Delta,
Cool.
Very respectable top end. Easy to work with. [Excuse the editing] Excellent thermostat/thermometer setup. Very cool.
In this case, anything to everything except the hickory. I'm a big fan of oak for
beef, and think you might enjoy mixing the oak with a little of the almond, apple or orange.
Almond can be problematic in stick burners or even as chunk, because it burns very hot. But that shouldn't be any problem at all in your cooker. Apple is nice with everything, so is citrus.
Tough call, but I'm thinking in the neighborhood of 20 minutes a pound or so to medium rare. So, about 2-1/2 hours cook time.
Do not time your roast to the minute! Overestimate the time necessary by a big factor and do a long rest of at least two hours. Partly for the final quality of the meat, and partly to ensure that the smoker's timing doesn't get in the way of the party. Nothing worse than hungry in-laws, hovering, salivating, blaming.
It will also take some of the onus off me, if anything goes wrong.
Obviously you can't rest it that long on the counter. You'll need to wrap it in foil or commercial quality cling wrap, and put it in a tight fitting, insulated cooler with a tight-fitting lid. To the extent that the cooler is too big, you can stuff the extra space with wadded newspaper or towels to make the cooler more efficient. Make sure the lid is on tight.
This is an old comp Q and catering trick. Large
roasts not only hold for quite a while this way, they actually benefit from the long hold.
Yes, it's possible to "over-rest" meat, and give it a weird texture; but that doesn't happen using this method.
Rough cut mirepoix. Paint the
beef bones with a light coating of tomato paste (interesting, eh?). Roast until the bones and veg are browned, about 30 minutes. Put it in a stock pot with water, parsley, some celery tops, peppercorns, some parsnip, a clove of garlic, a very little bit of salt, a bay leaf, a sprig or two of fresh thyme if it's on hand, maybe some more carrots.
Drain the fat, deglaze the pan with water. Add the water deglaze to the kettle. Bring to a simmer, preferably without boiling first. Simmer for a long time, 8 hours ish. Strain with a fine sieve. Taste, continue reducing at a simmer if necessary to concentrate the flavors. Clarify with an egg-white raft if a very clear stock is desired.
I'd make something very much like a chasseur, but with red instead of white wine. It's a demi-based sauce, and I usually make a "classic" demi, that is from an espagnole. In this case, I'd consider going with what Julia Child called a "semi-demi" which is a straight reduction instead.
Alternatively, I'd make a bordelaise and add a ton of sauteed mushrooms to it. That would probably be my first choice.
I think something like the bordelaise or chasseur is in line with what you're looking for.
I can see where the "canned" flavor and extra salt
beef base brings to the party might not work well enough for you. Unfortunately, with homemade stocks and sauces, commercial demi, and a decent commercial base like "Better than Buillon" you've pretty much delineated the options. At the risk of being repetitive, your alternatives are to make your own demi and/or espagnole from your homemade stock in advance; or to find another, more reliable source for commercially made demi.
If I didn't have stock or demi around, honestly, much of the time for "friends and family," I'd go from Better than Buillon, and use the combination of time and a multitude of ingredients to cover my posterior. That's a reflection of my laziness, not a recommendation.
BDL
