How to Make a Great Barbecue Beef Brisket in a Slow Cooker

Use a slow cooker for perfect barbecued beef sandwiches.

Make a great-tasting beef brisket sandwich that your whole family will love, using a slow cooker that makes the process nearly effortless. This recipe feeds about six, and is easily doubled for a larger gathering. When you purchase the brisket, look for meat with a little marbling. The added fat adds to the moisture and flavor of the meat. The recipe works with any inexpensive beef roast, with outstanding results. Allow about eight hours if you are cooking the meat on low, or five to six hours on high.

Things You'll Need

• 2-pound beef brisket
• Extra virgin olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, give or take to taste
• Vidalia or sweet onion
• Green bell pepper
• 2 cans tomato paste
• 2 cans tomato sauce
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon liquid smoke, optional
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• Pinch of cayenne
• Sandwich rolls

Instructions

1. Prepare your roast by heating 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet and browning the outside of the roast. This helps to lock in the juices.

2. Drizzle about 1 tablespoon of olive oil in the bottom of the slow cooker, and set it to low. Drop in the browned brisket and make three or four deep cuts into the roast to help the flavors spread through the meat as it cooks.

3. Peel and mince the garlic. Press some of the garlic down into the cuts and sprinkle the rest on top of the meat. Chop the onion and bell pepper, and do the same. Salt and pepper the brisket and cover.

4. Combine the tomato sauce and tomato paste in a pot over medium heat. Add the Worcestershire sauce, liquid smoke, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar and cayenne pepper to taste. Simmer and stir frequently.

5. Reserve about half of the sauce in the refrigerator and pour the rest over the brisket. Replace the lid and let the brisket cook, undisturbed, at least 8 hours on low. Don't remove the lid again since doing so allows the heat to escape.

6. Remove the roast from the slow cooker and place into a large pan. Using 2 forks, "pull" the meat to shred it into small pieces. Mix in the reserved sauce and warm over medium heat until it is warmed through. Place on the buns and serve.

Tips & Warnings

• Potato salad, coleslaw and corn on the cob make excellent side dishes for this sandwich.

References

• Epicurious: Brisket