Pulled Beef Sandwiches in the Crockpot

Packed with a tangy, bold flavor from pickled Giardiniera and Italian dressing mix, Pulled Beef Sandwiches in the Crock Pot piles shredded chuck roast in a homemade au jus on an open-faced sub sandwich bun.

Servings: 8 servings

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 7

Total Time 7 30

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Ingredients

For the Roast

▢ 3 pounds beef chuck roast
▢ 1 cup Giardiniera Pickled Vegetables I used the Mezzetta brand
▢ 1/2 cup brine from Giardiniera pickled vegetables jar
▢ 1 packet dry Italian dressing seasoning mix 0.7 oz
▢ 1 cup beef broth
▢ 6 cloves garlic smashed and roughly chopped
▢ 1 Tbs. cornstarch
▢ 1/2 cup butter cut into chunks

For the Sandwihes

▢ 8 Hoagie buns
▢ olive oil optional, for brushing the buns
▢ 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
▢ 1 teaspoon oregano flakes optional
▢ chopped Giardiniera Pickled Vegetables optional, for garnishing

Instructions

Season the Roast

Using paper towels, pat the chuck roast dry and season it all over with half of the Italian dressing seasoning packet. Let the seasoned roast sit at room temperature, uncovered, for 30 minutes - 1 hour on the counter.
3 pounds beef chuck roast, 1 packet dry Italian dressing seasoning mix

Make the Simmering Liquid and Prepare the Roast

In the bottom of your slow cooker, combine the beef broth, remaining Italian seasoning, garlic, cornstarch, and Giardiniera juice; stir to combine.
1 cup beef broth, 6 cloves garlic, 1 Tbs. cornstarch, 1/2 cup brine from Giardiniera pickled vegetables jar
Place the seasoned chuck roast into the broth mixture.
Spoon the Giardiniera vegetables over the roast.
1 cup Giardiniera Pickled Vegetables
Scatter the butter chunks over the vegetables. Cover the slow cooker with the lid.
1/2 cup butter

Slow Cook the Roast

Cook on low temperature for 7-8 hours or on high temperature for 5-6 hours (or a combination of both), until the beef is fall-apart tender. *Sometimes, to get everything going in a hurry, I'll cook my roast on high for a couple hours, then lower the temp to low to finish.
Using a slotted spoon, remove the cooked roast from the simmmering liquids to a platter. Disard any bones and/or fat that remain in the slow cooker.
When the simmering liquids have cooled down, pour them through a mesh strainer to remove the chunky ingredients (the veggies and etc) from the broth.
Now pour the strained broth that into a fat separator, allowing the fats a minute or so to raise to the top. Squeeze the handle of the fat separator to allow the broth to escape from the bottom into a bowl; as the fat on the top gets close to escaping at the bottom, release the handle to keep it contained so you can discard it. Return the de-fatted broth (this is your au jus) to the slow cooker to keep warm on the lowest setting.
Using two forks, pull the meat apart on the platter, shredding it into bite-size pieces.

How to Assemble Shredded Beef Sandwiches

Preheat the oven broiler.
Using a silicone pastry brush, brush the hoagie buns with a bit of olive oil.
8 Hoagie buns, olive oil
Top the buns with a generous amount of shredded beef, then sprinkle the beef with shredded mozzarella and a generous sprinkle of oregano flakes.
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, 1 teaspoon oregano flakes
Keeping a close eye on the sandwihes, broil just a minute or so until the cheese is golden brown and melty.
Serve with au jus on the side from the slow cooker for dipping, if desired.

Notes

Because my family loves this type of super tender beef so much, I often cook TWO chuck roasts at once in my 6-quart or 8-quart Crock Pot just so I can have extra shredded beef on hand in my fridge. No changes are needed to this recipe to prepare two roasts.

Pulled beef, otherwise known as shredded beef, freezes really well. I shred the meat while it's warm because it's easier than when the meat is chilled. I like to freeze the beef portioned out in 2-3 cups per quart bag, a great size using in a family meal for 4 people. Once you have the beef portioned into the freezer bags, flatten the beef out evenly in the bag with your fingertips or a rolling pin. Then, press out the air and seal the bags well and freeze. The flattened bags can be stacked easily in your freezer and they also thaw more quickly, too.

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