If you've never slow smoked a chuck roast then you don't know what you're missing.  While it's a relatively inexpensive cut of beef, chuck is packed with just the right amount of fat to make it fall apart tender when smoked over low heat for a long period of time. 

In this recipe, the beef is then shredded and served on flour tortillas with tangy coleslaw.

SMOKED BEEF TACOS WITH TANGY SLAW

Ingredients

1 tbsp. Kosher salt

1 tbsp. smoked paprika

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. ground fennel

1 tsp. cracked black pepper

3lb. chuck roast

¼ cup beef broth

Small flour tortillas

Tangy slaw (recipe follows)

Instructions

Add preheated charcoal briquets to a smoker* and pre-heat it to 225-250 degrees. Add 2-3 chunks of your favorite smoking wood to the ashed over charcoal and replace top grill grate.  Combine salt, smoked paprika, oregano, ground fennel, and black pepper in a small bowl and blend well.  Season the chuck roast liberally with the dry rub seasoning. 

Place the chuck roast on the smoker, close the lid, and allow the chuck roast to cook until it reaches 165.  Remove the chuck roast from the smoker and place in the center of a large double layer of aluminum foil.  Add the beef broth, wrap the chuck roast with the foil, and return to the smoker.  Cover the smoker and allow the chuck to cook until it reaches an internal temperature of 195. 

Remove the chuck roast from the smoker and carefully remove it from the foil packet, reserving the collected liquid.  Allow the roast to rest for 10 minutes then shred in to small strands with two forks or by hand. 

Toss with the foil packet liquid and serve on flour tortillas along with the tangy slaw.

* If a smoker isn’t available, prepare grill for 2-zone cooking, placing preheated charcoal briquets on one side of the bottom grate of a kettle grill to create a hot side and a warm side.  Add 2-3 chunks of your favorite smoking wood to the charcoal and replace the top grill grate.  Close the bottom vent almost entirely to maintain a temperature of approximately 225-250 degrees.

TANGY SLAW 

Ingredients

¼ cup red wine vinegar

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 tbsp. whole grain mustard

1 tbsp. sugar

½ tsp. Kosher salt

16 oz. of bagged coleslaw mix

Instructions

Combine vinegar, olive oil, mustard, sugar, and salt in a small bowl and whisk to combine.  Place coleslaw mix in a large bowl, top with the vinegar mixture, and stir to coat the cabbage well.  Refrigerate the coleslaw mixture for at least 30 minutes before serving.