Overview
A whole chuck is going to have a good amount of fat. Don’t be alarmed. This is good fat that will break down slowly and infuse the whole dish with softness and flavour. Unlike brisket and flank, we want this meat to break down enough for you to pull it apart with a fork. We’ll get this with a higher temperature, by cooking indirect, and by tightly wrapping it after its long cook so it can rest and finish.
Prepping the chuck is next to no work. All you’ll need to do is trim away the larger pieces of fat and any tough sinew. The bigger the piece of meat, the bigger the flavour. Always ask for dry-aged beef – it’s way better.
Make the dough
A day in advance, place all dry ingredients for the naan into a bowl. Melt the beef tallow along with bone marrow or beef fat. Mix in the water then make a well in the centre of this wet mixture. Pour the yoghurt into the well.
Start to bring in and pull back the dough, kneading it for a good 20 minutes to really work the gluten. Leave it to prove overnight in the fridge, then and knock it back in the morning. If you’re short on time, you can leave it in a warm place for a few hours instead.
Rub the meat
Give the chuck a good smother in Dijon mustard. Mix together equal amounts of salt and pepper, then dust it over the meat.
Set up your EGG
Soak 4 Hickory Premium Woodchunks in cold water for 30 minutes.
Load and light your EGG. Once the coals are good and hot, throw in the pre-soaked woodchunks. Set up for indirect cooking with the ConvEGGtor in a legs-up position topped with the Stainless Steel Grid. The target temperature is 160˚C.
Cook the chuck
Cook the chuck for 6 hours, then wrap in Pink Butcher Paper to rest for a further 3 hours. Don’t be tempted to skimp on the resting time; it’s crucial! Once fully rested, pull it apart with forks or Meat Claws.
Make the pickles
Pickling is so easy and forgiving; the longer you leave the better it gets.
Make the pickling liquor by place everything apart from the dill and the vegetables in a pan. Bring to a rolling boil for 10 minutes, then remove from the heat. Chuck in the dill and let it sit for a good hour. Pass it off and let it cool.
Make sure your veg is all cut evenly. I love using fennel and young cucumbers, but anything can work: beets, carrots, celery — whatever you fancy. Combine with the pickling liquor and leave it to work its magic.
Make the chimichurri
Chop the herbs, chillies and garlic until super fine, then add to a pestle and mortar with the oil and lime to make a paste. Alternatively, simply whizz everything up in a food processor.
Bake the naan
When the chuck is close to being fully rested, set your EGG up for direct cooking with a grid in place, topped with a Baking Stone. The target temperature is 350˚C.
Melt the extra tallow in a pan, then set aside to cool to a tepid temperature.
Roll out the naan breads to around 2mm thick, making sure any excess flour is off, then place on the stone. Each one should take literally seconds to cook. Don't flip them! Just whip them off, and brush with melted tallow.
