Braised BBQ Beef Sandwich

From the recipe archives, perfect for cold weather. ~Elise
 
My mother grew up in a house where there was constant entertaining. My nana was somewhat of a social bee and even I remember how every night was a party night when as a child I came to visit during the summer. Mom and dad were reminiscing the other day about one of their favorite recipes of my grandmother's, her pulled beef, braised in BBQ sauce. Mom remembers Nana once feeding 80 people this dish at her small adobe house in Tucson. It's terribly easy to make, you can easily double, triple, quadruple the recipe, making it perfect for serving large groups of people in an informal gathering, and it's absolutely delicious.

Braised BBQ Beef Sandwich Recipe

Ingredients

• One 3-pound chuck roast, rinsed and dried
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes (preferably plum tomatoes)
• 1 18-ounce bottle of your favorite barbecue sauce (or 2 1/4 cups of your favorite homemade barbecue sauce)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 12 sandwich or hamburger buns

Method

1 In a large, heavy pot, heat olive oil on medium heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, roughly chopping them in the pot. Add the barbecue sauce, increase heat to medium high and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the chuck roast. Bring to a low simmer, cover and slow cook until meat is very tender, stirring occasionally, about 3 hours.

2 Remove the meat from the pot. Use a fork and knife to separate the roast into small pieces. Set aside.

3 Increase the heat on the pot to medium/medium-high, uncover, and reduce the liquid until thick. Stir often to prevent burning.

4 Return the meat to the liquid in the pan. Warm both thoroughly. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Serve on buns. Makes approximately 12 sandwiches.