Tangy Beef BBQ

Southern food should be granted super star status.  I came to this conclusion, firsthand, as my family toured the South for spring break.  Time-tested dishes like black-eyed peas in gravy, lima beans swimming in butter, candied yams and fried pork chops are served up in hearty portions, with no regard to petty considerations such as heart disease or BMI ranking.  These foods taste amazing!  People will eat them for decades to come, no matter what.

My own mouth savored chicken fried steak in Arkansas...frog legs in Louisiana...and fried okra, catfish, collard greens and chicken pot pie in Mississippi.  

 If you ever venture to Vicksburg, Mississippi, you cannot miss the Walnut Hills Restaurant.  They offer a special "Round Table" lunch buffet, wherein you find a seat at the table - alongside anyone and everyone else who shows up for an unstoppable feast.  A giant lazy Susan is covered with heaping bowls of down-home comfort!  Iced tea flows freely, and so does conversation as strangers become friends, passing the cornbread basket and spinning the food around.  The memorable Southern fixins' just keep on coming, and there's no use trying not to pig out.  We're talking, Thanksgiving-dinner-full...loosen the top button on your drawers, groan with miserable delight, and go take a nap afterward.  

 

Our travels also brought us to the Memphis restaurant of a well-known couple of chefs on the Food Network, so we could taste their famous BBQ.  Astonishingly, that meal turned out to be a dud.  Famous Dave's, here in the northland, runs circles around our Tennessee barbecue experience. 

Likewise, my own Tangy Beef BBQ definitely has one up on Memphis.  It is a true husband-pleasing meal, accompanied by a big scoop of fresh coleslaw.  The moist meat can be served on rolls, but it's also hearty enough to stand alone for those who may be white-carb conscious.  Besides that, this BBQ is simple to fix.

My Hubby declares that as good as it tastes right out of the slow cooker, the BBQ beef is "outstanding when it's cold and leftover."  I would have to agree.

Tangy Beef BBQ

an original recipe by Kelly Jo Vanderstelt

1.  Mix together in slow cooker:

• 1 Cup of Ketchup
• 1/2 Cup of Water
• 2 Tbs. Apple Cider Vinegar
• 2 Tbs. Worcestershire
• 2 Tbs. Brown Sugar
• 1 Tbs. Molasses
• 1 Tbs. Lemon Juice
• 1 Tsp. Chili Powder
• 1 Tsp. Garlic Salt
• 1/2 Tsp. Pepper

2. Stir in:

• 4 Stalks Celery, thinly sliced into half-moons
• 1 medium Onion, chopped

3. In a skillet, brown a 3 lb. Sirloin Tip Roast in 2 Tbs. Olive Oil.

4. Add the browned roast to the slow cooker, rolling it around in the BBQ mixture to coat thoroughly before sinking it deeply into the sauce.

5.  Cook on HIGH for 5 hours.

6.  Carefully remove the cooked roast and shred with two forks.  Return the shredded meat to the slow cooker, and mix well with the BBQ sauce.  Serve on rolls, if desired.

Serves 8 to 12.  Freezes well.