How do you like your Pit Beef?

Just put it on the menu, it's pretty popular, here's my problem, I smoke the Top to rare/medium rare.
I slice it to order, otherwise it will dry out. To do this I have to refrigerate it, hence cold roast beef sandwich or platter. I can make it hot by dunking it in our beef au jus, but it brings the thin slices to medium, it's still delicious but personally I like my pit beef to look rare. Which way would you prefer your sandwich, cold rare or hot medium?

Hot medium in this corner.

What about undercooking it at the start and then finishing it to rare or medium-rare as it's ordered?  Would cooking it at a higher temperature still set the bark while leaving the center nearly raw?
 
Brad

ScreamingChicken


What about undercooking it at the start and then finishing it to rare or medium-rare as it's ordered?  Would cooking it at a higher temperature still set the bark while leaving the center nearly raw?

Brad

No can do in a smoker as the top temp you can get is 325 degrees!

I've never been fortunate enough to have had a pit beef sandwich, but I know I would prefer it rare. I also know I wouldn't want it cold. Some sort of warming lamp, maybe?

I hate warming lamps.  Either fresh off the smoker or not at all.
 
Pal E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

I've never really given this much thought how the BBQ joints around here of old warmed and held their pork and beef beyond what I seen during serving. It was usually portioned out with tongs from a couple of bain marie's on the table to the plates or sandwiches. The briskets and butts were never finished on the pit after smoking, usually just smoked en masse and held in the walk-in or reach-in until sliced up and placed in the pots. If there was any kind of broth or liquid, I don't recall seeing tongs being rapped against the side or wet sandwiches or sliced meat plates.  How they brought the meat to temp b4 or after slicing, I don't know and I doubt that (at least nowadays) that the table took it from 55 or so degrees to serving. That wouldn't  pass muster with the HD.

In Maryland is it obligatory to have a strip club next door?

kozel


In Maryland is it obligatory to have a strip club next door?

 
No, that is WVa. Md is to sophisticated to require that, optional is OK though.

what is pit beef? BBQed roasts instead of brisket?

How about sealing it in boiling bags and then well... boil to heat through.

mar52


How about sealing it in boiling bags and then well... boil to heat through.

You'd be drawn and quartered for that suggestion in KC.

I guess my posting fell on deaf ears. Packing the sliced meat Sous Vide and using water immersion is pretty much the same thing, although slower Mar52.  But I bet it's what many of the big time chains are doing now and probably will be filtering down to the small operators still using steam tables with Bain Marie pots or pans.
 
Nevermind.

Bill, the smoker types will smoke many butts or other meats for later consumption.  That is how they hold it an then heat it up for later use.

bill voss


what is pit beef? BBQed roasts instead of brisket?

\
Instead of Brisket, it's top round, smoked, the same cut as you get in a supermarket cold cut roast beef. the difference is the smoked flavor.

kozel


In Maryland is it obligatory to have a strip club next door?

I wish!

 I like mine warm and med rare. Like you said CTF, reheating tends to make the meat tough and then it tastes like au jus instead of beef. I really like keeping all roasts, ribs and other meats held for service in an alto sham. Keeps them at the required temp and doesn't over cook. Holds a great smoked prime rib at 125-140 perfectly.
 JMHO 
 
  David O.

that's illegal in KC.

Do the Alto Sham's holding units actually hold that much better then conventional ones David? They make some spectacular claims on their unhumidified halo heat system over conventional holding cabinets.