6 Best Beef For Smoking: Smoking Has Never Been Easier With These Six Cuts Of Beef
Smoking is a great way to reduce the fat content from the meat and makes it more flavorful.
Smoked beef is a delicious dish, but do you know what cut goes perfectly in this recipe?
Accompany us and figure out what cuts of beef are best for smoking.
How to choose beef for smoking?
If you are looking for a way to add some flavor and protein to your diet, then smoked beef is an excellent option.
The following tips will help you choose the best beef for smoking:
1. Look for a cut with a good marbling fat throughout
You should buy a good cut with a perfect marbling fat content.
The marbling fat will help the meat be juicier and more flavorful instead of being too dry or tough.
A cut with marbling fat is often associated with a tough texture that is taken from the part of the cow that is used the most for daily activities.
2. The fresher the beef is, the better the dish is
To have the best smoked beef, you should buy fresh beef instead of frozen beef.
Never buy stale beef that is left from yesterday.
A stale cut of beef can be notified by an unpleasant odor or some discoloration on the surface of the beef.
It will be best if you can make friends with your local butchers so that you can ask them to save some freshest cuts of beef for you.
3. Find a cut on sale or buy in bulk to save money
Since smoking often reduces nearly half of the initial weight of the beef, you should buy more beef than what you often have in regular recipes like roasting or stir-frying.
Therefore, it is best to find a cut on sale or invite some friends to buy in bulk so that you can have a better price.
Best beef for smoking
Now, let’s figure out what cut of beef is best for your next smoking batch:
1. Chuck roast beef
Chuck roast is a versatile cut of beef that is very favored in slow-cooking recipes.
Chuck roast is cut from the chuck section of the cattle, and it has a tough texture with some amazing marbling fat.
It is the top choice for roasting, but smoking is a good option too.
After smoking the chuck roast for hours, you can have tender meat without being too dry.
2. Beef brisket
Another cut near to the chuck roast is brisket.
Brisket is also good for smoking thanks to its tough texture.
Although it is most commonly used for making corned beef or pastrami, you can try your smoked meat recipe with this popular cut and see how amazingly it works.
3. Boneless beef short ribs
Boneless short ribs are another option for smoking.
They are actually cut from the chuck instead of the rib cage of the cattle.
Boneless short ribs are obviously meatier than the bone-in version which is literally the rib section of the cow.
It is also more affordable, making it perfect to buy in bulk for your next smoking batch.
4. A round cut beef
A round cut, like a top round or bottom round, can be a good choice for your smoking recipe.
These cuts are tough because they are taken from the bottom of the cow which is used mostly for walking.
The tough texture will be tenderized after being smoked for hours.
If there is too much fat on the edge of the cut, you can trim it before cooking.
5. Tri-tip beef
A tri-tip cut, as the name implies, is a triangle-shaped cut of beef that is taken from the bottom sirloin cap muscle near the cow’s spine.
Tri-tip is a flavorful and juicy cut with just enough fat for that perfect sear on the outside when smoked.
6. Flank beef steak
So most steak cuts can work well in a smoking recipe.
It is also true to a flank steak that hangs beneath the ribs, next to the animal’s flank.
A flank steak is often grilled and served as a delicious filling for sandwiches, tacos, or burritos.
However, instead of grilling, you can smoke it too.
The bottom line
In the end, smoked meat can be made from different cuts of beef.
The key is to have a tough cut with some marbling fat so that it can become tender after a long time of being smoked.
These types of beef will produce intense flavors when cooked over low heat for an extended period of time.
There is no denying the smoked beef made from these cuts tastes delicious.