Smoked Pit Beef Tacos

Smoked Pit Beef Tacos

Smoked Pit Beef Tacos

What’s better than tacos? Not much. The meat used in these particular tacos comes from a brined, then smoked chuck roast. This beef can be used in numerous recipes for fillings, sandwiches, nachos, etc.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time8 hours
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: Beef, electric smoker, Latin American, main course, Mexican
Author: Alex Gorgos

Ingredients

  • smoked chuck roast
  • corn or flour tortillas
  • cilantro/onion/green onion mix
  • smoked tomatillo salsa

Instructions

  • Shred the smoked chuck roast.
    Mexican, main course, beef
  • Top the tortillas with the beef, cilantro/onion/green onion mix, and the tomatillo salsa.
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Smoked Pit Beef

Smoked beef sandwiches!? Fuck yeah, smoked beef sandwiches. They are extremely easy to make as long as you have time and patience. This is better than any smoked beef you can get from a restaurant or smokehouse for a fraction of the price. I’ve seen smoked beef go for as much as $25-$30 per lb, when the chuck roast I purchased was only $3.99lb.
Once brined, the chuck will take 2 hours per lb to smoke in order for the meat to shred; exactly like a pork shoulder. To achieve this, use a probe thermometer to monitor the internal temperature. You will want the temp to get to 205-210 degrees. Once finished, let the chuck rest for at least 20 minutes. The beef is great on a sandwich or even used as taco meat.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time6 hours
Brining Time1 day
Course: Main Course
Keyword: Beef, electric smoker, main course
Author: Alex Gorgos

Equipment

  • Electric Smoker
  • Probe Thermometer

Ingredients

  • 3-4 lb chuck roast
  • black pepper
  • paprika

Brine

  • 1/2 gallon water
  • 1/2 cup sea salt
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 6 garlic cloves minced
  • 6 shallots sliced
  • 2 tsp black peppercorns
  • 3 bay leaves

Wood Chips

  • mesquite wood chips

Instructions

  • Mix together the brining ingredients.
    Smokers, main course, beef
  • Place the chuck in a gallon sized storage bag with the brine. Brine the chuck for 1 day.
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  • Pat the chuck dry. Season all sides with black pepper and paprika. Let rest at room temperature for an hour before smoking.
    Smokers, main course, beef
  • Preheat your smoker to 250 degrees. Place the chuck in the smoker.
    Smokers, main course, beef
  • The chuck will take about 2 hours per lb. Monitor the temp with a probe thermometer. In order for the beef to shred, you will need to reach an internal temp of 205-210 degrees.
    Smokers, main course, beef
  • Once finished smoking, pull from the smoker and let rest for 20 minutes.
    Smokers, main course, beef
  • Slice or shred the beef.
    Smokers, main course, beef

Smoked Tomatillo Salsa

I really like tomatillo salsa and wanted to see what it tastes like with the ingredients smoked. The answer: even better! The ingredients take no more than 2 hours to smoke in your smoker. It’s ready to use as soon as you purée the ingredients in a food processor. The salsa will keep for up to a week in the refrigerator.
Prep Time5 minutes
Smoking Time2 hours
Course: condiment
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: condiment, electric smoker, Latin American, Mexican, vegan
Author: Alex Gorgos

Equipment

  • Electric Smoker
  • food processor

Ingredients

  • 1 lb tomatillos
  • 1/2 medium onion
  • 2 jalapeños
  • 2 green onions
  • 1 head garlic
  • 1/2 cup cilantro
  • 3 tbsp white vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Wood Chips

  • mesquite wood chips

Instructions

  • Place the tomatillos, onion, garlic, jalapeños, and green onions on your smokers rack.
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  • Place in a preheated 250 degree smoker for 2 hours.
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  • Let the ingredients cool.
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  • Add the smoked ingredients along with the cilantro, vinegar, and salt to a food processor.
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  • Purée until smooth.
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