees Fahrenheit. Heading this list is perhaps the most famous and certainly the best cut of beef for smoking: Beef brisket. Knowing the difference between different cuts of meat when you are…, Knowing the difference in your steaks can make all the difference between a great meal, and a total disaster, especially…, tri-tip is actually a very lean cut of meat, Smoked Beef Cheeks (Slices, Tacos & Sandwiches), Preferred Smoke Wood: Oak, Cherry, Hickory, Pecan, Oklahoma Joe’s Hickory Wood Smoker Chips (, Three Little Pigs Kansas City Championship BBQ Rub (, Spiceology All-Purpose Grilling Spice Rub (, NO NAME Original Sirloin Steak Gift Package (. This often needs to be cut specifically by your butcher, instead of bought prepackaged in a store or supermarket. Smoking sirloin steak is great for beginners. It will be tenderer than your traditional brisket while still sliceable once done. This is a tough cut of beef so it requires more care to smoke correctly. The beef comes from a large animal so there is a great variety of textures and flavors between the different cuts. 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Chuck roast sits directly above the brisket at the shoulder of the steer. While also tenderizing the meat, dry brining also helps to give the beef a better texture. #3. The Best Meats for the Smoker We can look to traditional barbecue meals when determining the best cuts for the smoker. Top sirloin steak does not have a lot of fat so this smoke will be quick. This will help the meat stay juicy and prevent it from drying out in the smoker. Try my reverse seared tri-tip if you want to give this beautiful cut of beef a go. Experiment with various woods until you find the perfect one, or combine different types to see what works. If you can afford it, Prime brisket is the best for smoking. Rather than soak it in salted water, you instead lightly coat it in kosher/table salt and keep it in the refrigerator overnight. Try to pick a cut that has strong presence of graining, a good layer of fat, and a tender texture. I recommend marinating the sirloin for at least a few hours prior to cooking. Chuck roast’s tough meaty fibers and connective tissue mirror brisket’s firm construction. Flank is rich in muscle fibers, so can carry a very intense and meaty flavor. The best woods for smoking brisket are oak and hickory. Ideally, you want the wood burning cleanly with a hint of blue smoke. My two-pound steak took roughly 45 minutes to reach 120 degrees. Be sure to dry brine the meat with kosher salt rather than using a mixture of salt and water. The cut is easy to smoke, has great flavors, and tender if done right. You can buy your wood online or at your local home improvement store. The best part is you don’t lose any of the flavor profiles by switching your brisket for chuck roast. Flank steak has a strong beef flavor so it is can withstand strong seasonings including garlic, pepper, and lime juice. Pro tip: When looking for the best cut of brisket, hold the piece of meat up a little. Steer clear of any evergreen trees such as fir, pine, and spruce as these contain large amounts of sap. This means that you can match strong woods like hickory or mesquite with it because the flavor of the steak won’t be overpowered by them. The stiffer the meat the more likely it is that it will be tough once cooked. Not everyone is sold on the idea of smoking steaks, but I think they’re well deserving of a place on this list. The classic meats of barbecue are generally beef brisket, pork shoulder, and ribs. When we talk about ribs, we often mean pork ribs, but beef ribs are just as good fresh out the smoker… maybe even better. Whichever way you choose to cook your chuck roast, this is a flavorful cut of beef that cooks quickly and requires less effort compared to a traditional brisket. I highly recommend that you take your steak out of the smoker 10 degrees before your preferred temperature. One of the joys of traditional wood smoking is the creative freedom to play around with different types of woods and flavors.