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Baltimore Pit Beef Sandwiches

Source of Recipe

From "Cook it in Cast Iron" by America's Test Kitchen


Recipe Introduction

"Baltimore pit beef traditionally starts as a massive spice-rubbed beef roast that's grilled over a hot fire until it's thoroughly charred on the outside and a juicy medium-rare on the inside. The meat is then shaved paper thin, piled on a kaiser roll, topped with a horseradish mayo known as tiger sauce, and finally covered with sliced onions. For our cast-iron skillet version of this regional classic, we started by coating the meat with a bold spice rub of salt, pepper, paprika, oregano, garlic powder, and cayenne, reserving some extra rub to coat the meat just before searing. After letting the spice-rubbed meat rest for at least an hour to become well seasoned, we added the remaining rub to the beef, got our cast iron skillet ripping hot, and seared all sides of the roast to develop charred crust to rival the one usually achieved on a grill. We then transferred the skillet, meat and all, to a low-temperature oven where the meat gently finished cooking through to a perfect medium-rare while we prepared the tiger sauce. Buy refrigerated prepared horseradish, not the shelf-stable kind, which contains preservatives and additives. Look for an evenly shaped roast with a ¼-inch fat cap."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ Kosher salt and pepper
â—¦ 1 tablespoon paprika
â—¦ 1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried
â—¦ 1 teaspoon garlic powder
â—¦ ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
â—¦ 1 (3-pound) boneless top sirloin roast, trimmed
â—¦ 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
â—¦ â…“ cup mayonnaise
â—¦ â…“ cup prepared horseradish
â—¦ ¾ teaspoon lemon juice
â—¦ 1 small clove garlic, minced
â—¦ 6 to 8 kaiser rolls
â—¦ 1 small onion, halved and sliced thin


Recipe

Combine 4 teaspoons salt, 1 tablespoon pepper, paprika, oregano, garlic powder, and cayenne in bowl. Rub 2 tablespoons spice mixture over roast, wrap tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 225 degrees. Pat roast dry with paper towels and rub with remaining spice mixture. Heat 12-inch cast iron skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add oil and heat until just smoking. Brown roast on all sides, 8 to 12 minutes.

Flip roast fat side up, transfer skillet to oven, and roast until meat registers 120 to 125 degrees (for medium-rare), 1 to 1 ½ hours.

Using potholders, remove skillet from oven. Transfer roast to carving board, tent loosely with aluminum foil, and let rest for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine mayonnaise, horseradish, lemon juice, and garlic in bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Slice roast thin against grain. Transfer sliced beef to rolls, top with onion slices, and drizzle with sauce. Serve.

Serves 6 to 8