Chuck Roll ~ A New Twist On An Old Favorite
It’s no secret that chuck is one of the most versatile cuts of beef out there. Just looking through the meat case you will see ground chuck, chuck roasts, chuck steaks, and if you look hard enough you can even find my favorite ….. a chuck roll. 
These behemoth pieces of meat tip the scales between 15 and 22 pounds.
What? You have never seen one of these? Okay, sometimes you have to ask. I guess not everyone knows how to deal with one, so they don’t make it into the meat case very often.
Anyway, supermarkets have them to cut down into smaller chuck roasts and club stores like Sam’s have them in the back to sell whole to restaurants. Needless to say, they are a fantastic buy for any barbecuist and can be served sliced or pulled.
Today, I want to share a different technique for preparing chuck roasts. I call it Pepper Beef. I start with a chuck roll and cut it into 3 or 4 large roasts. 
Using my standard beef seasonings and an indirect set-up in my pit I will barbecue them at 250° for 4 or 5 hours until the internal temperature is around 160°.
Then I transfer into a large roasting pan (the big aluminum ones work fine) or into an electric roaster. Even a Dutch oven or Crock Pot will work for this. All you need is something you can braise in.
Add the braising liquid, cover and braise at 250° until fork tender. 
I pour off the cooking juices and de-fat them. Then chop the peppers and mix back into the pulled beef along with some cooking juice. I reserve some to serve on the side for dunking the sandwiches in.
The pepper beef braising liquid is mixed at the following ratio for each 10 pounds of meat, more or less.
1 jar of pickled pepperoncini with the juice
1 can of beef broth (chicken broth can be used too)
1 package Lipton onion soup mix
1 package of Good Seasons Italian salad dressing mix.
Depending on the type of vessel you are braising in you may need to add more broth, some water or beer until the level looks good, about 1/2 to 2/3 of the roast covered.
This technique works well with about any combination of seasonings in just about any braising liquid. So experiment with your favorite flavors…..
Photo Credits: Chuck Roll & Pepper Beef by Author
