Pulled Beef Slow Cooker Recipe that's easy as pie! (2024)

FAQs

What cut of beef is best for slow cooked pulled beef? ›

Chuck roast is arguably the best cut to use for pulled beef. Similar to the front shoulder of pork (or the pork “butt”) chuck roasts, being from the front shoulder of the steer, are chock full of fat, collagen, and marbling. This is the stuff we need to make delicious juicy pulled beef.

Cook Low and Slow

Add your other ingredients and liquids, then set your cooker to “low.” Plan for 6-9 hours of cooking time for your warming slow cooker meal. This long, slow braise breaks down the connective tissue and fat, creating deliciously soft and juicy meat.

How do you keep pulled beef moist? Place your shredded beef in an ovenproof dish or catering pan add in a little liquid to replace some of the lost moisture. This can be apple juice, cider vinegar, broth, or a thick BBQ sauce.

In a slow cooker with little liquid, it is essential that the fattier side of the roast be on top. The “fat cap” as I call it, insulates the meat and as the fat melts it keeps the roast from drying out. How do you cook beef until it falls apart? Being of cajun decent the only fall apart meat I cook is in a gravy.

Your meat will be juicier and more tender

The longer cooking time and the low heat complement each other perfectly. As a result, even though the meat is cooked for far longer, it doesn't dry out because the temperature is low. As a result, this is the best way to retain all the natural juices of the meat.

Yes, you can overcook anything! Different crock pots cook at different temperatures. I have two crockpots; one has three settings (warm, low, and high). I've never used the high because it actually boils on warm and I really only use it for soups or broths.

“Beef may be tough in the slow cooker if you haven't added enough liquid, or haven't cooked it for long enough,” Kristen Carli, M.S., R.D., owner of Camelback Nutrition & Wellness, tells SELF. “For cuts of meat, the fattier cuts are often the ones that get juicy and tender.

Meat that is over-cooked, even if it's submerged in liquid, will eventually dry-out, and get tough, and different cuts of meat cook differently. There are a few reasons for that. Not having enough liquid in the pot can do it. A poor cut of meat can result in toughness as well.

Insufficient Liquid: If there wasn't enough liquid in the crockpot, it could have caused uneven cooking. Potatoes need to be fully submerged in liquid to cook evenly. Old Potatoes: Very old or stored potatoes can become starchy and may not soften as well during cooking. It's best to use fresh, firm potatoes.

But the acid in milk is so mild that you can soak beef in it long enough to tenderize it effectively, without damaging the proteins on the surface. The calcium-rich properties of milk react with enzymes in the meat to gently soften the proteins.

What do you eat with pulled beef? ›

Serving Suggestions for my Pulled Beef Sandwich

Serve these tasty sandwiches with home fries or potato chips, a bowl of coleslaw, and a beer.

It's also important to season your beef first and then add plenty of beef broth or another liquid a recipe for slow cooked beef calls for. The meat will make a little of its own juices, but cooking it without liquid may dry out your beef long before it's even fully-cooked, making for a not-so-appetizing dinner.

Yes, you can overcook beef stew and other dishes. The recipe will indicate the preferred time, and while one can go over that, it shouldn't be by too much. One hour isn't likely to make a difference for beef stew. Three hours would.

"Browning, or caramelizing, meat before putting it into a slow cooker isn't 100 percent necessary, but it is well worth the effort for the most flavorful and full-bodied end result," he says. "The caramelized surface of the meat will lend rich flavor and color to the finished dish."

You should always brown ground beef or any ground meat in a skillet before adding it to your slow cooker to prevent the meat from clumping up or from adding excess grease to your cooked dish.

Choose the right cut: Chuck roasts, short ribs, pork shoulders and lamb shanks (think fatty and tougher meats) become meltingly tender with the moist, low heat of a slow cooker. Leaner cuts like pork tenderloin tend to dry out. Likewise, dark meat chicken — thighs, drumsticks, etc.

Arm chuck roast

An economical and flavorful cut. Best when slow-cooked. Got a hankering for delicious shredded beef? Try one of these Four-Way Slow Cooker Shredded Beef recipes that are sure to please everyone at the dinner table.

A chuck roast is cut from the shoulder and neck region of the animal and may be labeled chuck roast, shoulder steak, boneless chuck roast, or chuck shoulder pot roast.

Pork shoulder is ideal for pulling purposes. It has an optimum fat content that yields to create tender, melty meat, but it's essential you cook it slowly to allow the protein to break down properly.