Shredded BBQ Beef Sandwiches

The following “Chew This!” column has been reprinted from “The Courier-Times”, Sunday, July 1st 2018 edition. By: Blaise Doubman

Shredded BBQ Beef Sandwiches
Blaise Doubman

I love recipes that are not only simple but flavorful and versatile too, which is exactly what the recipe is that I am sharing with you today. Simply replace the boneless beef chuck roast with a boneless pork roast and you will have my “Shredded BBQ Pork Sandwiches”. Forgot the BBQ sauce for both recipes and add your favorite Italian salad dressing and you will have two very different and very delicious recipes to add to your recipe files! Recipes that can be changed and made a totally different way, with some of the same basic ingredients, are what people nowadays are looking for. A basic recipe that can be changed, easily and still be just as equally delicious, if not more so, than the original recipe that you started from.

On my Facebook fan page, Blaise the Baker, I surveyed about 900 people on what they looked for when selecting recipes. The number one answer across the board was “Ease of recipe”. Nobody is looking for a recipe with a hundred different ingredients. People are wanting short, simple recipes that have flavor with just a few flavorful ingredients. The second answer on what people were looking for was “Quick”. People are working more and more and seemingly spending less time at home so quick meals are very important. I believe that is why slow cooker meals are so popular anymore. People are wanting to throw something in a slow cooker, leave and have the slow cooker do all the work and come home to a finished meal. Among other things people are looking for in recipes are “familiar ingredients” as well as “flavorful meals”. I hope the recipe I am sharing here today will fit all of the categories you look for when selecting a recipe and I really hope you will try these and they will become a family favorite.

Shredded BBQ Beef Sandwiches

You can make this recipe by simply replacing my list of ingredients for BBQ sauce with your favorite BBQ sauce recipe or favorite bottled BBQ sauce. Add a little more light brown sugar to my recipe for a sweeter BBQ flavor or add a little more Worcestershire sauce for a more savory BBQ sauce flavor. Whatever you desire.

4 pounds boneless beef chuck roast
1 large yellow onion, sliced thin
1 ½ cups light brown sugar, lightly packed
1 ½ cups ketchup
½ cup red wine vinegar
½ cup water
2 tablespoons dry mustard
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons salt
1 ½ teaspoons black pepper
2-4 dashes hot sauce, optional

Start by lining a slow cooker with a plastic slow cooker liner.

Cut the boneless beef chuck roast in half and place inside the slow cooker.

Sprinkle the prepared onions on top of the roast evenly.

In a large bowl whisk together the light brown sugar, ketchup, red wine vinegar, water, dry mustard, Worcestershire sauce, paprika, salt, black pepper and hot sauce, if using.

Pour this mixture evenly over everything and cover the slow cooker. Cook on low for 9 hours.

Remove the roast to a shallow dish and allow to cool slightly.

Once cooled slightly, shred the beef with 2 large forks. Place the meat into a large sauce pot over medium heat and add a little of the slow cooker BBQ sauce to the mixture and stir.

Serve warm on toasted buns.

Ask and Answer: I have been getting questions concerning what to do with fresh Indiana strawberries. I have a couple of recipes on my blog for strawberry jam that I always recommend, as well as a recipe for pavlova sprinkled with fresh strawberries and drizzled with strawberry jam. I also have recipes for a delicious strawberry pie that people always go crazy for, as well as a strawberry cake. Visit blaisethebaker.com for recipe inspirations.