Description
These Slow Cooker Pulled Beef Sandwiches are the ultimate comfort food. Beef stew meat cooks for hours in the crockpot until it's fall apart tender. Then, the pulled beef is loaded onto toasted sub rolls with melted provolone and dipped into au jus sauce. The flavors are incredible and the slow cooker does most of the work!
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 3-4 lbs beef stew meat, usually cut into chunks by the butcher *could be labeled chuck roast, round roast or pot roast meat
- 1/2 of a yellow onion, sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 pepperoncinis, stems removed and discarded, and pepperoncinis roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon pepperoncini juice from the container
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 2 cups beef stock
- 12 deli slices provolone cheese
- 6 sub rolls
Instructions
- In a large dutch oven on the stovetop over medium heat, add in 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Allow to heat up for a few minutes. Separate the beef into two batches, and add in the first one, cooking for a few minutes, then flip and cook for another 2 minutes. Transfer 1st batch to crockpot, then repeat with second batch.
- Add the second batch to the crockpot.
- Reduce the heat in the empty dutch oven to medium low. Add in the 1 teaspoon of olive oil and toss in the onions. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently, then sprinkle in the garlic and cook for another 60 seconds. Turn off the heat and transfer the onions and garlic into the crockpot.
- Into the crockpot, add in the pepperoncinis, pepperoncini juice, salt, paprika, oregano, parsley, garlic powder, pepper and beef stock. Stir to combine. Cover and cook on high for 5 hours *preferably, or 8-10 hours on low.
- When finished cooking, use tongs or two forks to shred up the meat. It should fall apart super easy. If it does not, cook for another hour on high heat.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Slice open sub rolls and lie them onto a cookie sheet. Layer two slices of provolone on the inside of each sub. Bake for 6-8 minutes until warm and the cheese is melty.
- Remove from the oven and top with shredded beef. Close up the sandwich and slice in half.
- Use a ladle to remove some of the juices from the crockpot to serve on the side for au jus dipping sauce. Serve, dunk into that flavor packed sauce, and enjoy!
Notes
- Don't skip searing the beef and cooking the onions and garlic ahead of time. It makes a huge difference in flavors and textures.
- After 5 hours, the beef should fall apart when just squeezed with tongs. If it doesn't, cook for another hour on high until you get the right texture.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 hours
- Category: dinner
- Method: slow cooker
- Cuisine: Italian