An old-fashioned picnic

 

Bear claws for shredding barbecued beef or pork

Do you ever long for an old-fashioned picnic, with barbecued beef sandwiches and potato salad and cole slaw and deviled eggs? And of course you have to have homemade ice cream for dessert. I have that longing now, though I know it’s far too hot for an outside party like that. But there’s a recipe that I’ve had for years that lets you bypass the outdoors and the long, slow grilling of a brisket. It’s slow-cooker barbecue, and it makes terrific sandwiches. With thanks to Kimbell’s American Kitchen where I got the original recipe long ago.

Ingredients:

5 lb. boneless beef chuck roast, cut in four pieces

4 slices bacon, chopped

1 onion, chopped fine

2 Tbsp. chili powder

1 Tbsp. paprika

1-1/2 cups brewed coffee

1-1/2 cups ketchup

¼ cup packed brown sugar

2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

1 Tbsp. hot sauce (modify to your taste)

1 Tbsp. cider vinegar

1 tsp. liquid smoke

Salt and pepper

Put the beef pieces in a slow cooker. In a skillet on the stove, cook the chopped bacon until crisp and add to the cooker. Cook onion in bacon grease remaining in the skillet. Add chili powder and paprika to skillet and cook briefly until fragrant. Stir in coffee, sugar, ketchup, brown sugar, and half the mustard. Simmer for ten to fifteen minutes to blend the flavors.

Reserve half the sauce in the skillet and refrigerate. Pour the remaining sauce over the beef in the slow cooker. Cook until meat is tender—9 or 10 hours on low, 5 or 6 on medium.

Remove meat to a platter or bowl and cover with a clean cloth. Pour juices from slow cooker into skillet and cook until reduced to one cup--takes longer than you expect. Once the juices are reduced, remove from heat, and stir in the refrigerated remaining bbq sauce. Add vinegar, liquid smoke, Tbsp mustard, and hot sauce if using.

Shred the meat, using two forks. Did you know there are special tools for this? They look sort of like bear claws. Anyway, shred the meat and stir in one and a half cups sauce. Cover and let sit until meat has absorbed the sauce. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve on hamburger buns, toasted or not. Pass remaining sauce.

And don’t forget to have the potato salad and cole slaw ready.

An easy trick so you don’t have to get up at dawn to do this: start this in the evening and let it simmer on low all night. In the morning separate meat and juices and refrigerate until later in the day when you want to deal with it.

Happy picnic! Now all I need is ten hungry people.