The Friday Friends: Friday Friend Recipe #206

Friday, October 26, 2018

Friday Friend Recipe #206 - Easy-Schmeesy BBQ Beef

Come with me as I continue to countdown my Friday Friend Cookbook!

What is it, you may ask?

In a nutshell...
About 19 years ago, 50 of my closest friends and family, who had been on an e-mail forum with me, sent in recipes in different categories and we compiled a cookbook.
I decided to count those down!
Why?

Because one night I was looking thru the cookbook and I said, "I should make every recipe in here for my blog"
The Handyman--who thinks he knows me better than I know myself, said, "you'll never EVER do that."
Well, maybe I will! Maybe I'll show him!

Which brings me to recipe #206

I know that this can make a great freezer or make-ahead meal too. Easy to make and easy to take---so pot luck also!

I made this last fall--that's LAST fall, as in a year ago, and the photos have been sitting in my drafts waiting for me to blog about it. Maybe if I wasn't such a procrastinator I would be done with this cookbook challenge!

When we were at our cabin LAST fall, I was reading a book called "The Comfort Food Diaries" and I came across a bbq sauce I wanted to try, so while this recipe for 'easy Shmeesy BBQ Beef' says to use a bottle of premade bbq sauce--which is super easy and good--this time I chose to make a homemade sauce. You can do it however you want.

The Comfort Food Diaries is a memoir on the author's quest to find the perfect dish to mend a broken heart.

After a bad break-up (and a drunk, embarrassing Facebook rant) the author finds a way forward and travels the country, cooking and staying with family and friends while searching for the perfect comfort food...she finds that food is a source of connection (just look at me here connecting with all of my friends!) and identity.

Fast forward to a chapter called 'Finding the comfort in comfort food." in which she makes her brothers favorite bbq beef recipe. It uses ketchup. I wanted to give it a try---because I was comforted and nostalgic myself about comfort foods while reading this book. It make me yearn for my mother's odd little side-dishes: a can of green beans with chopped onion and mayonnaise. Eaten cold of course. Or sliced oranges with coconut sprinkled on top. Or a canned pear half with a dollop of mayo and grated cheddar cheese on top. Things I haven't made in a million years, nor would I really want to, but they bring back so many memories.

Anyway... here is the sauce I made;

(but I used a crock pot and let it cook all day while we hiked)

1. Boil a large chuck roast until tender. Cool. Shred. Save the broth.

In a large pot mix together:

1 T. allspice

1 T. chili powder

1 t. celery salt

1 large bottle of Heinz ketchup

Dash cayenne pepper

Broth from meat

Salt to taste

2. Add the shredded meat. Cook down very slowly to desired thickness. Must serve on large buns, that have been toasted, with slaw.

Of course you can do whatever or however you want with Easy "Schmeesy" BBQ Beef, but the original is here:

I made FRIED APPLES for a side dish---another little oddity food item my mom make when we were growing up. She would just fry up some apple slices with butter and brown sugar and a bit of cinnamon. Don't knock it till you try it!

Texas Road House used to serve Fried Apples too.

And now I'm supposed to do photos of me and a story of me. I thought that I would put up some photos of the Handyman and myself up at our cabin. Hiking photos or something, but just last weekend we attended the mayors ball. I don't do sparkly very well--- I do hiking in the mountains better--but I found the perfect dress and I think I pulled this off!

Give me jeans and a walking stick any old time. Or jeans and a book by a fire and a glass of wine--the best!

We had a fun time at the Mayor's Ball tho.