Bulgogi Chuck Roast

[BedouinBob]

Well I picked up the gauntlet from DivotMaker and in the name of science tried doing a Bulgogi spin on a chuck roast. I tried it on a chuck roast so it wouldn't cost so much to experiment.  For the uninitiated, Bulgogi is a Korean sauce that is great on grilled meats. For the sauce:

2.5 Tbs Brown Sugar
2 Tbs Minced Garlic
2 Tbs Sesame Oil
1/3 C Soy Sauce
1/4 C Onion
2 Tbs Sesame Seed
1/2 Tsp Black Pepper
1 Tbs Lemon Juice
2 Tbs Fresh Ginger
1/2 Tsp Red Pepper Flake
1 Kiwi Fruit
Splash of Fish Sauce

Ran all of the ingredients through the blender before I added the sesame seed and pepper flakes.

Put the chuck roast and the sauce in a plastic bag to marinate for 2 days. Then into the smoker with 5 oz mix of oak and apple wood along with a pan of apple juice. The roast plateaued out at 147 for quite a while. I pulled the roast at 195 on the ol' Maverick. The total cook time was 13 hours which really surprised me since I was guessing closer to 8 hours. Almost all of the juice was gone.

I have to say that the results were mixed.  I will probably try this again but with shorter marinade time and about half of the wood. The smoke seemed to overpower the Asian flavors. I was also pretty surprised that the result wasn't more moist but that was probably due to the long cook time.

I may try to pull it after plateau at about 170 next time. Any suggestions on how to keep it moist better is appreciated. Anyone have successes with chuck roasts? I am not particularly into wrapping midway. Anyhoo pictures below. Enjoy!

 

[DivotMaker]

How was the taste, Bob?  I used to love bulgogi when I was in Korea!  Never thought of trying to do a roast with that flavor.

The dryness is a bit of a stumper.  I've wanted to smoke a chuck roast, but haven't yet.  I thought it would remain pretty moist, due to the fat content.  One thing that might help is injecting the roast with the marinade.  If you blend it, and make it thin enough, you should be able to. 

There may be a "magic" temperature, too, but I don't know what it is - hopefully others will chime in.

 

[Walt]

What was the thought process for reducing the marinade time?  I agree that injecting the solution should help some with moisture retention but will definately help with flavor intensification of your flavor profile.  I find more moisture benefits from brineing & more flavor benefits from injecting.  However, a flavored brine will add value particularly on the surface & an injection will add value for some moisture retention.  Your marinade should act as a brine considering the salt content in the soy & fish sauce as well as the sugar. 
What temp did you use 225?

 

[BedouinBob]

The flavor was overtaken a bit by the smoke. I have had Bulgogi in Korea with Korean friends and love the flavor. But unfortunately it got lost, hence my perceived need to reduce wood used. I set the smoker to 225 and injected with 50/50 water and Worcestershire sauce. I was afraid of adding more soy sauce since that was in the marinade. I only marinaded for 2 days because the Kiwi is a tenderizer and I was afraid it would make the meat mushy. It tasted good overall but just not enough Bulgogi flavor I was looking for. Maybe I will vacuum seal it to marinade next time. Not sure why it was dry.

 

[Walt]

I like to do similar cooks with odd flavor profiles.  When I do that I use half the normal amount of wood so there is a subtle smoke component.  It brings a light Smokey profile without overpowering.  The moistness also has me stumped.

 

[BedouinBob]

Thanks Walt. How much and what type of wood would you use? Stick with Apple since it is a bit milder? Regarding the moistness, I had quite a bit of moisture in the marinade bag when I took the roast out to smoke it. I may try it again and marinade in a vacuum bag to see if that helps. What are your thoughts on pulling early at say 170 and slice it?

 

[Walt]

I would use about 3oz of a mild wood (apple or cherry). My girls prefer the 195 to 200 range for these types of cooks.  Many here do enjoy it @ 170 so it might be worth a try.

 

[DivotMaker]

Bob, I like oak on beef.  It's milder than hickory, but has a more "traditional" BBQ flavor than some of the fruit woods.  It's just me, but I'm not a fan of apple on beef at all.  Cherry's good, though.