Hickory-Smoked Masala Pulled Beef

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A whole chuck roast rubbed with garam masala, cumin and Kashmiri chilli, then smoked low and slow over hickory until it pulls apart in strands. A wrap of mango chutney and vinegar takes it through the stall and leaves the beef sweet, tangy and deeply smoky. Pile it into warm naan or over rice with a spoonful of yogurt.

Ingredients

• 4 lb beef chuck roast, in one piece
• 2 tbsp neutral oil
• 2 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• 1 tbsp kosher salt
• 1 tbsp garam masala
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
• 2 tbsp light brown sugar
• 3 chunks hickory wood chunks (or 2 cups chips)

• 3/4 cup mango chutney
• 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Instructions

1. Pat the chuck roast dry and rub it all over with the oil and ginger garlic paste. Mix the salt, garam masala, cumin, coriander, Kashmiri chilli and brown sugar in a small bowl and press the rub over every surface. Leave at room temperature for 30 minutes while the smoker heats.
2. Set up your smoker for indirect cooking at 250°F (120°C) and add the hickory chunks. Fill the water pan if your smoker has one — the beef needs a humid chamber to build bark without drying out.
3. Put the roast on the grate fat side up and smoke undisturbed for 5 to 6 hours, topping up hickory once in the first 2 hours only, until the outside is dark mahogany and the internal temperature in the thickest part reads 165°F (74°C).
4. Stir the mango chutney with the apple cider vinegar. Lay out a double sheet of heavy foil, set the beef on it, spoon over half the chutney mixture, and wrap tightly so no steam escapes.
5. Return the wrapped beef to the smoker and cook for a further 2 to 3 hours at 250°F, until the internal temperature reaches 203°F (95°C) and a probe slides into the meat with no resistance at all. Temperature alone is not enough — it must feel soft.
6. Leave the foil sealed and rest the beef in a cooler or turned-off oven for 45 minutes. Do not skip this; it is where the fat and juices redistribute.
7. Open the foil over a tray, shred the beef with two forks, discarding any hard fat, and toss it through the collected juices. Stir in the remaining chutney mixture and serve hot in warm naan or over rice.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

More from Sprig Originals

One-Skillet Blackened Cajun Chicken Pasta

One-Pot Chicken Creole

Dark Roux Seafood Gumbo with Quick Shrimp Stock

Are you this recipe's original author or publisher? Report a problem