Crockpot Paleo BBQ Pulled Beef

Even in the busiest of times, I do my best to still eat food so delicious that it makes me wonder how something can taste so good and still be good for me.

When you’ve got a lot going on or little time to spend in the kitchen, a crockpot or slow-cooker recipe can be a major savior.

Having grown up in Texas, BBQ has been and remains a major part of my diet.

What’s the secret to good BBQ? Smoke and patience.

What’s the secret to good BBQ that requires way less equipment and expertise? Crockpot and a killer sauce recipe.

Slow-cooked brisket, if done properly, can fulfill your wildest dreams of a simple way to make amazing BBQ at home.

I like my paleo BBQ sauce tangy, {a little} sweet, and smoky. I know that everyone has his or her own opinion of what “good BBQ sauce” should taste like. Feel free to experiment with more/less honey, apple cider vinegar, and seasonings until you find your own perfect BBQ sauce fit.

So much is going on right now. I’m writing to you from the middle of a perfect storm of house renovation, moving, and major work projects. Weeks like these really make you appreciate those quiet nights on a couch next to your loved one when you can lazily sip a glass of wine while watching Duck Dynasty {oh yeah … I’m a DD fan … a major fan, Jack!}.

For starters, roughly chop the onions.

Add them to a pot on medium/high heat.

Keep stirring the onions until they start to turn brown. This should take about 3 {or so} minutes.

Chop the garlic.

Add it to the pot.

Pour the tomato sauce in the pot.

Add the beef bullion to the pot and smash it around until it’s broken up and melted.

Add the honey.

Stir it all together until it starts to look dreamy.

Grab some liquid smoke. Stubb’s BBQ makes my favorite liquid smoke. I’m a lucky girl because I live about an hour away from the Stubb’s BBQ Restaurant in Austin, TX. They have really tasty food and their backyard is one of my favorite music venues. I’ve seen everyone from Coheed and Cambria, to Nickle Creek, to Thrice, to Regina Spektor on that stage. Great memories. I’m pretty sure it’s also the place where I got my first taste of Miller High Life, “the Champagne of Beers.” My friends had the gullible 21 y/o Cassy convinced it was the finest beer on the planet.

Add about a capful of the liquid smoke to the pot. Be careful not to add too much – this stuff is potent.

Add in the chili powder.

Add in the apple cider vinegar and water.

Wash, pat dry, and place your brisket in the crockpot. Cover in the black pepper and salt.

Pour the sauce over the brisket.

Cook on high for about 2 hours then reduce the heat to low for the next 6 hours. It smells amazing.

Pull out the brisket.

Set it aside on a cutting board.

Using two forks, start pulling the tender brisket apart. If some of the brisket towards the middle isn’t as easy to shred, don’t be discouraged, just whip out a knife and chop it up.

Meanwhile, pour the remaining sauce/meat drippins from the crockpot back into the pot you were using earlier.

Using an immersion blender {or an actual blender}, blend the sauce until it’s smooth.

Simmer on medium/low to help some of the extra moisture evaporate off. Note that this is not a thick BBQ sauce because of the extra water added to help cook the brisket. If you want it thicker, simmer it longer or add some arrowroot.

Meanwhile, put your shredded brisket into a 9 x 13” baking dish.

Ladle about 1/3 of the BBQ sauce over the brisket.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 for about 15 minutes. This step helps the tasty goodness of the sauce creep into the last nooks and crannies of the pulled beef.

Top with your favorite fresh herbs/veggies {I used cilantro} and enjoy!

I enjoyed mine in a “clean your veggie drawer out” Romaine lettuce wrap that was topped with chopped radishes {one fell in my hand}, avocado, purple onion, jalapenos, more BBQ sauce, and extra cilantro. It was DEElish.

Crockpot Paleo BBQ Pulled Beef

Makes ~6 servings

Ingredients:

1 Brisket (~6 lbs, trimmed by the butcher – just ask)

2 Medium-Sized Yellow Onions

6 Cloves Garlic

1 Can Organic Tomato Sauce

1 Beef Bouillon Cube (or pouch)

1/3 cup Raw Honey

¼ tsp (or capful) of Liquid Smoke

1 tsp Chili Powder

1 cup Apple Cider Vinegar

½ tsp Cracked Black Pepper

½ tsp Kosher Salt

2 cups Water

Directions:

Roughly chop the onions and add them in a pot over medium/high heat.

Brown the onions for about 3 minutes.

Chop the garlic and add to the pot.

Add the tomato sauce, beef bullion, honey, liquid smoke, chili powder, and vinegar. Stir it all together until melted.

Add in the water.

Wash, pat dry, and place your brisket in the crockpot. Cover in the black pepper and salt.

Pour the sauce over the brisket and cook on high for about 2 hours.

Reduce the heat to low for the next 6 hours.

Pull out the brisket and set it aside on a cutting board.

Using two forks, start pulling the tender brisket apart. If some of the brisket towards the middle isn’t as easy to shred, don’t be discouraged, just whip out a knife and chop it up.

Meanwhile, pour the remaining sauce from the crockpot back into the pot you were using earlier. Using an immersion blender {or an actual blender}, blend the sauce until it’s smooth.

Simmer the sauce on medium/low to help some of the extra moisture evaporate off. Note that this is not a thick BBQ sauce because of the extra water added to help cook the brisket. If you want it thicker, simmer it longer or add some arrowroot.

Put your shredded brisket into a 9 x 13” baking dish and ladle about 1/3 of the BBQ sauce over the brisket.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 for about 15 minutes.

Top with your favorite fresh herbs/veggies {I used cilantro} and enjoy!

Active Time: 30 minute; Cook Time: 9.25 hours