Two for Tuesday: Delicious Shredded Beef

The downside to being a certified Kansas City Barbeque Society judge is that the last time I made what used to be a favorite "bbq pulled pork" in the crock pot, I was completely disgusted at how soggy, mushy, and bland the whole thing turned out.

In short, I lost what used to be a quick and easy, crowd pleasing dinner option.

Curse you, refined taste buds.

However, in my search for an easy crock pot dinner, I decided to give the slow cooker one more chance at making a nice and easy dinner sandwich meat option.

I'm not happy with the string of adjectives at the end of that last sentence. And yet, I'm not unhappy enough to go back and fix them.

This is why I will never write a novel.

ANYWAY---

I came up with this great sandwich ALL BY MYSELF. I can't craft a good sentence, but I totally nailed this recipe!

Slow Cooked Shredded Beef

Ingredients:

• 2 to 3 lbs beef chuck roast (another cut might also work, I just grabbed what was on sale)
• 1 onion
• garlic
• chili powder
• cilantro

(Also needed for serving/assembling sandwiches)

• buns
• sliced cheese (we like provolone or colby jack)
• a favorite bbq sauce, warmed

Directions:

1. Slice one or two onions into the bottom of a slow cooker. 
2. Rinse off beef and pat dry. Sprinkle both sides with just a hint of garlic followed by a solid dusting of chili powder and a little bit of cilantro.
3. Place beef in slow cooker. Cook on high for 1 hour and on low for 8-9 hours. 
4. Remove beef from slow cooker. Allow to rest for 30 minutes. Shred with two meat forks.
5. Place shredded meat in a serving bowl and drizzle with juice from the crock pot. 
6. Remove onions from crock pot and place in another small bowl.
7. Assemble sandwiches on a bun with a slice of cheese, some onions (if desired), a generous amount of meat, and a spoonful of bbq sauce on top.

To finish off this meal, I scrubbed, pierced, and microwaved a few sweet potatoes. They were delicious sliced in half lengthwise and served with a generous pat of butter and a sprinkling of brown sugar.