Now I'm no Rachael Ray, but I definitely wouldn't call myself a "slow cooker," so let's assume that Carol here is referring to a crock pot in the title of her recipe for delicious barbecue. I got this recipe from SparkPeople, a website for helping people reach nutrition and fitness goals. So far, it's given me the structure and guidance that I needed to lose 6.5 pounds. I was looking for a recipe that had molasses in it (it's got lots of vitamins, People!) and found this and a recipe for low-carb homemade barbecue sauce. Both are relatively healthy but full of flavor. [If you'd like a more heart-hateful recipe that is sure to please, check out my Barbecued Beef for a Crowd.]
I'll warn you ahead of time that this is not a difficult recipe, though it will taste like you worked on it for hours (which, of course, you will, if you are the crock pot.) If you want to milk this for all it's worth, splash some water on your face, mess your hair up a bit, and smear a little sauce on your shirt. Then grab your favorite book and spend some time reading in the kitchen, but keep a cookbook handy, in case you have quickly switch. (Make sure it's right-side up, of course.)
Ingredients:
4lb boneless beef chuck, arm, rump or pot roast (yes, I know I forgot to photograph it. More on that later)
2 large onions, sliced into thin strips
4 stalks celery, sliced
4 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1.5 cup catsup (or ketchup, if you're a stickler!)
1 cup BBQ sauce (I made this!)
1/4 cup Grandma's Molasses
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar or your choice of other kind
2 tbsp prepared yellow mustard your choice of type
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
Confession Interjection: As you may have guessed, I was about out of molasses
and turned it upside down to try and get every drop out.
I ended up having to go borrow some from my sweet neighbor, Wendy.
Also, because the barbecue sauce recipe reviews stated that it had a lot of kick,
I only used a sprinkle of the black pepper and chili powder this recipe calls for.
Anywho, all you have to do is whisk the sauce ingredients together til they are a nice, caramelly color...
I followed this recipe backwards, mixing all of the "gravy" ingredients first,
because I put off touching the meat until as late as possible;
Mr.4444 usually cleans/cuts the meat for me, and he wasn't home.
I don't know what it is about me and touching raw meat, but I find it quite disgusting.
I'm very proud of myself for preparing the meat all by myself; I didn't even gross out once!
(But don't tell Mr.4444, because I think he likes being my meat-prep hero :)
Put the veggies and meat into the crockpot..
The recipe said to put the meat in first, but you know what a rebel I am;
I put it in second and mixed the stuff up a little.
Pour the sauce all over this culinary promise...
and fire up the crockpot on Low. Leave it alone for 8-10 hours.
Remove the meat from the sauce, and remove any fat you see.
Remove the meat from the sauce, and remove any fat you see.
Fork the meat apart, and return it to the sauce.
Refrigerate overnight or serve right away on your favorite rolls,
with some yummy potato salad and veggies, of course! :)
Per Carol:
This recipe has so much flavor, no one will notice the Worcestershire sauce and the salt were deleted to reduce sodium (Shh! Don't tell Carol there's Worcestershire sauce in the barbecue sauce I made! It'll be our little secret!) Using molasses, instead of brown sugar and Worcestershire, gives a depth of flavor and authenticity, while reducing sugar and sodium. (Don't worry--Mine didn't take fake at all.)
It is great to take to picnics, buffets, or tailgating. Freezes well.
P.S. The potato salad was AWESOME and made with the following: red potatoes, pickled green beans, celery, hardboiled egg white, Miracle Whip, and mustard. And BTW, that is a salad plate and a dinner roll, so don't go thinking I've been eating like a horse. This is just one of many healthy, reasonably-sized meals I've been eating since I turned over a new leaf (and lost six pounds!!)
