BBQ Beef on a Bun makes you think summer doesn’t it?! It really does for us as we serve up this recipe every summer and get the whole neighborhood smelling our smoked, grilled beef.
This is another one of those recipes I’ve been making for over 20 years and never documented. It’s like your mom or grandma makes something and it’s so ingrained in their brain, they make it without even thinking about it. I’ve got so many of those recipes ingrained in my brain, it’s terrifying.
It was 2003 and I started a new job with a company in the South of Calgary. This rather large company would throw an employee and friends Stampede Barbecue every July. I was in charge of organizing this shindig and ensuring there was enough food and beverages to go around for hundreds of people. The company had a commercial BBQ and every year they barbecued these beef roasts after marinating them all night. I watched, I learned, I oversaw the cooking and this is where my inspiration to make my own beef on a bun came from.
This roast serves quite a crowd. We recently had our end of Summer BBQ with 33 adults and kids. We cooked up extra hot dogs for the kids and even after several of the men went back for thirds, but we still ended up with close to half of our roast leftover. Which was great for leftover dishes in the days to follow.
If you have less to feed, buy a smaller roast. And plan for some delicious leftover dishes. We we had beef on a bun twice throughout the week, Beef Pot Pie, beef quesadillas and Beef Soup before I was done with the beef and tossed the rest in the freezer until next time.
You need to prepare this bad boy the day before to let it marinate giving you added flavour. Buy the extra large ziplock bags – the ones for your kids sports stuff and make sure you have wood chips and a smoker, or extra heavy duty tin foil. Watch it become a family favourite.
- 10-15lb Top Sirloin Beef Roast
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 3 tbsp spice rub for beef (your favourite)
- 1 cup BBQ sauce + more for later (your favourite)
- 1 very large seal-able plastic bag
- 24 burger style buns
- Apple or mesquite wood chips (we use both mixed together)
- BBQ smoke box or heavy duty tin foil
- water
- beef broth
- The day before: Place your roast on a large baking sheet.
- With a small pairing knife gently stab the meat several times all around the entire roast making slits. Not viciously but just enough to add slits allowing the spice and BBQ sauce to permeate the meat while it marinates.
- Sprinkle on garlic powder and spice mix rubbing it all over the meat, even in the slits you made.
- Place meat in larger than normal plastic bag. Pour in the BBQ sauce moving the roast around to ensure it is entirely coated. Seal up bag and place in refrigerator for a minimum of 12 hours.
- The day of the BBQ: Remove beef from bag one hour before cooking and place in large roasting pan. Let sit on counter until ready to BBQ. Put your wood chips in a large bowl of water and let them soak for 30 minutes up to 60 minutes.
- Get your smoke box ready by filling with wet wood chips. It's OK if you do not have a smoke box, simply place wood chips on a large piece of tin foil, loosely close it up and poke some holes to allow smoke to escape.
- Preheat your BBQ to around 250F. Once ready keep your burner on at one end of your grill, and leave the other side off. Arrange the smoke box over the flame and close lid to let it start smoking. Once you see smoke place your roasting pan with roast on the burner that is turned off. Add ½ cup water to pan and close lid.
- Check the wood chips and your roast every 30 - 60 minutes and replenish as needed. This cooking method is low and slow and will take approximately 4-6 hours depending on the size of your roast. Add more water to keep some liquid at the bottom of the roasting pan and baste your roast with the liquid each time you check it.
- The meat is done when the inside temperature reaches ~160 degrees. When you check the wood. Remove from grill, tent with tin foil, and let sit. Once cooled we use a meat slicer to slice into very thin pieces, placing back into the roasting pan with juice, some additional warmed beef broth and more BBQ sauce. Cutting and shaving it thin with a sharp knife also works.
- Mix together and serve with buns.
