Slow-cooked Southern-style Barbecue
Nothing says summer like good barbecue, and my favorite is Southern-style, slow-cooked on a Sunday afternoon until the meat is falling off the bone. Piled on a plate or served on a hearty roll, it goes perfectly with all my summer favorites: corn on the cob, potato salad, cole slaw, and of course, a sweet, juicy watermelon.
Of course, it’s possible to make slow-cooked barbecue in the winter since you don’t need a grill to do it, but the flavor just says “summer” to me. When I’m tired of the endless stream of burgers and brats, a batch of home-cooked barbecue hits the spot.
The key, I think, is to make your own sauce, and the recipe below is unbeatable. I’m all for using Sweet Baby Ray’s bottled sauce on grilled chicken or burgers, but for slow-cooked barbecue, I mix my own. It’s simple, ketchup-based, and literally takes just minutes. The flavor is sweet and tangy, with just a bit of heat from chili powder. This makes enough for a five-pound roast or package of country-style ribs, but can easily be doubled to make enough for a small crowd.
This is one of my favorite ways to prepare a venison roast – I simply remove the string binding, put the roast in the crock pot, cover with the sauce, and let it go until it’s falling apart. You can do the same with a pork roast, beef roast, a whole chicken, or some country-style ribs (if you’ve never had country-style ribs, by the way, stop reading this right now and go get some).
Slow-cooked Southern-style Barbecue
1 five-pound roast (venison, beef, or pork, or five pounds of skinless, boneless chicken), all string removed
24 ounces tomato ketchup (Eli swears by Heinz, and won’t eat anything else)
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Place the roast in the crock pot. Mix together the remaining ingredients, and pour over the roast. Cover and cook on high 6 hours or on low 8-10 hours. Remove meat from sauce and shred (easiest using two forks). Return to crock pot and stir well. Serve on fresh kaiser rolls, or on its own with your favorite summer side dishes. Yum!
Here’s the printable recipe! Enjoy!
