Smoked Beef Sandwich!

Due to the positively balmy weather (-2C/28F) I thought it would be a perfect day to crank up the smoker and make a sandwich.

I wanted to make a focaccia style bread to put the smoked beef on. Normally you want to start the focaccia dough a few DAYS in advance but I had fairly good results starting it that morning and adding two table spoons of a secret ingredient.

In a bowl I mixed two cups flour with active dry yeast, two table spoons of buttermilk, two teaspoons of salt and half a table spoon of sugar.

Then I added two cups of water, mixed it and let it sit for 5 hours.

While This was sitting, I prepared the rub for the roast.

In the rub I put; cumin, onion and garlic powder, salt, pepper, paprika, brown sugar, ground mustard seed, ancho chilies and cayenne.

I used an eye of round roast that had a nice layer of fat on the top to help keep the meat moist during the smoking process.

I then rubbed the seasoning into the meat firmly.

 

I placed the roast on a very hot grill to sear the outside and help keep in the juices.

In the smoker box I used wood chips made from oak barrels that were used to age whiskey. I soaked them in water so they would generate smoke when they are placed on the coals and not burn quickly.

Next time I will get a full barrel and make chips out of it myself once the whiskey has been carefully disposed of :)
 I then placed  the roast on the smoker.

You can see the smoker box to the left of the main grill area. This lets you cook with indirect heat, and of course, smoke.


While the beef was cooking, I finished making the bread dough. I put the started dough in the mixer and added two tablespoons of olive oil.

I then added flour gradually until the dough pulled away from the edge of the bowl

I let the machine knead the dough for 15 min and then I covered it and left it to rise.
After about half and hour I rolled it out to about 1 cm thick.

 

 I then placed it on a baking sheet, brushed it with olive oil, and sprinkled it with salt and basil.

I baked it at 400F for 25 min.

 Using home made garlic mayo as a base (this will be the subject of another blog),
I made a horseradish sauce mixing horseradish, garlic mayo and yogurt.

Garlic Mayo

Horseradish Sauce

 

The beef had been taken off the smoker at this point. and had been resting for a little while to let the juices redistribute throughout the meat.

I then sliced the meat (I need to invest in a deli slicer, although my razor sharp carbon steel Peasants Chef Knife from Lee Valley worked quite well)

 

Check out the beautiful pink smoke ring, the result of 3 hours spent in the smoker.

I placed the beef on the home made bread spread with the horseradish sauce, and topped it with baby arugula and romaine lettuce.

Om Nom Nom

Thanks for reading and feel free to comment!