Baltimore Pit Beef

Some more lerve for Cooks Illustrated/America's Test Kitchen/Chris Kimball.  If ever I could be persuaded to move full-time to the snow-barren Northeast, it would be to work for these folks. 

If I am ever going to make a beef roast for sandwiches, this will be my recipe.  

Now, it does call for (authentically) charring on the grill, but since my personal comfort range for cooking outdoors ranges from about 60F to 75F ambient temperature, this will only fly for about 3 weeks out of the year.  

On the recent Superbow...er, Big Game... weekend (during which the Baltimore Rave...er, East Coast Team...prevailed), I used a combination of oven-roasting and stovetop cast iron grilling to make this to very good reviews.

Baltimore Pit Beef
Makes 10 servings

4 tsp salt
1 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp cayenne

4-5 lb. beef roast (CI calls for top sirloin, I used a rump roast), halved crosswise

For serving:
10 kaiser rolls
1 onion, thinly sliced (optional)
Tiger Sauce (equal parts mayo and prepared horseradish with a squirt of lemon juice and grated garlic)

Combine spices.  Pat roasts dry with paper towels and rub with 2 tbsp of spice mix.  Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and fridge overnight (or freeze now).

Roast about 45-60 minutes at 350F, until meat is 100F.  In the last 10 minutes or so of roasting, heat a cast iron grill pan on medium-high heat, lightly oiling the pan.  Move the roasts to the grill pan and sear, turning to get all sides, about 20 minutes total.  Meat should register 120-125F.  Put on a carving board, tent with foil and let rest 15 minutes.

Slice thinly against the grain.  Serve on rolls with sliced onions and a dollop of tiger sauce. Pin It