Slow Cooker Barbecue Beef Sandwiches Ingredients1 5-pound boneless beef chuck-eye roast
1/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
4 slices bacon, finely chopped
2 tablespoons ground brown mustard, divided
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon hot sauce (I prefer Frank's Red Hot cayenne pepper sauce)
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
1 1/2 cups brewed coffee
Salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
1 1/2 cups ketchup
10 sandwich rolls, split (and toasted, if desired)
Instructions for Slow Cooker Barbecue Beef SandwichesTrim and discard any exterior fat from a well-marbled chuck-eye roast. Cut trimmed roast in half and then cut each piece in half again. Place meat pieces in slow-cooker. Cook bacon in large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Transfer cooked bacon to slow-cooker. Pour off bacon drippings from skillet reserving about 2 tablespoons. Add onions to skillet and cook over medium heat until softened and translucent. Add chili powder and paprika and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in coffee, ketchup, brown sugar, and 1 tablespoon of mustard; simmer until slightly reduced, about 10 to 15 minutes. Pour half of sauce over meat in slow-cooker; let remaining sauce cool, then refrigerate until needed. Set slow-cooker to low, cover, and cook until meat is fork-tender, about 9 to 10 hours, or cook on high for 5 to 6 hours.
Transfer cooked meat to large bowl and cover with foil to keep warm. Transfer cooking juices to large heavy-bottomed skillet, skim fat if necessary, and simmer over medium-high heat until reduced to 1 cup. Remove from heat, stir in reserved sauce, remaining tablespoon of mustard, hot sauce, vinegar, and liquid smoke.
Coarsely shred meat using 2 forks, discarding any excess fat or gristle. Toss meat with 1 1/2 cups sauce and let sit, covered, until meat absorbed most of sauce, about 10 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve on rolls, passing remaining sauce at table to spoon over the sandwiches.
