Sous Vide Smoked Beef Chuck

Ingredients

• 2 ounces coarsely ground black peppercorns
• 2 1/4 ounces kosher salt
• 1/4 ounce pink salt, such as Prague Powder #1
• 1 piece beef chuck roll
• 1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke, such as Wright's Liquid Smoke
• Dill pickles, sliced yellow onion, and white bread, for serving

Directions

1. Stir the pepper, salt, and pink salt, if you’re using it, together in a small bowl. Coat the chuck all over with 2/3 of the seasoning blend, working it across the surface as evenly as you can, and set aside the remaining 1/3. Tie the chuck roll around its circumference with 2 to 3 pieces of twine, spacing them at 1- to 1 1/2-inch intervals.
2. Put the chuck roll into a vacuum bag. Fold the top of the bag back while you slide in the beef, which keeps seasoning and juices away from the sealing edge. Add 1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke to the bag, if using. Seal with a vacuum sealer, then refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours.
3. Set your precision cooker to 155 degrees F (68 degrees C). Lower the bagged chuck into the water bath, then cover the container with a lid, aluminum foil, or table tennis balls. Cook for 36 hours. Before moving on, cool the cooked chuck at least to room temperature; an ice bath will make that happen faster. At this point, the chuck can be refrigerated for up to 1 week before you finish it.
4. To finish on the grill, start 1/2 chimney full of charcoal. Once the coals are fully lit and coated in gray ash, dump them out and bank them on one side of the charcoal grate. Add the cooking grate, cover the grill, and preheat for 5 minutes. For a gas grill, heat half the burners over medium-high, cover, and preheat for 10 minutes. Scrape the grate clean and oil it.
5. Take the chuck out of the bag and pat it very dry with paper towels. The liquid in the bag can be stirred into your favorite barbecue sauce and simmered down for extra flavor. Press the reserved salt and pepper mixture over the outside of the chuck.
6. Set the chuck on the cooler side of the grill. Put 4 to 5 hardwood chunks on the hotter side. If you’re using a gas grill, loosely wrap the wood chunks in aluminum foil before setting them over the hotter side. Cover the grill and smoke the chuck, adjusting the vents as needed to hold the temperature between 275 and 300 degrees F (135 and 149 degrees C), and add 2 to 3 more wood chunks twice as it cooks. Smoke until the outside has developed a deep, dark bark, about 3 hours. Then proceed with resting and slicing.
7. To finish in the oven, move an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 300 degrees F (149 degrees C). If your oven has convection, use it and set the heat to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C) instead. Take the chuck out of the sous vide bag and pat it very dry with paper towels. The bag juices can be mixed into your favorite barbecue sauce and simmered down for extra flavor. Rub the reserved salt and pepper mixture over the surface of the chuck. Set the chuck on a wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet, then transfer it to the oven. Roast until the exterior has formed a deep, dark bark, about 2 hours. Then proceed with resting and slicing.
8. Take the chuck off the heat, move it to a cutting board, tent it with foil, and let it cool until the internal temperature falls to between 140 and 165 degrees F (60 and 74 degrees C), 30 minutes to 1 hour, before serving.
9. For serving, cut the meat in half with the grain, guiding your knife between the two largest muscle groups so they separate cleanly. Remove and discard the twine, then place both halves cut side down on the cutting board.
10. Using a sharp chef’s knife or slicing knife, cut the beef into thin slices against the grain. Serve with sliced onion, pickles, and white bread. For the best texture, slice just the amount you plan to serve. Leftover chuck can be wrapped in foil and refrigerated for up to 1 week. Reheat the wrapped leftovers in a 275 degrees F (135 degrees C) oven until hot, about 1 hour.