5 Beef Cuts Sold At Costco That Are The Best To Smoke

There are two reasons smoked beef can be irresistible when done right: the deep, savory notes infused during the long smoking process, and the tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture. Like any food, though, it is possible to go horribly wrong. Leaving the meat in the smoker for too long, or at too high a temperature, are among the most common mistakes people make while smoking their briskets. The biggest mistake, however, is picking the wrong cut of beef in the first place.

The cuts of beef that are usually the hardest to break down are the same ones that do well in a low-and-slow smoker. They have a few things in common. They are tough and fatty, with lots of marbling, collagen, and connective tissue. When exposed to low heat for long hours, these proteins and fats break down slowly, releasing delicious flavors and delivering juicy, supremely tender beef.

While brisket and ribs are two cuts of beef that are most commonly cooked in a smoker, there are a few others that will break down beautifully as well. All of these are quite easily available at Costco. Also, we've put together this list keeping a range of price points in mind. The one thing you'll need to remember is that each cut has its own set of cooking instructions — small tweaks in temperature and time that will make or break your smoked beef dinner. Meanwhile, here are two great steak marinades if you're looking for some inspiration, one with 17 ingredients and the other with just three.

The brisket is the undisputed king of American barbecue. The large cut from the lower chest area of the cow, brisket, has lots of muscle, connective tissue, and rich marbling that renders perfectly in a smoker. Briskets also develop a phenomenal, dark, and crusty bark that is full of concentrated flavor from the meat, the rub, and the smoke. The brisket at Costco sells at under $7 per pound, which means a 15- to 17-pound cut is likely to set you back by approximately $100 to $120. Look for a cut which has a good amount of marbling or a nice fat cap — it's the slow rendering of the fat that keeps the brisket nice and juicy.

As for cooking instructions, you can smoke the brisket at 225 degrees Fahrenheit for 12 to 16 hours (the size of the brisket will come into play here). You don't have to rely on guesswork, though. Grab a meat thermometer, and stop smoking when your meat hits an internal temperature of 205 degrees Fahrenheit.

Now to the most important part: flavor. The smoke from oak, cherry, hickory, and pecan is well-matched with the meatiness of the brisket. In terms of seasoning, there are two directions to choose from. When it comes to adding flavor to brisket, some pitmasters recommend keeping the seasoning simple — just salt and pepper. However, the rub used in our smoked brisket recipe has slightly more complex sweet-and-spicy flavors, with an ingredient list featuring salt, pepper, brown sugar, pepper flakes, garlic powder, and cumin. Cooking your brisket fat side down is also highly recommended as it ensures a perfectly caramelized crust.

Purchase Kirkland Signature Beef Brisket at Costco for around $6.80 per pound (approximately 17 pounds per package).

The words "barbecue" and "ribs" usually trigger an association with pork. And while we'd be happy to dive into a plate of pork ribs at short notice (especially these oven-smoked ribs that can rival anything made in a backyard smoker), beef ribs are right up there when it comes to texture and flavor. More so when they've been cooking away in the smoker for six to eight hours. The thing with ribs, though, is that not all of them are created equal. This means it's very important to know which beef ribs are best to grill versus smoke. 

You'll find a variety of beef ribs at Costco, including beef back ribs, short ribs, and chuck ribs. From this set, the ones to avoid are the beef back ribs, which are leaner cuts that are likely to dry out easily. However, if you spot a packet of beef plate short ribs at your local Costco, grab them without a second thought. Popularly known as "dino ribs," the ribs from this section have loads of fat, which makes them perfect to smoke. If you can't find plate ribs, go for the bone-in beef chuck short ribs, which are more widely available. 

Plate ribs need to smoke at 250 degrees Fahrenheit for six to eight hours, at which point, the meat should start pulling back from the bone. If it's chuck ribs that you're smoking, do it at 225 degrees Fahrenheit for eight to 10 hours. A great way to retain moisture in the ribs is to wrap them in aluminum foil with some beef broth once they've been cooking for around five hours. Not only will your ribs turn out super-juicy, but they'll also take less time to cook.

Purchase Kirkland Signature USDA Choice Beef Plate Short Rib at Costco for around $11.50 per pound (approximately 4.5 pounds per package).

The tri-tip is distinctive because of its shape. The triangular muscle comes from the lower sirloin, and is also known as the "California cut" or the "Santa Maria steak." Unlike the brisket or ribs, which have a reputation as great cuts for smoking, tri-tips fly a little bit under the radar. They are far leaner than the first two, but still have delicious amounts of marbling on them. Tri-tips are popular because they're cheaper than some other steaks, like ribeye or strip. The best ways to cook tri-tip, according to a chef, are to either barbecue it Santa Maria style or to slow roast it in an oven.

However, pitmasters believe tri-tips turn out surprisingly well when smoked. "I've done tri tips like brisket a few times," one enthusiast wrote on Reddit. "Amazing flavor and taste! Not dry at all!" Another user was thrilled they got it right at the first attempt, having followed the advice of more experienced grill masters on the r/smoking subreddit. "Y'all weren't lying, it was phenomenal," they wrote. To follow this method, you smoke the tri-tip at 225 degrees Fahrenheit until the internal temperature reaches 130. Following this, reverse sear the steak on a hot cast-iron skillet until a nice crust forms on the outside. The entire process shouldn't take more than two hours.

You can buy tri-tip at Costco for around $12 per pound. Each packet weighs around 4 pounds, so buying this cut will cost you under $50 for a delicious smoked beef dinner.

Purchase Kirkland Signature USDA Choice Beef Loin Tri Tip Roast at Costco for around $12 per pound (approximately 4 pounds per package).

The chuck roast is a cut of meat that comes from the area around the front shoulder of the cow, just above the brisket, between the neck and the ribs. It's one of the most overworked sets of muscles on the animal, which means the meat is tough, with lots of fat, gristle, and connective tissues. It's one of the cheaper cuts of meat available, and is often referred to as "the poor man's brisket," a description that invariably triggers lengthy debates since brisket costs less per pound than chuck. The logic is that while brisket costs a couple of dollars less per pound, the total investment in brisket is more than in chuck roast because of their respective weights. Packets of trimmed, boneless chuck roast are available at Costco for around $55.

Either way, the big advantage of being the poor man's brisket is that chuck roast is perfect if you're looking for something to cook low-and-slow in the smoker. There's a second advantage as well. Being a smaller cut of meat (approximately 6.5 pounds, versus the 17 pounds for brisket), you don't need to wait for 12 to 15 hours for the meat to cook — it'll be ready to eat in less than five hours. "There is so little prep for a chuck roast too," one user wrote on Reddit. "Just dry brine it for two-three days and then smoke it, bam it's done in a fraction of the time and way better. I have two waiting in my fridge right now."

Purchase Kirkland Signature USDA Choice Beef Chuck Pot Roast Boneless at Costco for around $8.50 per pound (approximately 6.5 pounds per package).

The ribeye roast is a primal cut of beef from the front section of the backbone, and is also known as "boneless prime rib" or "boneless rib roast." This is the same cut of meat from which we get rib-eye steaks, which are pricey but perfect for beginner grillers. When we asked Chef David Rose, executive chef for Omaha Steaks, to weigh in on the best cuts of meat for roast beef, he described the rib roast as having a jaw-dropping presence, with "intramuscular fat that renders into the roast for the perfect bite." This intramuscular fat also makes it a great choice for the smoker.

In terms of temperature and time, you need to get your smoker to 250 degrees Fahrenheit, and then smoke the roast until it reaches an internal temperature of 140 to 145 degrees. This usually takes around three to four hours, at the end of which, your roast should have a nice, dark crust, much like the one that develops on a brisket.

Let's be clear, though — this is definitely something you're only picking up if you're in the mood for a bit of a splurge. At Costco, the boneless ribeye roast costs around $17 per pound, by far the most expensive on the list. Going by comments online, it's definitely worth it. "Just smoked a 3 rib roast for the first time," an enthusiastic pitmaster wrote on Reddit. "One of the best things I've made and surprisingly easy."

Purchase Kirkland Signature USDA Choice Beef Ribeye Roast Boneless at Costco for around $17 per pound (approximately 6 pounds per package).