Agriculture & Natural Resources I Animal Science

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AlABAMA COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE/ AUBURN UNIVERSITY, ALABAMA 36849

How to Put on a Successful Closed Pit Beef Roast

HAVE YOU EVER helped with or attended a closed-pit beef roast? If you attended only as a guest, you missed a lot of l1ard work and quite a few sleepless hours. But the beef you enjoyed that day was probably so good that you wouldn't mind at 'all putting out whatever effort might be required to enjoy such good eatin' again.

The closed pit method of cooking, as practiced by the Indians years ago, is hard work, but well worth the effort if you want to give a crowd of people a meal they'll talk about for a long time. Like other types of cooking, the closed-pit method is part science, part art. That is, the results are subject to variation. There are those who seem to develop a particular knack for it, and those who don't. But if you lmow what you're doing, make proper plans. and follow through step by step, your beef will be tender and juicy, well done on the outsid and medi 1m on the inside. The meat will have captured the full effect of wood smoking and developed a unique flavor that will win you the praises of your guests.

PRELIMINARY PREPARATIONS

First obtain an accurate count of the number of people you expect to serve, then decide how much meat is needed.

A four-ounce serving makes a generous help­ing of cooked meat when served on a bun. This will give ym1 four servings from one pound of cooked meat. However, because of shrinkage dur­ing cooking, you can get only about three 4-ounce servings per pound of fresh meat.

For example: if you will need 400 servings, you should buy 133 pounds of fresh beef ( 400--;-3 =133).

.. It is best to order USDA graded Choice top and/or bottom round roasts that are boned and

WILLIAM R. JoNEs, Food Scientist-Meats, Alabama Co­operative Extension Service

JoE Co.Rolhw, Research Associate, Department of Animal & Dairy Soiimces, Alnbamu Agricultural Experiment Station, Auburn University

closely trimmed. Another alternative is to buy whole beef

rounds. The initial cost will be less, but you will have to bone out each round, resulting in consid­erable waste in bones and fat (approximately 28 percent loss), which will increase the cost of us­able meat. The rib section (boned, rolled and trimmed) and/or the sirloin tip can also be used. However, these two cuts are very tender and may fall apart after cooking.

PREPARING THE MEAT FOR COOKING Only two seasonings are needed for this

method of cooking: salt and coarse ground or cracked butcher's pepper.

Use your own judgment in determining the wrapable size of the roasts. If a roast appears too large for the paper you have, cut it in half and make two roasts. A good average size would be about 12 pounds.

The best method for the wrapping operation is to set up an assembly line system on a table, as shown in Figure 1.

Helper 1 first sprinkles a handful of salt on the butcher's paper in front of him, then takes out a roast and places it on the center of the pa­per, on 1e salt, fat side up. Next he sprinkles another handful of salt on top of the l'oast, along wi·th a handful of pepper. Helper 2 wraps the roast wjth a standard drug store type wxap, and places the package on top of the second butcher's paper pile. Making sure the fat side of the roast is up, helper 3 wraps the roast again. Helper 4 has measured off pieces of stockinette approxi­mately three feet long and tied a knot in each close to one end. (Loose-weave stockinette ma­terial is the simplest to use and the easiest to ob­tain). Helper 4 slips the package of meat into the stockinette and closes olf the open end with an­other knot, pushing up this knot tight against the package. Fi11aJly, helper 5 double wraps the pack­age with stl'ing, making sure to tie the knot on the fat side for identification.

CIRCULAR ANR-292

Figure I. Assembly line system for wrapping meat

BOXES OF

MEAT

8 8

PIT PREPARATION

HELPER I

BUTCHER'S

PAPER

PILE 1

HELPER 2

HELPER 3

BUTCHER'S

PAPER

PILE 2

Locate the pit in a place convenient to the ser\'ing area, in an area where surface water will not accumulate, and subsurface water will not penetrate; where large rocks will not be encoun­tered; and where nearby trees and shrubs (roots, leaves or needles) will not be seared by the fire.

The digging of the pit is extremely important. The easiest method is to bring in a small backhoe. The pit should be dug about 4 feet deep by 3}~ feet wide, and up to 15 feet long. The pit should be as uniform in width as possible. The walls should be straight up and down and the corners squared off.

To calculate the size and/or number of pit(s) needed, it is usually figured that each bundle of meat will occupy B~ square feet of pit space.

For example, if you are going to cook 133 pounds of beef, enough for 400 servings, and your roasts average 12 pounds, you will have 11 roasts and will need a pit area of about 16)~ square feet ( 11 X 1.5= 16.5). You should then dig a pit 3}~ feet wide by about 5 feet long (3.5X5=17.5).

WOOD TO USE

For the ideal fire, use equal amounts of hard hardwood such as oak, sugar maple or hickory, and soft hardwood such as red maple, cherry or birch. The wood can vary in size and shape, but for best results, should be well seasoned and should he about three feet long and no more than 4 to 5 inches in diameter. Pile the wood near the pit and cover it to keep it dry. Use your driest

HELPER 4

EXCAVATED SOIL

USED TO MOUND­UP AND SEAL PIT

r 12-15"

1

AIR SPACE

HELPER 5

BOX FOR

WRAPPED

MEAT

CORRUGATED

R02FING TIN

WRAPPED BUNDLES OF MEAT

2" PIPE

WITH ENDS

DUG IN

=1''

1 18-20"

1 Figure 2

wood to start the fire. After a good hot fire is go­ing, you can add less well-seasoned wood.

The amount of wood needed will depend on the size of the pit and the type of wood being used, how long the wood has been dried, and how long the firing operation is to be carried out. As a general rule of thumb, one cord of wood will produce the desired 18 inch bed of coals in a pit measuring 3~ feet X 8 feet or 28 square feet in area.

BUILDING THE FIRE Start and maintain the fire in the center of the

pit for proper air circulation. As the fire gets burn­ing real hot, add more wood to build the fire as big and as hot as possible. Let it burn down, stir up the coals to expose any unburned wood, then pile the wood on and build up the fire again. This procedure is repeated for a minimum of 12 hours. The purpose of this firing is to obtain a bed of hot coals 18 to 20 inches deep when they are spread out evenly on the bottom of the pit.

ROASTING THE MEAT Start the fire approximately 25 hours before

you plan to serve dinner. After eleven hours of firing, build up your ·fire for the last time. Let it burn down for the last hour or so, then using a rake or a shovel, remove all the unburned logs. Next, rake the coals into a nice level bed com­pletely covering the bottom of the pit.

Next, sprinkle sand over the coals. Use coarse sand, and only enough to cover the burning coals with a one-inch thick layer.

When all of the coals are sufficiently covered, place the bundles of meat in the pit. The easiest and best way is to hook the string with a garden rake and lower the bundles into the pit. Remem­ber, the knot in the string (fat side of the roast) should be up. Space the roasts close together but not touching and away from the walls of the pit. It is important to lay the roasts gently on the bed of sand so as not to disturb it. If a hot coai is exposed, it will burn a hole in the package, allow­ing all the juices to run out and resulting in a dry roast.

CLOSING THE PIT 1. Place 2-inch steel pipes approximately 4 to

4~ feet long across the pit at H- to 2-foot intervals ( Figure 2) . The open ends of these pipes should be dug into the ground or covered. This prevents excessive heat loss.

2. Lay corrugated galvanized roofing tin on the pipes, covering the entire pit and overlapping the edges by at least a couple of inches ( Figure 3).

3. Cover the roofing tin with the soil that came out of the pit. First, cover the ends of the pipes and the edges of the roofing tin. Next, shovel soil dir~ctly onto the tin, covering it with 12 to 15 inches of soil. Tamp mound of earth down with a shovel, all over, but especially around the edges of the roofing tin, along the seams where the pieces overlap, and at the ends of the pipes.

The pit is now sealed and it should be approx-

imately 12 hours before you are planning to serve your meal.

Since you will probably be sealing your pit with early-morning darkness, it is a good idea to line a car up with the pit and shine the head­lights across the mound. If there are any leaks, you will be able to locate them by looking toward the headlights. Do this about half an hour after sealing, to be certain no leaks develop. The soil on top of the pit will probably steam, but in a uniform manner. Leaks can be identified by ex­cessive steam or smoke rising from a particular spot on top of or at the edges of the mound. Seal leaks with additional sand or earth.

In the event of rain, dig trenches around the pit and spread canvas tarp over the mounded soil. A short shower should have no effect on your sealed pit; in fact, it might help seal it more effec­tively. But a heavy downpour could cause big problems. The water could seep through the covering soil and run into the pit. This would put out the fire, resulting in uncooked meat.

OPENING OF THE PIT AND REMOVAL OF MEAT To open the pit, remove the soil from about

half the pit and remove one piece of tin. Most of the heat and moisture will escape, but if the roasts are removed as needed, the residual heat will keep the remaining roasts hot.

Remove roasts from the pit the same way you put them in. Using a garden rake, slip a tooth or two under the string used to tie the bundle to­gether and lift it out of the pit. Carry it to the serving area (the package should not be too hot to the touch), and place it in a shallow tray. Cut the string and make a single slice across the top

Figure 3

center of the package through the stockinette and wrapping paper (Figure 3). Carefully fold the paper back to keep any dirt or sand from falling onto the meat. Using two large meat forks, lift the roast out of the package and set it fat side up on a cutting board in another shallow tray.

If you want to save the juice for gravy, pour it out of the bottom of the package through four or five thicknesses of cheese cloth into a clean container.

SERVING THE MEAT

Slice the roast in half, the cut running with the grain of the muscle. Trim off excess fat and place one of the halves into an automatic slicer. Slice the roasts into relatively thin slices and at right angles ( across ) the grain of the muscle (Figure 4).

The sliced meat should then be served by es­timating four ounces and placing it on a plate or bun. If a scale is available, weigh out four ounces of sliced meat to be used as a guide for the server.

Any of the breads, salads, vegetables, relishes and beverages usually served with barbecued meat

Figure 4

will go fine with your closed-pit beef roast. For maximum enjoyment of the unique closed-pit smoked flavor, though, keep sauces and condi­ments to a minimum, as they tend to obscure the taste of the beef itself.

TIMET ABLE OF EVENTS

Here is a simplified timetable of events cover­ing the last 48 hours of the closed-pit roast prepa­rations. Advance planning and the ground work of the beef roast has to be started well in advance of the actual event.

If you are planning to start serving at three p.m. on Sunday, the sequence of events would be as follows:

48 hours before serving (Friday): Delivery of sand, firewood, pipes, roofing tin and canvas (in case of rain). Dig the pit.

25 hours before serving (Saturday at 2 p.m.): Start the fire and maintain it for 12 hours.

24 hours before serving (Saturday anytime): Pick up, sesason and wrap meat. Place pack­ages in a cooler until needed.

14 hours before serving (Sunday at 1 a.m.): Build up the fire for the last time-let it burn down.

13 homs before serving (Sunday at 2 a.m.): Remove any unburned wood, rake out the coals and cover with a thin layer of coarse sand. Place the bundles of meat into the pit, put the pipe in place and cover the pit with roofing tin, and seal the pit. Remain on the scene for * hour to check seal.

30 minutes before serving (Sunday at 2:3(} p.m.):

Start uncovering part of the pit. Remove the first roast, open the package, trim off the fat and slice.

Serving time (Sunday at 3 p.m.)!

The E~1Aiabamo

W7Cooperotive Extension Service

------"EDUCATION IS OUR BUSINESS"-----­

Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work in agriculture and home economics, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U. S. Department of Agriculture. J. Michael Sprott, Director, Alabama Cooperative Extension Service, Auburn University. The Ala· bama Cooperative Extension Service offers educational programs and materials to all people without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, age, or handicap. It is also an Equal Opportunity Employer.

(UPS) 5M06, 2:82, ANR-292