Gluten-Free Crock Pot Balsamic Beef Sandwiches with Blue Cheese, Crispy Shallots
Try this Gluten-free Crock Pot Balsamic Beef Sandwiches with Blue Cheese, Crispy Shallots recipe, or contribute your own.
Try this Gluten-free Crock Pot Balsamic Beef Sandwiches with Blue Cheese, Crispy Shallots recipe, or contribute your own.
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 sweet onion chopped
- lots of salt and pepper
- 2-3 lb chuck roast trimmed of visible fat and cut into large hunks
- 14 oz can beef broth divided
- 1-1/4 cups balsamic vinegar divided
- 4 peeled garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoonsâ gluten-freee tamari orâ soy sauce (dish
- 1-1/2 teaspoons dried rosemary
- 2 large shallots cut into rings then separated
- 2 oz blue cheese crumbled
- gluten-free sandwich or hoagie buns
- cheese cloth
- Carbohydrate 11.5529394221417 g
- Cholesterol 10.6310711625 mg
- Fat 13.9395264749225 g
- Fiber 0.755343730433265 g
- Protein 21.0677895967068 g
- Saturated Fat 5.21165223452238 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (1631g)
- Sodium 5168.0487986227 mg
- Sugar 10.7975956917085 g
- Trans Fat 0.604745190089155 g
- Calories 256 calories
Step-by-step
- Add chuck roast hunks, 1 cup beef broth, 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, sweet onion, garlic cloves, soy sauce, honey, dried rosemary, salt, and pepper into a 5-6 quart crock pot. Place a lid on top then cook on low for 7-8 hours or until meat shreds easily. Shred meat then return to crock pot and cook on low for 1 more hour.
- Meanwhile bring remaining 1 cup balsamic vinegar to a boil in a small saucepan then turn heat down to medium and simmer until vinegar is thickened and slightly sweet tasting, about 20 minutes. You'll know it's done when you scrape a spatula across the bottom and the vinegar stays parted for a second or two. Pour reduced balsamic vinegar into a serving dish. (Can do this ahead of time - microwave reduced balsamic vinegar for 15-20 seconds to get it to pouring consistency.)
- Strain the cooking liquid from the crock pot through a fine mesh sieve lined with cheese cloth into the same saucepan, leaving a little bit of liquid in the crock pot to keep the meat juicy. Put the meat back into the crock pot and place a lid on top to keep warm. Add remaining beef broth to the saucepan then bring mixture to a boil and then turn heat down to medium and simmer until reduced and vinegar taste has mellowed, 20 minutes. Pour the au jus into a serving dish.
- Heat oil in a medium-sized skillet over medium-high heat. Add half the shallots then saute, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 2 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel lined plate to drain then sprinkle lightly with salt and repeat with remaining shallots.
- Pile meat onto buns then top with crispy shallots, blue cheese, and reduced balsamic vinegar. Serve with au jus on the side.
Slowing Down the Roast for Maximum Shreddability
Long cooking times in a 5-6 quart slow cooker break down tough connective tissues in chuck roast until the meat yields completely to two forks. Cook the beef on low for 7-8 hours, ensuring the collagen transforms into gelatin without drying out the muscle fibers. Returning the shredded meat to the pot for an extra hour of heat absorption allows the internal moisture to re-saturate every strand. Trimming visible fat before cooking prevents grease pooling, leaving a cleaner flavor profile when the cooking liquid is strained through a cheesecloth-lined fine mesh sieve.
Reducing Vinegars for Concentrated Viscosity
Controlling acidity requires active reduction on the stovetop. Simmering the 1-1/4 cups of balsamic vinegar over medium heat for about 20 minutes evaporates harsh, volatile acetic acid compounds while concentrating natural sugars until a spatula dragged across the pan bottom leaves a momentary path. When preparing the au jus, combine the strained crock pot liquid with remaining beef broth, then boil and simmer for another 20 minutes to mellow the sharp vinegar edge completely. Managing these two distinct reductions prevents the final dish from tasting overwhelmingly sour.
Frying Shallots for Contrasting Crunch
Soft-braised beef and creamy blue cheese require a sharp textural counterweight to succeed on gluten-free sandwich or hoagie buns. Slice the two large shallots into uniform rings and fry them in a medium-sized skillet over medium-high heat with extra virgin olive oil for only 2 minutes per batch to achieve a deep golden brown. Transfer the hot shallots immediately to a paper-towel-lined plate and dust them with salt while oil clings to the surface; this ensures they retain their crisp shatter rather than turning soggy.
