When I think about smoking and barbecuing, my mind immediately goes to beef: large cuts of brisket or tri-tip with steaks over an open flame. Fortunately these days there is a technology that can make this happen on a pellet grill.
In the end, we all want that perfect Texas-style brisket.
The dream of many pitmasters is now within reach as you can achieve it with wrapped or unwrapped meat and even time preferences for how long your smoke will last depending on what flavor profile are looking to create in terms of baseline complexity but also tenderness. Furthermore, their needs are no less than an umami kick from its melt into mouthfulness thanks to charging spice deeply ingrained throughout each succulent bite – that’s something only skilled chefs know exactly how to do best without fail every single.
When we think about smoking and barbecuing, the first thing that comes to mind is usually beef. And for good reason!
It’s one of those meats perfect with Mother Nature as its muse – tender yet durable enough so you can get your hands on some great cuts without worrying too much if they’re going into dinner or soft tacos later in life.
Table of Contents
Brisket
Brisket is the most difficult meat to cook on a pellet smoker. Many look at its perfect form with reverence and hope that they too can one day achieve it. The discussions around briskets tend to be very intense, as people debate what makes for an excellent slice or receptacle in which this popular dish should reside while others argue over how long you’re supposed to keep your thermometer off heat when testing temperature progress. But all these arguments can come down simply enough: practice makes perfect.
When selecting the perfect brisket, it is important to pay attention not only to what type of cut you have but also to where that meat comes from. A fullering, a muscle running lengthwise down one side, will give your cooked meal more depth and flavor than just any old flat-side cut can provide; however, there are higher grades available for those who want them.
You should never buy cheap BBQ simply because they’re cheaper in price – the quality might not be as good when compared to other options like ham or turkey breast which cost less per pound despite being superior protein sources.
Tips & Techniques
- Get rid of that fat cap. When you’re smoking your brisket, the last thing that should be on it is fat bubbles. Trimming these away with a knife will decrease their weight and make for more desirable meat, but if they’re too large then trimming down to about ¼ inch may work best so as not to leave any moisture behind in certain areas of interest.
- Wrap. Don’t wrap. When it comes to the process of smoking your meat, there are many different ways you can go about doing this. You have two major options in terms: of using aluminum foil or butcher paper for wrapping. Both work well but ultimately preference will decide which one is best suited for what kind of dish. One thing I recommend against doing? Rapidly heating up excess heat – 170°F +/- 10 degrees.
- If you don’t wrap the meat, spritz it or use a water pan. To keep your brisket moist, spritz it with liquid like apple juice or water. Place an uncovered pan of boiling water inside the grill and let heat up before adding meat so that any fat runoff from the animal cooks quickly over direct flame rather than accounting for longer times at lower temperatures as would happen if put into a cold smoker receiver alongside wood chunks etc.
Tri-Tip
The best tri-tip I have ever eaten came off a pellet grill. It is juicy, tender, and full of flavor with just the right amount if fat that keeps it moist while still being able to pull apart easily without having any connective tissues in between bites or feeling greasy on your tongue at all times during consuming this dish.
There are few cuts of meat as loved and appreciated by BBQ fanatics as well-cooked tri-tip. When cooked to perfection, this lean cut offers up an amazing flavor that’s hard to beat in terms of smoked meats – but with just one little problem: it can be tough. Luckily for you however there is now something called “the easy way“, or rather our patented process, which makes trimming away all those unwanted layers easier than ever before; leaving only what should come out during the cooking time.
Tips & Techniques
- A tri-tip is best with a reverse sear. I love cooking with a reverse sear, it’s one of my favorite techniques. You can do this over an open flame or in your cast iron skillet and gives such great flavor. I smoke the tri-tip similarly like other meats but will typically go between 135°F – 140 degrees Fahrenheit before searing on top at 350 degrees while adding about 1 tablespoon butter onto both sides for 5 minutes each time until reaching 145f internal temperature then flipping once done cooking is completed.
- The tri-tip is cut against the grain, and the grain on the tri-tip runs two different ways. You need to pay attention and follow the lines in order not to have any problems with your meat.
- Tri-tip is another amazing leftover meat. The best thing about this meal is that it can be eaten for both lunch and dinner. My family loves Au jus sandwiches, tacos, or stroganoff with their tri-tip.
Ribs
I make beef ribs less often than pork, and this is by no fault of the cows. Although I enjoy them as well, my wife doesn’t care for them much which means their rich flavors tend to slip through our fingers when they should be grabbing onto something good.
There’s nothing like a juicy, mouth-watering beef rib. But they can be hard to find sometimes and when you do get ’em – well let me just say this is one type of food that will make any appetite suffer. You want the meaty kind so there isn’t anything left but bones with some good lovin’ on top, and maybe even in between.
Tips & Techniques
- Try them dry rubbed. If you want to take your beef rib dinner up a notch, try making them without sauce. For those who love their ribs with just some spice and sweetness then the traditional flavor might not be what they expected but that’s okay! You can always use one of our favorite spices or rubs for an extra special touch on these delicious meals.
- Use Worcestershire sauce for your spritz for extra flavor. To make my secret sauce, I use a mix of about one part Worcestershire sauce to three parts water.
- Peppered ribs are awesome. Ground black pepper is the key to great-tasting beef. To grind your own, simply use a pepper mill or grinder for fresh ground spices like never before.
Prime Rib
Prime rib is a dish that everyone loves to enjoy during the holidays. The great thing about owning your own pellet grill, though? You can make it better than ever before. Choose from different grades of meat for this classic cut – only choose premium grade beef with plenty on top so all those flavors stay locked in together perfectly moist and tender every time thanks largely due to its rich marbling patterns which keep them tasting fresh regardless of how long ago they were cooked previously.
Tips & Techniques
- There are two different ways to cook prime rib. One way is at low heat, where it’s often roasted; however, don’t let this stop you from smoking your own. The other method involves higher temperatures and more direct smoke on the meat itself for a shorter amount of time.
- Horseradish isn’t necessary, but have some on the side. If you want to serve horseradish, prepare it in advance and keep it on hand for when the meat is cooked. You can also try adding a little bit of fresh ground black pepper or grated cheese before serving if your taste buds are craving extra spice.
