Crockpot Shredded Beef Barbecue

My nephew River isn't born yet—won't be for another year and a half or so, if the timing I've gathered from Caleb is right—but lately Caleb has been talking more about wanting something to hold onto. Not in a way that worries me exactly, but in a way that I listen to carefully. He said last Thursday that he wonders sometimes whether the things he does matter to anyone downstream. Whether the stomp dance songs he's learned, the little bit of Cherokee he's picked up, the way he knows to prepare certain foods—whether any of that goes anywhere or just stops with him.

I told him it goes somewhere. I told him you don't always get to know where.

We were smoking ribs in my backyard when we had this conversation, which seems right somehow. There's something about watching a fire that makes people talk. The ribs were a rack I'd picked up from a place near Pryor, dry-rubbed with a mix I've been refining for a few years now—salt, coarser black pepper than most people use, a little smoked paprika, dried sumac for brightness, cayenne just to remind you it's there. Low and slow for five hours over hickory. By the time we pulled them off the smoke had worked all the way through.

Caleb ate three ribs without putting them down and said nothing while he was doing it, which is the highest compliment. Afterward he sat back and said Danny would have wanted to know the exact sumac ratio. I said I still don't know the exact sumac ratio, I just add it until it looks right. He said that's the most infuriating answer. I said welcome to cooking.

We sat there until almost ten, letting the fire burn down to coals, talking about less heavy things—a powwow coming up in September, whether Lily and Ben were going to end up in Tahlequah long-term, what Kai had said at school last week that made his teacher send a note home (something honest and accurate and thoroughly inappropriate, which is very Kai).

It was a good evening. The kind that feels earned.

That evening with Caleb reminded me that the best food is the kind that keeps people at the table long after they’re full—and not everyone has five hours and a hickory setup on a given weeknight. This crockpot shredded beef barbecue is my answer to those days: it carries the same low-and-slow spirit as what we smoked that Thursday, with a bold dry rub and smoke-forward sauce that does the talking for you. Let it go all day, and by evening you’ve got something worth sitting down for.

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 8 hours | Total Time: 8 hours 15 minutes | Servings: 8

Ingredients

3 to 3 1/2 lbs beef chuck roast
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon coarse black pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup barbecue sauce (your preferred brand or homemade)
1/4 cup beef broth
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon liquid smoke

Instructions

Make the dry rub. In a small bowl, combine smoked paprika, coarse black pepper, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne. Mix well.
Season the beef. Pat the chuck roast dry with paper towels. Rub the spice mixture evenly over all sides of the roast, pressing it in firmly.
Whisk the sauce. In a separate bowl, whisk together the barbecue sauce, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, and liquid smoke until combined.
Load the crockpot. Place the seasoned roast in the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker. Pour the sauce mixture over and around the beef.
Cook low and slow. Cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 8 hours, or until the beef is completely tender and pulls apart easily with two forks.
Shred and finish. Remove the roast and shred the meat on a cutting board, discarding any large pieces of fat. Return the shredded beef to the crockpot and stir it into the remaining juices. Let it sit on WARM for 10 to 15 minutes before serving so the meat absorbs the sauce.
Serve. Pile onto toasted brioche buns, cornbread, or alongside coleslaw and pickled onions.

Nutrition (per serving)

Crockpot Shredded Beef Barbecue — The Fire Burns Down, the Smoke Stays With You