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Grilling 24x7 » Recipes » Beef Recipes » Pit Beef BBQ

Pit Beef BBQ

by Frank Campanella Leave a Comment

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Did you know that Baltimore has its own style of BBQ? Pit Beef is one of the most popular sandwiches in Baltimore, and it is hard to find outside of Maryland. almost as popular as crab cakes!!

maryland style pit beef sandwich on the grill

Pit Beef is unique because it is a large cut of beef, like a top round, Bottom Round, or Eye Round that is charged over an open flame at high heat. Shaved thin and topped with condiments like BBQ, tiger sauce, and thinly sliced onion.

Why You Need To Make Pit Beef BBQ

Like West Coast tri, Tip-Pit beef is cooked hot and fast, but pit beef is usually served like a steak at the customer's preferred temperature. Some folks want a cool red-rare pit beef sandwich, while others insist on cooking the beef all the way to well done. I like it somewhere in the medium to medium-rare range, or as I call it, the "Pit Beef Sweet Spot."

Pit beef is a crowd-pleaser for anyone who loves a big, meaty sandwich loaded with shaved beef and customized just the way you like it!! I have had to make pit beef for plenty of Golf tournaments and other large tailgates so I have plenty of experience.

How to make Pit Beef

I made a quick dry rub by combining equal parts garlic powder, black pepper, salt, and a dash of chili powder and rubbed it all over the beef.

I trimmed the fat off the eye round before placing the rub on.

MD style pitbeef sandwich

My eye round was almost circular, but it seemed that there were three sides to it.

For direct grilling purposes, I grilled each "flat side" for 3 minutes over high heat until the beef was nicely seared and then moved it over indirect heat until it was cooked.

MD style pitbeef sandwich

After the searing I was surprised that the internal temperature was only 59 degrees.

MD style pitbeef sandwich

After about 40 minutes of indirect heat the eye round had an internal temperature of 135 which is right were I wanted it today. This will yield a juicy medium rare after a couple minutes of resting.

MD style pitbeef sandwich
Grilled MD style pit beef

Wow! Look at the juices coming out after the 15 min rest.

MD style pitbeef sandwich

Slicing Baltimore Pit Beef

After the 15-60 minute rest I got out my electric knife to cut the eye round as thinly as possible.

When you are using an electric knife to cut roast beef you almost want to chip the meat, to avoid slices that are too thick. If you see the photo above the slices are pretty thick.

After taking the photo I really focused on thin slices. I'm not saying the thick slices weren't any good; they were great!

However, there is something magical about really thin sliced beef, which either requires a meat slicer or great precision with an electric knife.

I think it is a Baltimore thing but I love raw onions and horseradish on my sandwich. Really nice! The next best thing to a Chaps Pit Beef Sandwich!

maryland style pit beef sandwich on the grill

Temperature Guide for Cooking Pit Beef

Here is a temperature chart to determine the various degrees of doneness for your pit beef (pit beef cooking temperatures)


120°F to 125°F, (49°C to 52°C) for rare
130°F to 140°F (55°C to 60°C) for medium rare
145°F to 150°F (63°C to 66°C) for medium
and 155°F to 165°F (68°C to 74°C) for well done (i.e., shoe leather).
(Note: 120° is a pretty rare roast).

How to serve a Pit Sandwich

Serve warm on a kaiser roll topped with sliced onion, bbq sauce and creamy horseradish. you can customize the sandwich however you like.

How to store Baltimore Pit Beef

After you slice the beef you can store the beef in a ziplock container or a sealed container. Should last 5 days in the fridge or 90 days in the freezer.

maryland style pit beef sandwich on the grill

Baltimore Pit Beef Sandwich FAQs

What is the difference between roast beef and pit beef?

This is a great question and I think the answer is: they are the same. However, Pit Beef is usually found on the East Coast around the Baltimore, Maryland region.
You'll see tents set up at fairgrounds offering fantastic pit beef sandwiches which are made from a big chunk of beef cooked over a wood burning fire, or "pit."
Hardwoods are not added to the fire so there is no BBQ style smoke flavor here.
I normally make rotisserie roast beef on my Weber rotisserie attachment but I wanted to try cooking a Costco eye round over direct heat to char it a bit and then cook the rest via indirect to bring the beef up to temperature.
My goal was to make Grilled Maryland Pit Beef sandwiches on my charcoal grill.

Is pit beef the same as brisket?

No, Pit beef is prepare over an open flame and cooked to temperature whereas brisket is cooked low & slow and smoked at a lower temperature until well done and tender.

Why is it called pit beef?

Because the beef is cooked on a pit hot and fast over an open flame and sliced to order instead of traditional low & slow bbq.

Is pit beef served hot or cold?

Pit Beef sandwiches are typically served warm, because the meat is sliced so thin it does tend to cool down fast so its best to serve immediately.

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maryland style pit beef sandwich on the grill
Print Pin

Baltimore Pit Beef Sandwich

Easy Maryland Style Pit Beef Recipe
Course Main Course
Cuisine American, BBQ, Sandwich
Keyword Baltimore, Pit Beef, sandwich
Prep Time 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time 2 hours hours
Total Time 2 hours hours 15 minutes minutes
Servings 10
Calories 272kcal

Ingredients

  • 4 lb Beef Eye Round

Seasonings

  • 2 tbsp Real Salt
  • 1 tbsp Granulated Garlic
  • 1 tbsp Granulated Onion
  • 1 tbsp Black Pepper
  • ½ tbsp Chili Powder

Optional Condiments

  • 1 tbsp Horseradish
  • 1 cup Sliced Onions
  • 1 tbsp BBQ Sauce

Instructions

  • Prepare charcoal grill for high heat.
  • Sear each side of roast for 3-5 minutes then move roast to indirect heat.
  • Continue cooking to an internal temperature is about 130-135 degrees.
  • Slice the roast thinly and serve with sliced onions, horseradish or bbq sauce

Notes

serving size based on 6oz portion of pit beef with condiments. Roll not included

Nutrition

Calories: 272kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 41g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 112mg | Sodium: 1529mg | Potassium: 682mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 119IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 4mg

Nutrition Facts
Baltimore Pit Beef Sandwich
Amount Per Serving
Calories 272 Calories from Fat 81
% Daily Value*
Fat 9g14%
Saturated Fat 3g19%
Cholesterol 112mg37%
Sodium 1529mg66%
Potassium 682mg19%
Carbohydrates 4g1%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 41g82%
Vitamin A 119IU2%
Vitamin C 2mg2%
Calcium 45mg5%
Iron 4mg22%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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