Low-and-slow smoked beef with a peppery, mahogany bark and juicy, slice-or-shred tenderness.
Step 1: Dry brine (best bark move)
Pat the roast very dry with paper towels. Season all over with **2 tbsp kosher salt**. Place on a rack over a tray and refrigerate **uncovered 8–24 hours**. This dries the surface so bark sets faster and thicker.
Step 2: Season
Lightly coat the roast with **1 tbsp oil**. Mix **pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, ground mustard** and apply generously on all sides, pressing so it adheres. Let sit at room temp **30–45 minutes** while you heat the smoker.
Step 3: Set up smoker for bark
Preheat smoker to **250°F**. Add a **water pan** (pour in **1 cup hot water**) to stabilize heat and keep the cook forgiving. Aim for **clean, thin blue smoke**—heavy white smoke can make the bark bitter.
Step 4: Smoke (build the bark)
Put roast on the grates, fat side **up** if it has a fat cap. Smoke at **250°F** until the exterior is **deep mahogany and dry to the touch**, and internal temp hits **165–175°F**, typically **4–6 hours**.
Step 5: Wrap (push through the stall, keep it juicy)
Wrap tightly in **butcher paper** for best bark, or **foil** for maximum softness. Return to smoker.
Step 6: Finish to tender
Continue cooking at **250–275°F** until a probe slides in with **almost no resistance** (like warm butter), usually at **200–208°F**, another **3–6 hours** depending on size and the animal. Go by feel more than temp.
Step 7: Rest (non-negotiable for juiciness)
Rest wrapped roast **at least 1 hour** (2 hours is even better) in a cooler or turned-off oven. This reabsorbs juices and keeps the bark from turning soggy when you slice/shred.
Step 8: Slice or shred
For slicing: cut across the grain into **¼-inch** slices. For pulled beef: shred with forks or gloved hands, mixing barky bits through the meat.
| Calories | 520 kcal |
| Protein | 45g |
| Carbs | 2g |
| Fat | 36g |