Slo Joe BBQ

I know summertime is perfect for making a beef barbeque with brisket on the grill or pulled pork sandwiches, but with all the rain in my part of the country sometimes you need to stay inside to cook.

Our family has a great recipe for BBQ made in the oven. It is made with ground beef and a number of simple ingredients which you mix all together and then bake for a few hours. It is really more of a Sloppy Joe mix then real BBQ. It is so delicious and I have made it for many gatherings and have been asked for the recipe often. I have never made it in a crockpot, but I do have friends that have warmed it up in a crockpot. It is great no matter what the season or weather and it freezes so well!

I serve this yummy sandwich with "Sue's Sweet and Sour Slaw" and dill pickles. And, of course a handful of potato chips!

Slo Joe BBQ

2 lbs. ground beef (I use one lb. of the 80%-20% fat content and one lb. of the 90%-10% content – you need some fat or there is no flavor)

In a dutch oven, brown the meat until no pink remains and break into small pieces. Drain off the fat by pouring the meat into a colander, then return to pan.

Add:
One large green pepper, diced
One large yellow onion, diced
Two stalks celery, diced
1 ½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper

Cook this all together on low until vegetables get a tiny bit soft. I only do this for about 5 minutes and then I add the rest of the ingredients:

One 16oz can tomato sauce
1/8 c. sugar
¼ c. apple cider vinegar (do not use red wine or balsamic vinegar)
½ c. catsup
1 tsp. dry mustard

Mix all together, let it get bubbly, then put the lid on and bake in a preheated 300 degree oven for 2 ½ hours. If you let it cook longer, it is not a problem.

Serve on a sturdy bun (I like Pepperidge Farm sandwich rolls) brushed with butter and broiled until toasty. This keeps the BBQ from saturating the bun too quickly and making it all smushy and soggy.

*Becky Knows Everything: So easy to make and can be done the day before or even weeks before since it freezes so well. I usually make this in advance of a trip and freeze it in small containers, so when we return home we have something delicious and easy to prepare for dinner.