Maryland-Style Pit Beef

Wow, this Maryland-style pit beef is incredible. So very flavorful. Incredibly flavorful. Easily the best tasting (smoked) roast beef I’ve ever had. A good amount of the meat disappeared while I was slicing it, that’s for sure.

This beef is so incredibly tender. I used a top round, which isn’t a cheap cut, but you could substitute a bottom round if you have to. If you want even more tender meat and great flavor, a top sirloin can also be substituted but you’re going to pay for it. I found the top round was just perfect.

Maryland-Style Pit Beef

If you ‘fear’ rare beef, do not. If you overcook this pit beef you will not have a happy day. Keep it rare and enjoy the wonderful juices and flavors.

Although I have a meat slicer, I ended up slicing this Maryland-style pit beef roast with my chef’s knife. It’s a Wusthof, and it has a lot of use on it. A lot.

Although I sharpen my knives by hand, I recently purchased a Chef’s Choice 1520 sharpener that is absolutely amazing. My knives are incredibly sharp now. The sharpener is one of the best purchases I’ve made in a long time. It only takes minutes to use, and it supports both 20 degree (European) and 15 degree (Asian) knives, which is a really nice feature to have.

Also try my grilled rib roast with gravy.

Maryland-Style Pit Beef
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5 from 1 vote

Maryland-Style Pit Beef

Wow, this Maryland-style pit beef is incredible. So very flavorful. Incredibly flavorful. Easily the best tasting (smoked) roast beef I’ve ever had. A good amount of the meat disappeared while I was slicing it, that’s for sure.
Course Main
Cuisine American
Keyword beef, sandwich
Prep Time 12 hours
Cook Time 3 hours
Total Time 15 hours
Servings 10
Calories 364kcal

Ingredients

For the pit beef

For the sandwiches

Instructions

For the pit beef

  • Place the beef on a large sheet of aluminum foil.
  • Combine the remaining ingredients and rub on all sides of the meat. Depending on the size of the roast you might need all of the seasoning.
  • Wrap up in foil and seal tightly.
  • Refrigerate overnight.

On the smoker

  • Fire up a smoker for cooking 225 – 250 F. Use hickory chunks or fruit wood.
  • Place beef on smoker and cook until the internal temperature reaches 135 F. For my 3 pound round, this took about 4 hours, but you should start checking yours after 3 hours depending on the size, shape, temperature conditions.
  • Remove meat from smoker and wrap in foil for at least 30 minutes before slicing against the grain.

On the grill

  • Fire up a grill for direct and indirect cooking.
  • Place beef on grill over direct heat and sear on all sides.
  • Move to indirect heat and cook until the internal temperature reaches 135 F.
  • Remove meat from grill and wrap in foil for at least 30 minutes before slicing against the grain.

For the sandwiches

  • Toast buns, if desired
  • Slather buns with the sauce.
  • Add plenty of onion then mound up the thinly-sliced beef.
  • Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 364kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 83mg | Sodium: 1084mg | Potassium: 569mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 63IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 14mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Prime Rib on the Char-Broil Big Easy

Note: This recipe was developed using the Char-Broil Big Easy Oil-Less Fryer. If you are cooking using the Char-Broil Smoker-Roaster Grill you should cook with the lid open and the temperature set to High. You might also need to adjust the cooking time.

This was my first time making prime rib on my Char-Broil Big Easy. It will definitely not be the last time. Preparation and cooking were, as always with the Big Easy, easy. And the end result was just crazy good. Tender, beefy and just flat out delicious. Incredible. This ended up being one of the best meals I’ve ever had.

Prime Rib on the Char-Broil Big Easy

I started with an almost-five pound rib roast. All I did was salt and pepper it. Nothing fru-fru. Just rubbed it on and into the Big Easy. Like I said, prime rib on the Char-Broil Big Easy is easy!

Prime Rib on the Char-Broil Big Easy

About 2 hours later the meat hit 125 F (and a bit higher in spots, so next time I’ll keep a closer eye on it). The weather was chilly, mid 50s, with some pretty good winds. I had expected the cook time to be 15 minutes/pound, but it ended up closer to 20 minutes/pound.

Prime Rib on the Char-Broil Big Easy

After resting and slicing I served the prime rib with homemade au jus, Sriracha horseradish dipping sauce, cedar planked Cajun mashed potatoes, and grilled Cajun green beans.

Prime Rib on the Char-Broil Big Easy

Everything on the plate was fantastic. I highly recommend making prime rib in the Big Easy.

If you use a bunk bed basket, you’ll have space to cook a side dish for this delicious prime rib!

Love your Big Easy as much I love mine? Check out my Big Easy Add-Ons page and my free Big Easy eCookbook!

Prime Rib on the Char-Broil Big Easy
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5 from 2 votes

Prime Rib on the Char-Broil Big Easy

This was my first time making prime rib on my Char-Broil Big Easy. It will definitely not be the last time. Preparation and cooking were, as always with the Big Easy, easy. And the end result was just crazy good.
Course Main
Cuisine American
Keyword Big Easy, Char-Broil, prime rib
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 1695kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Fire up your Big Easy.
  • Combine the salt and pepper and rub over all sides of the rib roast.
  • Put the roast into a cooking basket and put into the Big Easy. Insert an cooking thermometer into the meatiest part of the roast.
  • Cook about 15 minutes/pound or until the meat reaches 125 F. Note: 125 F will give you a rare roast. If your guests prefer their meat done medium-well or well, slice and then finish on a grill instead of cooking the entire roast to a high temperature.
  • Once the desired doneness has been reached remove the roast to a baking pan and cover with foil and a kitchen towel. Let rest 20 minutes.
  • Slice and serve as desired.

Nutrition

Calories: 1695kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 77g | Fat: 151g | Saturated Fat: 63g | Cholesterol: 343mg | Sodium: 1997mg | Potassium: 1273mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 8IU | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 8mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Cedar-Planked Beef Sliders

Grilling salmon on cedar planks is a pretty common thing. I’m not sure why I never thought about cooking burgers on them too, though. Bobby Flay thought about it. That means I had to make them too. These cedar-planked beef sliders were amazingly good.

The cedar adds just a bit of a twist to the burgers. They smell absolutely fantastic when cooking. The cedar flavor in the meat isn’t overwhelming. It’s there, though. It’s definitely something different and it adds a bit of a ‘wow’ factor to your cookout. The slider buns were also browned over the cedar for a little extra cedar flavor.

Cedar-Planked Beef Sliders

I served these delicious cedar-planked beef sliders with oven-baked fries and Crispers that were tossed in garlic oil and fresh choppy parsley.

I use this nifty little ole burger press to make these burgers. It’s the best thing ever for stuffing burgers with just about anything you can think of!

Cooking on cedar planks can really change the ordinary into something special, which is why I do it often. Check out my other cedar plank recipes: creamy mashed potatoes, Cajun mashed potatoes, Twinkies, chorizo portabellos, hot dogs, sausage sandwiches, shrimp and grits and spicy grilled shrimp.

Cedar-Planked Beef Sliders
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5 from 1 vote

Cedar-Planked Beef Sliders

The cedar adds just a bit of a twist to the burgers. They smell absolutely fantastic when cooking. The cedar flavor in the meat isn’t overwhelming. It’s there, though. It’s definitely something different and it adds a bit of a ‘wow’ factor to your cookout. 
Course Main
Cuisine American
Keyword burgers, cedar plank, sliders
Prep Time 2 hours
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 15 minutes
Servings 2 servings
Calories 446kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Soak the cedar plank in water for 2 hours.
  • Fire up your grill for direct and indirect cooking.
  • Season the beef with salt and pepper.
  • Place plank over direct heat for 2 minutes. Flip and heat another 2 minutes. Brush top of plank with olive oil and place over indirect heat.
  • Place burgers over direct heat and cook for 3 minutes. Flip and cook another 3 minutes.
  • Transfer burgers to plank. Add cheese and cook until done, about 5 minutes.
  • Meanwhile toast the buns as desired. (I browned them on the plank)
  • Slather buns with burger sauce. Add patties and serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 446kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 70mg | Sodium: 179mg | Potassium: 284mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 170IU | Calcium: 179mg | Iron: 4mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Spicy Ground Beef Chili

This is a super-easy to make spicy ground beef chili, yet it is very tasty. I like to freeze it in batches so I have an easy-to-heat-and-eat lunch on hand. It is meant to be spicy and it is. A big bowl of this chili will chase away winter weather, no matter how bad it is outside. I find it particularly hits the spot after shoveling snow!

Spicy Ground Beef Chili

Although this recipes calls for using only ground beef, you could substitute some ground pork or my favorite, ground Italian sausage. Or go for a half-beef, half-sausage mixture.

Also try my three-meat spicy chili.

Spicy Ground Beef Chili
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4 from 1 vote

Spicy Ground Beef Chili

This is a super-easy to make spicy ground beef chili, yet it is very tasty. I like to freeze it in batches so I have an easy-to-heat-and-eat lunch on hand. It is meant to be spicy and it is.
Course Main
Cuisine American
Keyword beef, chili, spicy
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings 8
Calories 335kcal
Author Mike

Ingredients

Suggested toppings

Instructions

  • Brown the ground beef in a large pot or Dutch oven or medium-high heat. Drain all but 1 tablespoon of the drippings.
  • Add the onion and cook until the onion starts to soften.
  • Add garlic and bell peppers and cook another 2-3 minutes.
  • Add the remaining ingredients. Stir.
  • Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and simmer uncovered for at least 30 minutes or until the sauce is the desired thickness.
  • Cover and simmer another 20 minutes.
  • Serve with your favorite toppings.

Nutrition

Calories: 335kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 81mg | Sodium: 452mg | Potassium: 642mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1219IU | Vitamin C: 46mg | Calcium: 76mg | Iron: 4mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Beef and Italian Sausage Chili

This beef and Italian sausage chili is a wonderfully tasty chili. The Italian sausage really adds a lot to the flavor. It isn’t spicy. But it can be if you add a lot of hot sauce or use hot Italian sausage. The broth is flat-out crazy delicious. That’s what distinguishes a good chili from a great chili. This is great chili.

Beef and Italian Sausage Chili

This recipe actually changed my view of beef-only chili. Now, I almost always add Italian sausage to my chili. At least most of my beef chilis that is.

I found this recipe in Marjie Lambert’s great cookbook, The Real Chili Cookbook. I did make a few minor changes for our tastes. Also try my version 2.0 of beef and Italian sausage chili.

Beef and Italian Sausage Chili
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4 from 1 vote

Beef and Italian Sausage Chili

Fantastic take on traditional beef chili.
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword beef, chili, Italian, sausage
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 10 minutes
Servings 8
Calories 329kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Crumble the sausage into a Dutch oven and cook over medium-high heat until cooked.
  • Add the beef and cook until browned. Spoon off excess fat.
  • Add onion, bell pepper and garlic and cook another 4 minutes.
  • Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cook until beef is tender, about 3 1/2 hours. Add water (or more broth) if the chili gets too thin.
  • Season with salt if needed. Serve hot.

Nutrition

Calories: 329kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 100mg | Sodium: 485mg | Potassium: 652mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 802IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 4mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

6 Bean Chili

This 6 bean chili is fantastic. I love all the various beans in it. It’s great for cold weather. We’re getting snow here today in Indianapolis. This chili will take the edge off of the shoveling we’re going to have to do! Instead of green onions as garnish, I used cebollitas, which are like green onions on steroids. They’re often grilled or roasted, but also worked great as a garnish on this chili.

6 Bean Chili

I like to use my good ole trusty Dutch oven to make this 6 bean chili and pretty much darned near anything like it on my stovetop. It’s nice and big and sturdy. That extra weight helps it maintain and distribute heat perfectly. As an added bonus, it’s actually pretty easy to clean up too!

Also try my He-Man chili.

6 Bean Chili
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4 from 1 vote

6 Bean Chili

The more beans, the better the chili!
Course Main
Cuisine American
Keyword beans, chili
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 20 minutes
Servings 12
Calories 194kcal
Author Mike

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Brown meat in a large pot or Dutch oven.
  • Add onion, bell pepper, garlic, chili powder, salt, cumin, black pepper, cayenne pepper, coriander, and cinnamon and cook over medium-high heat until vegetables are starting to soften, about 6-8 minutes.
  • Add bay leaves, tomatoes and beef stock. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Cover partially and simmer for 3 to 4 hours or until beef is tender, stirring occasionally.
  • Add beans, stir, and cook another 30 minutes.
  • Service garnished with sour cream, cheddar, and chopped green onions.

Nutrition

Calories: 194kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 52mg | Sodium: 772mg | Potassium: 564mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 466IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 59mg | Iron: 3mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Mexican Beef Short Ribs

I don’t cook beef short ribs that often. In fact, never. We’re more a pork ribs-making household. But, I ran across this simple idea for Mexican beef short ribs from CD Kitchen and decided to give it a try. The end result is pretty ‘beefy’, but with a little Mexican flavor to back it up. Great over rice. Surprisingly fantastic and quite the plate of comfort food.

Mexican Beef Short Ribs

These Mexican beef short ribs are great just as they are. The nice thing about this recipe is that you don’t have to make it ‘Mexican’ if you want to change it up a bit. Substitute whatever seasoning you want for the taco seasoning.

Mexican Beef Short Ribs
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4 from 1 vote

Mexican Beef Short Ribs

Great Mexican-style beef short ribs.
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword beef, Mexican, ribs
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 15 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 449kcal
Author CD Kitchen

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 pounds beef short ribs
  • 3 tablespoons homemade Mexican taco seasoning or 1 package of store-bought
  • ½ medium green bell pepper chopped
  • ½ medium yellow onion chopped
  • 10 ½ ounce beef consomme (In the soup aisle. You can substitute beef broth if you can't find it)
  • rice cooked, for serving

Instructions

  • Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large Dutch oven.
  • Add ribs and brown on all sides.
  • Remove any excess oil or fat.
  • Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil then reduce to a slow simmer. Cover and cook for 6-8 hours or until meat is fall-off-the-bone tender.
  • Serve over rice with the gravy from the pot.

Nutrition

Calories: 449kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 48g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 147mg | Sodium: 501mg | Potassium: 975mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 71IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 31mg | Iron: 6mg

Nutritional values are approximate.