Lean beef is slow cooked with dark beer, brown sugar, tomato paste, and spices for a robust barbecue-style shredded beef you can enjoy in so many ways.
- 2 tablespoons canola or olive oil
- 5 pound flat-cut brisket cut in half
- salt and pepper
- 2 teaspoons chopped garlic
- 1 12 ounce bottle Guinness or any stout beer
- 2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup tomato paste
- 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/3 cup Dijon-style mustard
- 1/3 cup less-sodium soy sauce
- 2 whole bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
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Heat the canola oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Season the brisket pieces with salt and pepper,. Brown the first piece on all sides, then transfer to the slow cooker.. Brown the second piece on all sides, adding the garlic to the pan during the final minute. Transfer the second piece to the slow cooker.
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Pour the beer into the skillet and simmer 30 seconds, scraping up the browned bits from the skillet; Then, add the beer mixture to the slow cooker.
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In a small mixing bowl, combine the brown sugar, tomato paste, vinegar, mustard, soy sauce, and smoked paprika. Pour over the meat, then add the bay leaves. Cover the slow cooker and cook on low 8 hours or on high 5-6 hours.
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Shred the meat with two forks, or if you like, transfer to a cutting board, let rest 10 minutes, then thinly slice.
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Serve on rolls with cole slaw, and drizzle with the sauce from the pot. Or, layer on top of tortilla chips with salad greens and slaw.
This recipe makes plenty of sauce. If you are using only half the meat (ie., 2-3 pounds of meat) then you can halve the sauce ingredients as well.
A pot roast cut of beef is a suitable substitute if you cannot get brisket.