I grew up in Laurel, Maryland, just down Route 1 South of Baltimore, and was going to Baltimore Orioles games in the 70s to watch Brooks & Frank Robinson, Boog Powell and the boys play baseball at Memorial Stadium. You could say Maryland is in my blood. The first time I had “pit beef” was at Boog Powell’s BBQ stand at Camden Yards, and I began to understand why this local favorite is so popular. Pit beef is in a class of its own, and we owe it all to the area East of Baltimore. I digress.
Maryland pit beef is round roast cooked over charcoal, with a crunchy slightly charred exterior, and cooked to no more than medium rare. Sliced into thin, pink ribbons, then piled high on a Kaiser Roll with the bite of horseradish, the creaminess of mayo, and the punch of thin-sliced raw onion. The taste is reminiscent of a slightly smoky roast beef with a blast of flavor from the charred edges.
For this recipe I tried to stay well within the regional traditions while applying some of the things I’ve learned over two decades of grilling and barbecuing. This method uses a technique called “reverse sear”, which involves smoking the meat first then searing at the end for flavor and crust.
Ingredients
Print RecipePit beef
- 3-4 lbs top or bottom round (we used top round, sometimes labeled London Broil)
- Dizzy Pig Cow Lick beef rub to coat (also good with Raising the Steaks or Game On!)
- Coarse salt
- 1 small red or yellow onion, sliced thin
Creamy Hopradish Sauce
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup prepared horseradish
- 1 Tbsp Dizzy Pig IPA hop seasoning
