Follow the smoke to these 5 Baltimore-area pit beef sandwich spots

Maryland has crabs, corn, tomatoes and snowballs. But, if the state had an official sandwich, pit beef would have a strong case.

The Baltimore-area staple starts with top round, cooked hot and fast over charcoal or wood, then sliced thin and stacked on a roll. The outside is charred, while the center usually stays rare to medium rare.

From there, it can go classic with raw onions and horseradish, saucy with barbecue sauce or loaded with tiger sauce, a creamy horseradish-based sauce with some bite. Around Baltimore, the best pit beef usually starts the same way: You see the smoke before you see the stand.

Jake’s Grill

• 11950 Falls Road, Cockeysville

At Jake’s, the smell pulls you in from Falls Road. Chefs work the pits under tents outside, turning top round over the fire even when the summer heat is brutal. The beef comes rosy and thin, tucked in a soft roll that catches the juices without falling apart. Barbecue sauce adds sweetness, raw onions bring a sharp bite and the horseradish gently jolts your sinuses, daring you to take another bite. Eat it at one of the picnic tables in the grass near the stream behind the stand, where you can watch the swarms of hungry patrons from the shade. Jake’s also serves smoked ribs, pulled pork, pit turkey, mac and cheese and coleslaw, but the pit beef is the reason to pull over.

Pioneer Pit Beef

• North Rolling and Johnnycake roads, Windsor Mill

Pioneer Pit Beef is a roadside classic, set in a small wooden shack behind a liquor store in Windsor Mill. The setup is simple: cash only, a woodpile outside, meat on the pit and a line that moves as quickly as the slicer allows. Large cuts of beef are cooked over an open charcoal fire so the bright pink center is encased by a dark crust. When it’s time to order, the beef, still warm from the pit, is shaved in front of you and piled on a roll. If they hand you a hot sample while you wait, take it. That little slice is part of the Pioneer experience. Add the thick-cut fries with gravy for the full roadside meal.

Illegal Tender Pit Beef

• Mobile pop-up, often in Remington

Illegal Tender Pit Beef is evidence that some of Baltimore’s best sandwiches don’t need a storefront. A grill, a slicer and a folding table are all you need. The pop-up, which is often parked outside Mount Royal Soaps (2740 Huntingdon Ave. in Baltimore), is run by three friends who, according to their Instagram account, “share a love of community and pit beef.” I stop whenever I see them set up, even when I’m not hungry. Thin slices of beef spill out of the overstuffed sandwich, carrying the unmistakable flavor of meat cooked over an open fire. Illegal Tender appears at neighborhood crawls, festivals and night markets, so check the schedule before you go.

Baltimore Beef Man

• Mobile pop-up, often at Cheese Galore and More (1125 S. Charles St.) and Pickett Brewing Co. (1130 S. Paca St.)

Baltimore Beef Man is run by brothers Christopher and Patrick McArdle, who built the pop-up around the old South Baltimore pit beef stands that once appeared outside bars with a grill and a slicer. Christopher McArdle described pit beef to me as “festival food,” meant to be cooked hot, sliced thin and eaten the same day. That belief shapes the operation. The menu is pit beef, pit turkey and occasionally pit ham. There are no sides, no drinks and no low-and-slow barbecue. The beef comes from Treuth Brothers in Catonsville, where the brothers get high-end choice, sometimes prime, top rounds. It’s trimmed before cooking, grilled fast and shaved onto a Martin’s roll with onion and horseradish. The pit turkey has its own following because it starts as fresh, raw product, not deli turkey reheated on a grill. Baltimore Beef Man posts pop-up details on Instagram, with upcoming appearances including Aug. 8 at Cheese Galore and More and Aug. 15 at Pickett Brewing’s anniversary party.

Meat Man Pit Beef & Catering

• 7216 North Point Road, Edgemere

Meat Man Pit Beef & Catering is built for people who want the full spread, which is why the “Tour of Meatman” is the order to understand the place. It comes loaded with pit beef, pit ham, pit turkey, pulled pork and Roma Italian sausage, providing the gamut of artery-clogging, deliciously juicy meats. The pit beef brings the char and thin-sliced tenderness, the turkey keeps things lighter, the ham adds salt and smoke, and the sausage gives the plate a little snap. What ties it together is Meat Man sauce, a barbecue-based sauce made with its own smoked meats, including top round and Angus, so it has a savory smoky flavor with a tad of sweetness. The sides are not an afterthought, either. The loaded potato salad with cheese and bacon is rich, creamy and an absolute must-order, while the loaded smoked baked potatoes with pulled pork or beef ends will push you fully into the meat sweats.