This is version 2.0 of my original pulled beef recipe that lived on my previous blog before I let it expire. That one used a bunch whole spices that aren’t the easiest to find (like black cardamom pods). I decided it was time to simplify! By just using Chinese Five Spice powder in place of all of the whole exotic spices, the flavor remains relatively the same to the original version.
I use this pulled beef mainly for sandwiches or sliders, but you can also use it for rice bowls, wraps, and even throw it into a noodle soup (made with the extra cooking liquid). It's also great as leftovers and freezes well. Plus, you can decide whether to set it and forget it in the slow cooker, or prepare it closer to mealtime in the Instant Pot. Both methods are included in the recipe below.
Makes 8 to 12 servings
Prep time: 30 min
Slow Cook time: 8 hours
Instant Pot Cook time: 60 minutes, plus 15 minutes natural release
Ingredients
3 to 3.5 lbs boneless beef chuck roast
3 Tbsp Chinese Five Spice powder
2 tsp kosher salt
fresh cracked pepper
2 Tbsp light brown sugar
2 yellow onions
2-inch piece of ginger
6 cloves of garlic
1 jalapeño
4 Tbsp butter, cut up
2 cups beef broth
2 Tbsp fish sauce
Hoagie rolls
Suggestions for serving:
Thai basil
cilantro
red onion, thinly sliced and soaked in ice water for 10 minutes
seedless cucumber, thinly sliced
radish, thinly sliced
pickled carrots
pickled mustard seeds
lime wedges
mayonnaise
sriracha
Directions
Cut the beef into large similarly-sized chunks (about 2-inch cubes). Season with the Chinese Five Spice, kosher salt, 15 scrunches of freshly cracked pepper, and brown sugar. Using your hands, rub the spice mixture all over to coat the meat on all sides. Set aside.
Preheat broiler, with the oven rack placed at the very top position. Line a baking sheet with foil. Meanwhile, peel and slice the onions in half - leave as much of the root intact as possible without any dried parts so that the onion halves stay intact. Slice the ginger thinly into long slices. Peel the garlic and slice the jalapeño.
Once the oven has preheated, place the onions, cut side up, and the ginger slices on the baking sheet. Broil for 10-15 minutes until the onion is slightly charred. Be sure to check it periodically - you do not want to totally burn them.
Fast Method (using an Instant Pot):
Place the meat into the insert of the Instant Pot. Add the charred onion and ginger, the garlic cloves, jalapeño slices, and the butter. Pour in the broth and fish sauce, and nudge the meat around a bit to make sure the liquid gets underneath. Place the lid, seal the valve, and set the time for 60 minutes at high pressure. When time is up, let the Instant Pot naturally release for 15 minutes before releasing the valve.
Slow Method (using a slow cooker):
Place the meat into the insert of a slow cooker. Add the charred onion and ginger, the garlic cloves, jalapeño slices, and the butter. Pour in the broth and fish sauce. Place the lid and cook on low for 8 hours.
When the cook time has completed, taste and add more fish sauce or salt if needed. Transfer the meat to a bowl and shred. Transfer all but 1 1/2 cups of the liquid to a sauce pan and set aside. Return the shredded meat to the remaining liquid in the Instant Pot or slow cooker, and keep on a warm setting until ready to serve.
You may keep the separated broth on warm on the stove to serve in a bowl along side your sandwiches (like an au jus dip), or save it for another day to eat with rice noodles and any leftover meat. If it’s too salty for you to eat as a soup, dilute it with beef broth or water.
Serve the meat with hoagie rolls and your choice of accompaniments for your diners to build their own sandwiches.
Visuals
3 1/4 lbs of boneless beef chuck roast
Cut the meat into 2-inch cube-like chunks.
Add the seasonings.
Rub the seasonings all over the meat and set aside while you preheat the broiler.
Meanwhile, prepare the onions and ginger. Keep the onion halves intact by cutting off only the dry parts of the root (or else they will burn in the oven).
Peel the garlic cloves and slice the jalapeño.
Broil the onions and ginger until charred like this.
Place the meat, onions, ginger, garlic, jalapeño slices, and butter into the Instant Pot or slow cooker.
Pour in the broth and 2 Tbsp of fish sauce. Cook per the instructions of your desired method.
Shred the meat, and serve!
My preferred accompaniments include Thai basil, cilantro, lime wedges, jalapeño slices, thinly sliced radish, thinly sliced cucumber, thinly sliced red onion (soaked in ice water for 10 minutes then drained, so reduce harshness), pickled carrots, and pickled mustard seeds.
I actually keep a big jar of homemade mustard seeds in my fridge they last quite awhile. The recipe I used is from epicurious.com.
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