Shredded Barbecued Beef

Here's one I had totally forgotten about. I pulled a package out of the freezer expecting Pulled Chicken or Pulled Pork and found Shredded Barbecued Beef. I had forgotten all about it. We made it back in August and this was a great surprise. We really like smoking meats in the warm months and pulling them out when it's cold. Starts off a great busy night meal. I would highly recommend giving this one a try. We'll have to do it again when it warms up.

As a side note, if you have any interest in cooking magazines, I would highly recommend Cook's Illustrated and Cook's Country. I have subscriptions to both magazines and websites. I like being able to leaf through the magazine and the website gives full access to all recipes and product tests from past issues. Then I don't have to go find the issues, I can just search the site.

Shredded Barbecued Beef

Serves 8 to 10

If you prefer a smooth barbecue sauce, strain the sauce before tossing it with the beef in step 4. You will need a disposable aluminum roasting pan for this recipe. We like to serve this beef on white bread with plenty of pickle chips.

Spice Rub and Beef
1	tablespoon salt
1	tablespoon pepper
1	teaspoon cayenne pepper
1	boneless beef chuck-eye roast (5 to 6 pounds)
3	cups wood chips , soaked for 15 minutes
Barbecue Sauce
1	onion , chopped fine
4	garlic cloves , minced
1/2	teaspoon chili powder
1 1/4	cups ketchup
3/4	cup brewed coffee
1/2	cup cider vinegar
1/2	cup packed brown sugar
3	tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2	teaspoon pepper

1. For the spice rub and beef: Combine salt, pepper, and cayenne in small bowl. Following photo 1, quarter roast and remove excess fat and gristle. Rub meat all over with salt mixture and transfer to large disposable aluminum roasting pan. (Salt-rubbed meat can be wrapped tightly in plastic and refrigerated for 24 hours.)

2. Seal soaked wood chips in foil packet and cut vent holes in top. Open bottom vent on grill. Light 50 coals; when covered with fine gray ash, pour in pile on one side of grill. Arrange foil packet directly on coals. Set cooking grate in place and heat, covered, with lid vent open halfway, until wood chips begin to smoke heavily, about 5 minutes. (For gas grill, place foil packet directly on primary burner. Heat all burners on high, covered, until wood chips begin to smoke heavily, about 15 minutes. Leave primary burner on high and shut other burner[s] off.) Arrange roasting pan with beef on cooler side of grill and barbecue, covered, until meat is deep red and smoky, about 2 hours.

3. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Following photo 3, flip meat over, cover pan tightly with foil, and bake until fork inserted into meat can be removed with no resistance, 2 to 3 hours. Transfer meat to large bowl, tent with foil, and let rest 30 minutes. While meat rests, skim fat from accumulated juices in pan; reserve 2 tablespoons fat. Strain defatted juices; reserve 1/2 cup juice.

4. For the barbecue sauce and to finish: Combine onion and reserved fat in saucepan and cook over medium heat until onion has softened, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and chili powder and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in remaining ingredients and reserved meat juices and simmer until thickened, about 15 minutes. Using 2 forks, pull meat into shreds, discarding any excess fat or gristle. Toss meat with 1/2 cup barbecue sauce. Serve, passing remaining sauce at table.

Milk Chocolate Strawberry Banana Muffins

So I looked in the fridge and there were strawberries well past their prime for eating uncooked and bananas that were calling out to make banana bread or muffins. I had 1 lb. strawberries and 4 bananas so I modified the recipe for a double batch of Banana Nut Bread. I thought I might have to add extra flour to make up for the liquid in the strawberries, but the texture was fine without any adjustment. Here's what I did:

Milk Chocolate Strawberry Banana Muffins
makes 3 dozen muffins

2 cups sugar
1 cup shortening (I like butter flavored Crisco)
4 ripe bananas, mashed
1 lb. strawberries, hulled and mashed
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
4 cups flour
1 cup milk chocolate chips

Cream sugar and shortening. Add eggs, bananas and dry ingredients. Add chocolate chips; stir in lightly. Do not overbeat. Spoon into greased regular or mini muffin cups. (I use a #20 scoop for regular muffins and a #60 scoop for mini muffins.) Bake for about 30 minutes or until they test done with a toothpick. I usually smell them when they're about done. Cool in the pan about 10 minutes before turning out onto wire racks to finish cooling.

Chocolate Chip Banana Nut Muffins

So I took my mom's Banana Nut Bread recipe, added chocolate chips, and portioned it out into muffins. I usually end up making a double batch and freezing the extras. The last double batch I made yielded 3 dozen muffins plus a couple extra made in oven proof custard cups (because I can't stand to waste the extra batter that wouldn't fit).

Chocolate Chip Banana Nut Muffins

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup shortening (I like butter flavored Crisco)
3 ripe bananas, mashed
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
2 cups flour
1/2 cup chopped nuts (Mom uses walnuts, but I prefer pecans)
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Cream sugar and shortening. Add eggs, bananas and dry ingredients. Add nuts and chocolate chips; stir in lightly. Do not overbeat. Spoon into greased regular or mini muffin cups. (I use a #20 scoop for regular muffins and a #60 scoop for mini muffins.) Bake for about 30 minutes or until they test done with a toothpick. I usually smell them when they're about done. Cool in the pan about 10 minutes before turning out onto wire racks to finish cooling.

Banana Nut Bread

So my mom has been making this Banana Nut Bread for as long as I can remember. I don't know which book she got the recipe out of, maybe the old faithful Better Homes and Gardens book. But it works out well every time.

Banana Nut Bread

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup shortening (I like butter flavored Crisco)
3 ripe bananas, mashed
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
2 cups flour
1/2 cup chopped nuts (Mom uses walnuts, but I prefer pecans)

Cream sugar and shortening. Add eggs, bananas and dry ingredients. Add nuts; stir in lightly. Do not overbeat. Pour into 2 greased 4" x 9" loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until they test done with a toothpick. Makes 2 loaves.

Pulled Pork

So this is a great recipe to put in the freezer for quick meals. And it's actually better once it's been sauced and frozen or refrigerated. Although it's really good when freshly made. Once we started making this pulled pork, we rarely find ourselves without a package in the freezer. We've modified the procedure but use the ingredients as written in Cuisine at Home, June 2003, pgs. 18-21. We usually make at least a double batch of the rub so that it's ready for the next batch.

Pulled Pork
Combine:
1/4 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup black pepper
1/4 cup chili powder
1 tbsp. dried oregano
1 tbsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. cayenne
Coat:
1 8 lb pork shoulder (Boston Butt)

Soak wood chips for 30 minutes. Set up smoker. Coat shoulder with rub. Once the smoking begins, place the shoulder in the smoker. Smoke fat side up at about 200 degrees for 7-8 hrs. Let rest 30 minutes, or until cool enough to shred.

While the pork is smoking, make the sauce:

Root Beer BBQ Sauce
Reduce:
1 2-liter bottle root beer
Add and Simmer:
1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup yellow mustard
2 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp. Tabasco
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. black pepper
Finish with:
2 tbsp. butter

Reduce root beer to 1 cup over medium heat in a deep skillet (it takes about 1 hour).
Add vinegar, ketchup, mustard, lemon juice, Worcestershire, Tabasco, salt, and pepper. Stir well to combine. Simmer 20 minutes.
Finish with butter to give the sauce extra body and flavor.

Finishing up the pork:
Shred the pork by hand or with forks (pieces that are difficult to shred can be pulsed in a food processor). Mix in sauce. Serve on bread or as is. Enjoy!