7 Best Cuts of Beef to Smoke

Summer is right around the corner! Do you know what that means?

Time to pull out your grill, meat grinder, meat slicer and place an order for the best charcoal for smoking because it’s barbeque season. A barbeque isn’t a barbeque without some beef. The variety of textures and cuts of meat make it a must-have for the BBQ season.

If you want to get the best out of your beef barbeques, you need to know which cuts are the best. Each cut is meant to be cooked in a specific way that enhances the flavors.

In this post, we’ll be discussing some of the best cuts of beef to smoke. We’ll also tell you the best way to smoke/grill/cook and serve each cut.

We can guarantee that once you’re through reading this post, you’ll have the whole beef cut diagram memorized and will be able to make your next beef BBQ spectacular.

Smoking beef is a long task that requires a lot of patience. Beef has a lot of fat and connective tissues, which is why it takes so long to cook.

However, if you use the right cuts and the right techniques, you can bring out the rich, juicy flavor. After much research, we’ve compiled a list of the seven best beef cuts for grilling and smoking.

In addition, we’ve added a few tips on how to cook them so you can enjoy a delicious steak.

1. Beef Brisket

If you’re looking for top-tier meat cuts, then the beef brisket is what you’re looking for. The brisket is one of the best cuts; nothing beats the tough meaty fibers and the tender fat that combine to give you fantastic flavor.

You’ll have to take special care while smoking your brisket, but if done correctly, it’s totally worth the effort.

When choosing your cut, we suggest going for a Prime brisket with a lot of excellent marbling. However, if the Prime brisket is a bit heavy on your wallet, you can always opt for the Choice brisket.

If you’ve got a good cut, you won’t need a lot of seasoning as the meat itself is already full of flavor. Just make sure you don’t trim off any of the fat. The fat acts as an insulator, ensuring that your brisket gets smoked properly.

Tip: here’s a little tip to remember while buying your brisket cut. Hold up the brisket for a bit. If you see the meat bending a little, then it means that it’s tender and perfectly ready to be thrown on that charcoal grill.

Target Internal Temperature: 205 °F
Cooking Time: 5 to 6 hours
Recommended Smoke Wood: Oak, Hickory, Pecan, Cherry.

2. Beef Ribs / Short Ribs

If you’re new to smoking/grilling beef, an excellent cut to start with are the ribs. Beef ribs are some of the easiest cuts to smoke.

The well-marbled area between the flank steak and the brisket is where you can get your rib cuts from. As there’s a lot of fat in the area, the meat is tender and flavorful.

Normal beef ribs are too big to fit your grill, which is why they have to be cut to fit into your grill and be an edible size. The large bone of the ribs helps evenly cook the meat.

The ribs can be taken from the loin, chuck plate, or brisket. Depending on your preferences, you should specify your meat supplier whether you want chuck plate ribs or full plate short ribs.

As far as seasoning goes, you can add a little salt and pepper and still end with delicious ribs—another reason why ribs are one of the best cuts of beef.

Target Internal Temperature: 205 °F
Cooking Time: 5 to 6 hours
Recommended Smoke Wood: Oak, Hickory, Pecan, Cherry.

3. Chuck Roast

Chuck roast is a great alternative for brisket. Not only is it cheaper, but it also cooks faster thanks to the smaller size.

Don’t misunderstand, though, a smaller size does not mean you’re losing flavor. You get just as much flavor as with a brisket. Only it’s a lot easier to cook.

To get the most out of your chuck roast, there are two ways you can cook it. The first way is the same way you smoked your brisket. While it may be a bit more tender than a brisket, you can still use a sharp knife to get it into nice even slices.

The key to a perfectly smoked chuck roast is to start cooking at 225 °F and stop when you reach an internal temperature of 180 °F.

Alternatively, you can pull at the meat in a manner that’s similar to pulled pork. To do this, make sure you start cooking at 240 °F and stop when you reach an internal temperature of 180 °F.

To get the best results, we suggest you invest in a smoker thermometer to help you keep track of the temperature.

Target Internal Temperature: 205 °F
Cooking Time: 5 to 6 hours
Recommended Smoke Wood: Hickory, Pecan.

4. Top Sirloin Steak

Another great option for beginners who want beef cuts for smoking, the sirloin steak is an affordable cut with loads of flavor. You can choose the top of the button sirloin from the hip for your cut. The top sirloin is better for smoking as it is more tender.

One great way of grilling a sirloin steak is by dry bringing the meat. Not only will this help make the meat more tender, but it will add more texture to it as well.

We suggest leaving the meat in the fridge to marinate for two to twenty-four hours. The longer it sits, the more flavor you’ll get. We suggest using the best food vacuum sealer to ensure your meat stays fresh while it marinates.

Target Internal Temperature: 145 °F
Cooking Time: 1 hour per pound.
Recommended Smoke Wood: Hickory, Mesquite.

5. Flank Steak

You can’t really go wrong with flank steak. Not only is it cheaper, but it is tender and packs a lot of flavors. The flank steak comes from the underside of the animal near the belly.

Keep in mind that the flank steak is different from the skirt steak, don’t confuse the two cuts. The flank is taken from the lower abdominal area, while the skirt steak is taken from near the diaphragm.

You don’t need to stand in front of the grill for too long to smoke this cut. Just make sure you marinate the meat beforehand. As the beef flavor for the flank steak is rich and strong, you can marinate it with strong seasonings like garlic, pepper, and citrus juice.

Moreover, you can get strong pellets like hickory and mesquite to get the best results. The meat itself has a strong flavor so it won’t be overpowered with the pellets, making it perfect for a pellet smoker.

Target Internal Temperature: 145 °F
Cooking Time: 3 hours.
Recommended Smoke Wood: Hickory, Mesquite.

5. Tri-Tip

If you enjoy lean cuts of meat, then you’ll really like the Tri-tip. This cut is a triangular-shaped cut that is chewy and doesn’t have a lot of fat content.

If you want to get the most of the flavors out of this cut, you will need to remember the three S: seasoning, smoking, and searing.

Start by rubbing your spice seasoning onto the meat. Then let it sit on your gas grill. Keep a check on the temperature to ensure the internal temperature is 135 °F.

You can use a skillet and some butter to sear the steak before you serve it.

Target Internal Temperature: 135 °F
Cooking Time: 2 hours.
Recommended Smoke Wood: Hickory, Oak, Cherry, Pecan.

6. Top Round

Lastly, there’s the top round steak. This one is a tough one, though. You need to be fully prepared in order to get the right flavor and texture out of the cut.

You need to prepare the meat before you put it on the grill to smoke. Similar to the sirloin steak, you need to dry brine the top round steak. You can also add your spices before you let it sit overnight in the fridge.

Place it on the grill and monitor the temperature. You can remove it once it reaches 150 °F.

Wait a few minutes before cutting into the meat. We suggest slicing across the grain and enjoying it while it’s still hot.

Target Internal Temperature: 150 °F
Cooking Time: 5 to 6 hours.
Recommended Smoke Wood: Oak.

Beef Cuts Best for Fast Grilling and Slow Smoking

Conclusion

By now, you must be familiar with the beef cuts chart. With all this information, you’re ready to hit the butcher to get your preferred cut of meat.

Be sure to follow our little tips if you want to get the best flavor out of your beef cuts.