Pit Beef Recipe
Pit beef is a Baltimore classic that’s all about smoky, charred beef served rare or medium rare on a soft roll. It’s bold, simple, and packed with a punch when done right.
How Should Pit Beef Be Cooked?
Pit beef is typically cooked over a hot charcoal grill, often on an open pit or offset smoker. The meat is seared at high heat to build a crust, then cooked until the inside stays pink and juicy. You want to aim for rare to medium rare, so the beef stays tender and easy to slice thin.
Use a meat thermometer to check for doneness. Remove it from the grill when the internal temperature hits around 125°F for rare or 135°F for medium rare. Let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Always slice it thin across the grain for the most tender bite.
What Cut Of Beef Is Pit Beef?
The traditional cut for pit beef is top round. It’s lean, affordable, and has a beefy taste that stands up to the high heat of charcoal grilling. You can also use bottom round or eye of round if needed, but top round remains the standard.
Because this cut can be a bit tough if overcooked, keeping it pink in the middle is key. A good spice rub helps develop a crust on the outside while locking in moisture.
What’s The Difference Between Roast Beef And Pit Beef?
Roast beef is usually cooked in an oven and often includes different cuts like ribeye or chuck. It’s cooked more gently, sometimes with liquid, and is usually served warm or cold in slices.
Pit beef, on the other hand, is all about that smoky char from live fire. It’s cooked over coals, served hot, and sliced ultra-thin right off the grill. While roast beef might come with gravy or au jus, pit beef is more likely to be served with raw onion, horseradish, or a simple mayo-based tiger sauce.
What Goes Well With Pit Beef?
Pit beef sandwiches are hearty, so sides should be simple and sturdy. Here are some go-to options:
- Potato chips or fries
- Coleslaw for a cool crunch
- Pickles for tang
- Baked beans or macaroni salad for a picnic feel
- Cold beer or iced tea to wash it all down
For toppings, raw white onions and tiger sauce are the classics. You can also add lettuce, tomato, or pickled jalapeños if you want to change it up.
Storage Instructions
Leftover pit beef should be cooled completely, then stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Keeps well for 3 to 4 days.
- Reheat slices gently in a skillet or wrap them in foil and warm in the oven.
- Avoid the microwave to keep the meat from drying out.
- If you made extra spice rub, store it in a jar and keep it in a cool, dry place for next time.
- 1 charcoal smoker
- 1 4 lb top or bottom round roast
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 cup mayo
- ½ – ¾ cup prepared horseradish depending on your spice level
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 garlic clove minced
- salt and pepper to taste
- 12 buns toasted
- 1 white onion thinly sliced
- For the beef. In a small bowl, mix together all of the seasonings. Coat the beef in olive oil and then liberally apply the spice mix, being sure to cover all sides.
- Cover, and refrigerate for at least one hour or up to a day. Remove 1 hour before cooking to bring to room temp.
- Bring your smoker to 275 ℉. Place beef in smoker and smoke until the internal temp reaches 120℉ for rare, 125℉ for medium rare (about 1 hour – 1.5 hours).
- Make the sauce. While your meat smokes, in a small bowl, combine all of the tiger sauce. Taste, and adjust salt and pepper if necessary. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes.
- After resting, cut against the grain into slices as thin as possible. To assemble, place as many slices as desired onto a bun, top with tiger sauce, and then top with onions.
