Mix together all of the dry rub ingredients in a small bowl and stir until well combined. Coat the chuck roast all over with the yellow mustard, using your hands or a pastry brush to spread it into a thin, even layer. This acts as a binder and disappears completely during the cook; you will not taste it.

Sprinkle the dry rub generously over all sides of the roast, pressing it in lightly so it adheres. You want an even coating, but not so thick that you cannot see any of the meat underneath. Too heavy a coat will block the smoke from penetrating and can prevent bark from forming properly.

Place the seasoned roast on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate, uncovered, for 8 hours or overnight (max 24 hours). If you are short on time, let it sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before smoking.

This jam can be made a day ahead and reheated, which frees up your time on smoke day. Add the bacon pieces to a large, heavy-bottomed skillet or Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the fat has fully rendered and the bacon is deeply crisp, about 30 to 35 minutes. You want the pieces genuinely crispy here, because they will soften slightly once they go back into the jam. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate and pour off all but 2 to 3 tablespoons of the bacon fat from the pan.

Add the chopped onions to the pan with the reserved bacon fat and cook over medium-low heat, stirring every 5 to 10 minutes, for about 8-10 minutes until they begin to soften. Add the brown sugar and stir to combine. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for another 50 to 60 minutes until the onions are deeply golden, jammy, and reduced. Do not rush this step by turning up the heat; low and slow is what turns onions into something magical.

Add the crispy bacon back to the pan along with 3 tablespoons of the bourbon, the balsamic vinegar, apple cider vinegar, coffee, and thyme sprigs. Stir everything together and cook for another 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has mostly cooked down. Add the water and the remaining 1 tablespoon of bourbon, stir to combine, and cook for 5 more minutes. Remove and discard the thyme sprigs. Season with salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste. The jam should be thick and spoonable. If it tightens up too much as it sits, stir in another tablespoon or two of water. Makes approximately 1 ½ cups.

Combine all of the spritz ingredients in a clean spray bottle, shake gently to mix, and set aside.

Get your pellet smoker started with the lid open. Then close the lid and heat to 225°F for 15 minutes. Oak, hickory, or pecan wood pellets all work well here. Cherry adds a sweeter smoke if you prefer a milder flavor.

Place the chuck roast directly on the grill grate. Insert a leave-in wireless thermometer probe into the thickest part of the roast, making sure it is not touching fat or resting against the grate. Close the lid.

After the first hour, begin spritzing the roast lightly with the bourbon coffee spritz about every 45 minutes. Do not overdo it. A light mist is all you need. The goal is to keep the surface from drying out too fast while still allowing the bark to build. Don’t leave the lid open any longer than necessary.

Smoke the roast at 225°F until the internal temperature reaches 160°F to 165°F, which will take approximately 3 to 4 hours depending on the size and shape of your roast. At this point you will see a dark, mahogany crust forming on the outside. This is the bark, and it is exactly what you are after.

The temperature stall on chuck roast often hits right in the 150°F to 160°F window and it can feel like nothing is happening for a long stretch. If you have time, wait it out. The stall will break on its own, usually within 1 to 2 hours, and the bark will be even better for it. If the roast is at least 155°F, you can wrap it early to save time. The butcher paper will trap heat and help push through the stall faster without steaming the bark.

Lay out a large piece of uncoated butcher paper on a clean work surface. If you are using 24" wide paper, pull a generous length of about 24 to 30 inches and one layer is sufficient as long as your wrap is snug. If you are using 18" wide paper, pull about 36 inches and use two overlapping sheets or fold and wrap in two layers to make sure you have enough paper to seal the roast completely without fighting the edges.

Remove the roast from the smoker and place it towards one end of the butcher paper. Increase the smoker temperature to 250°F while you wrap the roast. Slice the 2 tablespoons of salted butter and add it on top of the roast. To wrap, fold the nearest narrow end over the roast. Then fold both sides over the tip, overlapping in the center. Roll the roast once and tug on it to tighten the folds. Leaving the width of the roast plus an inch or two of remaining paper, trim off the excess. Fold the end over about an inch or two to help contain juices. Roll the roast one more time.

Place the wrapped roast back on the smoker seam side down so the weight of the roast holds everything closed. Continue cooking until the internal temperature reaches 200°F to 203°F and the roast feels probe tender when you test it.

If the roast reaches 200°F but isn’t probe tender, continue checking on it every 15-20 minutes. If the roast never feels probe tender, remove from the smoker at 215°F anyway.

Remove the roast from the smoker and do not unwrap it. Set it on a baking sheet or cutting board and let it rest, still wrapped, for a full 60 minutes before slicing. This step is not optional. During the rest, the internal temperature will continue to rise slightly and then slowly drop as the juices redistribute back into the meat. Cutting into it too early will cause those juices to run out onto your board instead of staying in every bite.

Carefully unwrap the roast, preserving the meat juice for serving. Slice against the grain into ½-inch thick slices, or pull it apart with two forks if you prefer a shredded style. Arrange on a serving platter and spoon a touch of reserved meat juice over the slices. Top generously with warm bourbon bacon onion jam. Serve extra jam alongside for the table.