Grab your crockpot and get ready for this delicious, juicy shredded smoked hickory beef sandwich. This roast is seasoned with smoked hickory, au jus, beef broth and peppers. I use Hawaiian hoagies so it gives the bite a little sweetness. Don’t forget the melted cheese on top. I use provolone cheese, similar to what I’d use on Italian beef sandwiches.

I was at the market over the fall and came across one of those party dip vendors. They had dips that could also be used as meat rubs and this smoked hickory was one of the options. I grabbed it along with a handful of other ones because I love trying out new rubs and supporting local.

You’ll notice I use au jus AND beef broth in the crockpot. I reserve 1/2 of the au jus to heat up in the skillet and dip the sandwiches in when it’s time to serve.

Smoked Hickory Beef Sandwiches

Prep time: 5 minutes | Cook time: 7 hours | Total time: approx 7 hours

Ingredients

• 2.5 lb chunk roast (or whatever size is appropriate for you and then make sure to up the below ingredients if you use a bigger roast)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup smoked hickory seasoning/meat rub
• 2 tbs garlic powder
• 2 tbs oregano
• 1 tbs onion powder
• 1 sweet red mini bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
• 1 sweet yellow mini bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
• 4-6 peperoncinis, whole
• 1 tbs peperoncini juice
• au jus powder, mixed with water (normal packet makes around 3 cups or so)
• 2 cups beef broth
• Hawaiian hoagie buns
• provolone cheese

Recipe

• Grab a large crockpot or a flat one that can hold your roast.
• Add the chuck roast to the crockpot and sprinkle salt and pepper to taste.
• Sprinkle the smoke hickory seasoning over top the roast so it’s evenly distributed.
• Sprinkle garlic powder, oregano and onion powder on the roast.
• Add in the red and yellow bell pepper slices to the crockpot.
• Add in the whole peperoncinis, distributing them all around the crockpot and have a couple on top of the roast itself.
• Pour the peperoncini juice over the roast slowly.
• Pour 1 cup of the au jus into the crockpot, reserve the 2 cups to reheat and use as a dip when serving the sandwiches.
• Pour 2 cups of beef broth into the crockpot.
• Put the lid on and cook on low for 6-8 hours depending on how large the roast is.
• After the roast is cooked, take the lid off and using two forks, shred the roast.
• Keep the shredded roast in the crockpot and put the lid back on to cook for another 30 minutes. This helps absorb all of those delicious flavors.
• After 30 minutes, preheat your oven to 350.
• Grab a baking sheet, your hoagies and add the shredded beef to the bottom bun. Add a slice of provolone cheese on top. Set the top of the hoagie next to the bottom half so they both get nice and crisp in the oven while the cheese melts. Repeat this for all of the sandwiches.
• Bake in the oven for 5 minutes or so, until the cheese is melted.
• While that’s in the oven, reheat your au jus in a stovetop pan on medium-low heat.
• Serve the sandwiches with a little cup of au jus on the side.

XO, Rachel