Smoked Chuckie Steak Nuggets

There is this "Chuckie Challenge" TD going on and I had all but decided to pass on this one. I've never really been a big fan of pulled beef or pot roast, so I thought I'd leave it up to the pepper stout beef folks to duke it out in the TD. But I've always liked flat-iron steak, and I think recently there have been a lot of online blog posts and videos showing you how to butterfly the cheap flat iron cut of meat. And I believe that the flat iron steak comes from the chuck subprimal, so I'm throwing my hat into the ring here...

There's always lots of these beautiful top blade steaks in the meat case at Safeway...they look like little flat-irons, don't they???



Now I know there's a big string of gristle in there, but I'll deal with that later. First, a little Meatchurch Holy Cow...



We were having a nice catered party in the backyard this weekend, so all my big ugly BBQ toys were relegated to the side yard. Didn't stop me though...light up a few sticks and I was in business...



After a couple hours in the smoke, the flat iron steaks came out and looked gooooood!



Good enough to eat, but hold on...we're not done yet! Still have that line of gristle in the middle to deal with...Cubed up all the steaks and ended up with a pile of gristle-free morsels of goodness!



Quick dusting of flour...



Dipped in egg wash and dredged in seasoned flour (lots of dill, black and white pepper, red chili flakes, garlic powder, and a little Maker's Mark)...



Quick swim in the 350F...



Topped with parmesan and dill and red chili flakes with a side of Ranch dressing...



So I might not be a big fan of Pepper Stout Beef, but these Smoked Chuckie Steak Nuggets are a little bit irresistible!



We're all pretty used to deep-fried fish, chicken, and pork, but you just don't see deep-fried beef too much. I'd say, give it a try!

:thumb::thumb::thumb:

Thanks Y'all! It was an interesting and fun cook. I was hesitant to buy the steaks initially because of all the negative things I read on the internet about the whole gristle line and everything. But aside from that the meat was supposed to be great, and the supermarket wouldn't keep offering them for sale if they were so terrible to eat, right? So inexpensive, too!

And they were great! The dill complemented the fried beef nicely...offering a nice herbaceous flavor contrasting the richness of the beef and batter.