Fork-Tender BBQ Beef Sandwiches Made in the Slow Cooker
Fork-Tender BBQ Beef Sandwiches start with chuck roast cooked in the slow cooker until it’s fall-apart tender. The shredded beef cooks in a homemade BBQ sauce made with bacon, spices, and brewed coffee, giving it a deeper flavor than the typical bottle-and-go version. A quick reduction at the end creates a thick sauce that coats every bite.
Cut the chuck roast into quarters and place in a slow cooker.
Add chopped bacon to a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat until crisp. Add the bacon to the slow cooker and drain most of the grease from the skillet, leaving about 1 tablespoon in the skillet. Add onion to the skillet and cook until softened, about 3-5 minutes. Add chili powder and paprika to the onions and cook for a minute.
Add Coffee, ketchup, brown sugar, and 1 tablespoon mustard to the onion mixture and simmer over medium-low heat until reduced, about 10 minutes. Pour half of the sauce over the roast and reserve the rest for the end. Cover and cook over high heat, 5-6 hours, until the meat is fork tender, or cook on low for 9-10 hours.
Remove the meat to a large bowl. Use a fork to shred it into bite sized pieces.
Add the liquid from the slow cooker to a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat until reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Stir in the reserved sauce along with 1 tablespoon mustard, hot sauce, vinegar and liquid smoke. Add 1 ½ cups of sauce to the meat mixture and stir to combine. Let the meat sit for a few minutes to absorb the sauce and serve on hamburger buns with remaining sauce.
Barbara's Notes + Tips
Store: Store cooled BBQ beef in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat gently on the stove or in the microwave with a splash of water or a spoonful of extra sauce to loosen it back up.
Freeze: Freeze the sauced beef in freezer bags laid flat for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat slowly. Add a little extra sauce at the end if it needs freshening.