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It might not be authentic, but this easy barbecue beef sure satisfied my craving!

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I am not a southern girl. I was born in Brooklyn, New York of European parents who’s closest experience with barbecue was whole roasted suckling pig or Tandoori chicken. As they raised us on Long Island, barbecue became a thing of hamburgers and hot dogs and grilled chicken or sausage or London Broil cooked rare and sliced thin.

I didn’t get my first taste of anything barbecue until I was in college and spent some time in North Carolina’s Croatan National Forest collecting snakes and reptiles for the biology department. That is a whole other story, but one night, instead of camp fire cooking we stopped at a local pit barbecue and I had my first taste of pulled pork and barbecue beef and I was hooked! What succulent meat in smoky sauce dripping down my chin with each lovely bite!

I also did not know that there were a few different schools of barbecue and each is as different as they come, tailoring the flavors and cooking method to their environment and tradition and all deeply hold the belief that their version is the best.  I wont go into the regional names because frankly, I do not know enough about them and I also do not want to start a barbecue war on my blog! Let’s just leave it up to the individual to decide what they love the best!

I am familiar with three basic sauce types. One is based on tomato, another is based on vinegar and the third is based on mustard. I have not yet tried a mustard base, but look forward to doing it. I have had both vinegar and tomato barbecue and both are delicious in their own way.

The other day I was looking at a pound of grass fed ground beef and I was wondering what to make with it. I had just baked some lovely Whole Wheat Hamburger Rolls but I didn’t have the fixing for my sausage based sloppy joes and I really didn’t want a plain old burger. I got to thinking of the sweet and spicy sauce on the sloppy joe and it reminded me of barbecue. I decided to try my hand at creating my own barbecue sauce and some easy barbecue beef. I had all the ingredients on hand and had a blast creating it with a pinch of this and a dash of that!

Easy Barbecue Beef on a Bun

Serves 4 to 6

1 Lb. ground beef (I am lucky to be able to get grass fed dried beef!)

2 Tbs. butter, lard, olive oil or bacon grease

1 Large onion finely chopped (I didn’t use this because of my daughter but if I had made it for myself I would have!)

6 Cloves garlic smashed and finely chopped or 2 Tsp. garlic powder

1/4 Cup organic ketchup or ketchup of your choice

2 Tsp. favorite hot sauce such as Tabasco, Texas Pete’s or Tapatio

1 Tsp. smoked or hot paprika

1 Tbs. apple cider vinegar

1 Tbs. brown sugar

1/2 Tbs. black strap molasses

1 Tbs. Worchestershire sauce

1 Tsp. dry mustard powder

1/2 Tsp. chili powder or more to taste

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

1/4 Cup Home made Beef or Chicken stock or stock of your choice

In a medium mixing bowl combine the ketchup, hot sauce, vinegar, sugar, molasses, Worchestershire sauce, mustard and chili powder. Stir well to combine and let sit on the counter for at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to blend. You can chop your onions and garlic while you are letting the sauce rest.

In a heavy skillet with a lid or a dutch oven, heat the fat on medium heat until hot. Add the onions and saute until translucent and soft but not browned, about 10 minutes. Add in the garlic and keep the heat in check so the garlic cooks and softens but does not brown, about 3 minutes.

Add the ground beef to the skillet and brown it well, breaking the meat up to a medium fine crumble, until all the pink has gone from the meat. This should take about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and then add in the stock and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down as low as it will go and cover for about 10 minutes on a very low simmer, stirring occasionally. Remove the cover and pour the sauce over the beef, stirring well to mix. Allow to cook on low for at least another five minutes. If the sauce is too thin, turn the heat up and bring to a bubbling simmer to cook off some of the stock, but remember to stir it constantly as you are cooking with sugar which can burn. Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking. Serve on Whole Wheat Hamburger Buns or the buns of your choice! Also works well over rice or with noodles.

Well, I certainly make no claims on traditional barbecue, but this recipe was simple and satisfied my craving for a smoky, sweet and spicy sauce! You can also make the sauce alone and pour over grilled chicken for a sassy kick! My kids loved it and I will definitely make it again as a change of pace from our regular Sloppy Joe’s!

This article is a part of the Hearth and Soul Hop-Volume 40, Monday Mania, Glam Party, Tasty Tuesday, A Little Bird Told Me, Dr. Laura’s Tasty Tuesdays, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Tuesday Night Supper Club, Tuesdays at the Table,   Homemaker Monday, Delicious Dishes, Made by You Monday, Mouthwatering Mondays, Tasty Tuesday Parade of Food, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday and Delectable Tuesday.  This recipe was also posted on the wonderful food community Eat Cook Share, so please stop by and join this lovely foodie group!