Need advice for authentic BBQ....

[Divide Et Impera]

I bought some beef roast cut and dry rubbed it with a big ol' blend of dark and light brown sugar, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, cumin, black pepper, and paprika. I laid the rub on heavy and wrapped it in saran wrap where it will sit overnight in my fridge.

Now, here's where I need help.

I have a 4-burner gas grill with a large grill surface and one of those small, upper tier warming racks inside the hood.

Since I am working with a direct heat approach to this, how do I slow cook this roast so it comes apart with a fork? Do you know what I mean?

I don't anticipate I'll be able to get a bark on this roast because I don't have a smoker, but should I put the burners on low (so that it cooks at about 200 degrees inside the hood) and put the roast on the upper warming rack? Should I put the roast on a cookie sheet on the warming rack? Do I wrap it in foil?

Basically, what's the best cooking approach?

I think it's about 2.5 pounds in weight....

 

[schutd]

How are you getting the smoke? Are you soaking chips and placing them in foil and then placing that right over the gas burner? Ive never smoked on a gas grill. Are the burners front and back or side to side? If side to side, Id turn one on and one off and place the meat over the off element to avoid too much direct flame. If they are front and back, using your top rack is prolly the best way to go.

But thats just a hypothesis. Make sense in my head however...

 

[MigratingOsprey]

that's similar to how some can do it ......... i use my smoker so I've never had to mess around too much

at my brothers we used his cooking method but I foild wrapped some wood chips to get some smoke on some ribs we had

250 is a good temp for bbq - with 4 burners i would keep them on one side and off the other where the meat is ...... depending on how reliable your gasser is and how big your warming rack get a pan of water set on the side without heat and the meat on the rack above it to help regulate temps and keeps some moisture in the cooker

i'd definitely foil wrap some chips - just wrap them and then run a knife through a few areas to allow air in and smoke out - they should smolder and not burn .... you may need a few of them and re-add over cooking

 

[Divide Et Impera]

It's a reliable grill and I have an external temp guage.

The four burners run left to right, so if you are standing in front of the grill, they are perpendicular to your position and evenly spaced. So, turning on one half and leaving the other half will work wonderfully.

I bough hickory chips and I have a metal loaf pan that I will put water in.

All I need now is a good time estimate, guys.

Thanks in advance for all your great advice....

 

[schutd]

Its all about the weight, and the temp you get. We do briskets (12-14#) @ 180 degrees for upwards of 10-12 hours. Adjust accordingly if you hit Ospreys 250. Id personally go for longer time/less temp if its an option.

 

[MigratingOsprey]

Likewise - I just mentioned the 250 because he stated he could hold his grill there ....... my gas grill isn't that reliable and I think i'd have trouble pegging that temp

I generally do brisket at around 215-220 .... that's the temp I do most of my bbq

sounds like it should be good ..... best of luck

 

[Divide Et Impera]

It turned out pretty good. The only problem is that I didn't heat up the water to a boil and the wood packs to a smoke before putting the roast on. I'll adjust next time. However, I did get a good bark, but had I gotten a good smoke and boil, I probably would have had a better bark. Either way, it was (again) pretty good.

Thanks for the help. I literally don't know how it would have turned out without your guys' advice. For example, I wouldn't have thought to do the smoke packets and the water.

See you all next round!

 

[Gaddabout]

If I have to use the gas grill, I get the heat up to about 800 degrees and sear the meat. I then kill the heat down to low and cool it to about 250 degrees and slow cook the meat. Make sure you keep the meat away from a burner. You really don't want it to hit 300 degrees so keep an eye on it.

Gas grills are for grilled chicken and burgers in a hurry, IMO. They're not for real BBQ.