Recipe: Beer-Braised Beef Po' Boy Sandwiches (using chuck roast, crock pot)

BEER-BRAISED BEEF PO' BOYS

"The po' boy sandwich is a true New Orleans original, and the story goes that the first one was created by two restaurant owners, Benny and Clovis Martin, who were former streetcar drivers. During the 1920s, the Martin brothers stuffed French bread rolls with inexpensive bits of roast beef and gravy. When their fellow streetcar drivers went on strike in 1929, the Martins decided to offer them free sandwiches. When a displaced driver entered the restaurant to partake of this generosity, the kitchen would announce, "Here comes another po' boy!" and thus the po' boy sandwich was born. Po' boys can be filled with just about anything, from fried oysters and catfish to a simple combination of ham and cheese, but one thing always remains the same - every po' boy must be properly "dressed" with shredded lettuce, tomatoes, dill pickles, and mayonnaise."



"This recipe is all about roast beef, which is a classic po' boy filler. Beef chuck roast is slow-cooked all day in a savory broth made with garlic, herbs, and beer until it's divinely shreddable and the perfect sandwich filler. When it comes to beer, just about any richly flavored dark beer will work, but it's the brown, malty Belgian Abbey Dubbels that make this dish really shine. Save leftover cooking liquid (the jus) from the cooked roast to serve as a dipping sauce for the sandwiches."

1 1/2 cups sliced onion
1 (3 pound) beef chuck roast, trimmed of excess fat
4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more as needed
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, plus more as needed
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cups beef broth, low sodium or homemade
1 cup light to amber-colored Belgianstyle Abbey Ale (such as Chimay) or any dark beer
TO SERVE:
8 soft sub rolls or French bread cut into 8-inch lengths
Mayonnaise
Shredded lettuce
Sliced tomatoes
Sliced dill pickles

Spray the inside of the slow cooker with cooking spray. Put the onion in the slow cooker.

Cut small slits into the beef and stud with pieces of garlic. In a small bowl, mix together the salt, black pepper, paprika, onion powder, thyme, oregano, and cayenne. Rub this into the meat and place the meat in the slow cooker on top of the onions. Pour the beef broth and beer over the meat.

Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW for at least 8 hours or up to 10 hours, until the meat is easily shredded.

Transfer the meat and onions to a large bowl and shred the meat with two forks. Remove 2 1/4 cups of the cooking liquid from the slow cooker and pour that over the shredded beef. Pour any remaining broth left in the slow cooker into a bowl for jus.

Return the meat and broth mixture to the slow cooker and set it on warm. Season with additional salt and pepper and give it a stir.

TO SERVE:
Slather the inside of the rolls with mayonnaise. Add the shredded beef and top with shredded lettuce, tomatoes, and pickles. Serve the jus in a bowl for dipping. Get out a big pile of napkins and enjoy.

Makes 8 servings
Source: The Southern Slow Cooker by Kendra Bailey Morris