Instant Pot Barbecue Brisket

I love making barbecue brisket in the crockpot, but I really wanted to try it in the Instant Pot for a quicker weeknight summer meal.  The brisket cooks beautifully in the Instant Pot and comes out very tender.  Miss F despises barbecue sauce, so she topped hers with mustard instead.  She will put mustard on nearly any type of meat (and vegetables!)  The brisket was also great leftover on a sandwich made with Texas toast.  With plenty of pickles, of course.  This recipe makes a good amount of brisket, so be sure to count on leftovers from it.

Instant Pot Barbecue Brisket

1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon celery seed
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 fresh beef brisket (2-1/2 to 3 pounds), trimmed
2 cups beef broth
Barbecue sauce

Combine the salt, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, celery seed and pepper in a small bowl. Rub the spice mixture all over the brisket. Pour the broth into the Instant Pot, then add the seasoned brisket to the pot. Set to “Meat” for 60 minutes. Allow the pressure to release naturally, remove the brisket. Slice against the grain and top with your favorite barbecue sauce.

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Crockpot Barbecue Pork Ribs

I will confess that I have never made ribs before. Even though they are my most favorite barbecued meat. When I saw a full rack of ribs for under $3, I knew ribs were going to be attempted at my house. Even though we don't have a barbecue grill. My mom has always boiled them for a few hours, then finished them off in the oven or on the grill. I had a busy day, so tending to a boiling pot for a few hours wasn't going to work. I adapted a recipe from All Recipes, it was really quite easy. And the ribs couldn't have tasted any better.  I used bottle barbecue sauce because I am tired of C whining that the homemade kinds makes the house smell too vinegary.  I will definitely be buying ribs again, though I am hoping for more great sales on them this summer.

Crockpot Barbecue Pork Ribs

1 full rack of ribs, broken down to fit into the crockpot
½ cup water
½ onion, peeled and sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
your favorite barbecue sauce

Season the ribs generously with salt and pepper. Pour the water into the crockpot, layer the ribs on top. Layer the onions and garlic on top of the ribs. Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Transfer the ribs to a baking sheet, discarding the onion slices. Brush the barbecue sauce all over the ribs to coat. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, serve.

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Crockpot Barbecue Brisket

Before I moved to Texas, barbecue meant pulled pork, ribs or grilled chicken. I had never had brisket before I moved here and I wasn't a huge fan initially, once I learned the right places to get it and my preferred way to eat it (on Texas Toast with pickles, barbecue sauce and a bit of ranch dressing,) I grew to love it. C used to smoke brisket back when we had a charcoal grill, but it has been years since he had made it. I had bought a huge cut for the barbacoa beef and only ended up using half. This recipe from Taste of Home was intriguing. And delicious. I loved the way the brisket turned out. Tender and full of flavor, without the hassle of smoking it all day long.  C was not impressed with the barbecue sauce though, he still prefers the Kraft variety from the bottle (fool!)

Crockpot Barbecue Brisket

1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon celery seed
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 fresh beef brisket (2-1/2 pounds), trimmed

½ cup ketchup
½ cup chili sauce
¼ cup packed brown sugar
¼ cup cider vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon mustard

In a small bowl, combine the first six ingredients; rub over brisket. Place in a 3-qt. slow cooker.
In a large bowl, combine the sauce ingredients. Pour half over the brisket; set the remaining sauce aside.
Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 8 to 10 hours, until the meat is tender. Simmer the reserved sauce in a small saucepan over low heat for 20 minutes before serving. Slice and serve with the reserved sauce.

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Cherry Barbecue Sauce

My dad requested pulled pork for his birthday dinner. Miss F and I loaded up the car with the bread machine (for brioche buns), my crockpot, a pork shoulder and our swim suits to spend the birthday with Grandad. I made this barbecue sauce the day before, it was inspired by Confections of a Foodie Bride, but I cannot stand store bought barbecue sauce. The only sauce I have ever found even remotely tolerable is McCutcheon's, but I have only ever seen it in Maryland.  I have seen McCutcheon's jellies here in Texas, but the barbecue sauce remains elusive.  This sauce works perfectly on Dr. Pepper pulled pork.  It may not be the fanciest of birthday dinners, but it sure was tasty.

Cherry Barbecue Sauce

¾ cup ketchup
½ cup apple cider vinegar
½ cup water
20 cherries, pitted and cut into eighths
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon soy sauce
½ to 1 teaspoon Sriracha
1 tablespoon minced onion

In a small sauce pan combine ketchup, vinegar, water, cherries, sugar, Worcestershire, mustard, soy sauce, Sriracha and onion. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve.

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Cranberry Barbecue Sauce

This sauce is the perfect thing for turkey leftovers. I personally don't like cranberry sauce, but I love it in this barbecue sauce. It has a nice vinegary kick that works perfectly with the sweetness and tartness of the cranberries. I served these sandwiches on brioche buns, which are by far my most favorite sandwich roll ever.  I also added sliced pickles on my sandwich, which worked great.  I had intended to try and make sweet potato tots instead of spicy sweet potato wedges with it, but processing the sweet potatoes was a bit challenging....so I gave up.  I think I need to attempt them with regular potatoes first.

Cranberry Barbecue Sauce

1/3 cup ketchup
1/3 cup cranberry sauce
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
¼ cup water
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon mustard
1 teaspoon hot sauce
½ teaspoon salt

Whisk together all ingredients in a small sauce pan over medium-high heat. Once the mixture comes to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes to thicken. Serve with leftover turkey on brioche buns.

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Pig Dip

When I saw the name "Pig Dip" on Taste & See I was intrigued. Once I read through the recipe, I knew I had to try it. I love any and all vinegar, and I especially love vinegar based barbecue sauces.  One of the best barbecue chickens I have ever eaten has a clear, vinegar based barbecue sauce.  Carolina style.  I know I live in Texas and I am supposed to be eating sliced brisket with a dry rub, but give me juicy ribs, pork or chicken any day, preferrably smothered in some sort of sauce with a high vinegar content.  I made Dr Pepper Pulled Pork and smothered it with the Pig Dip.  I was like a pig in you know what...

Pig Dip

1 cup distilled vinegar
½ cup ketchup
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Paprika
½ teaspoon hot sauce
¼ teaspoon black pepper

In a large nonreactive bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix well with a whisk. Make at least 24 hours prior to usage for best flavor. Store the sauce in a tightly covered jar for up to 1 month refrigerated.

When meat is pulled or chopped, mix the sauce throughout the meat.

Source: Taste & See

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Peach Barbecue Sauce

Lesson learned on this one. If your hot pad gets wet, it no longer protects you from the hot. I have a huge burn blister on my thumb...ouch. This barbecue sauce works well on chicken, but it would also be great on pork. The peach isn't overly sweet, the ginger counters it nicely. I am going to be so sad when the summer fruit season is over. I didn't bother to tell C that there were peaches in the sauce, what he doesn't know, won't hurt him (or cause him to turn his nose up!)

Peach Barbecue Sauce
makes 2 cups

¼ cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon onion, minced
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon ground mustard
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
¼ cup water
1 cup tomato ketchup
1 peach, peeled and pureed
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon butter

In a medium saucepan, combine all the ingredients except the butter. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. With a whisk, blend in the butter until incorporated.

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Barbecue Beer Chicken Thighs

These were incredibly easy and very yummy. The meat nearly fell off the bone, even Miss F got to try her first pieces of chicken. No longer a vegetarian!

I served mashed potatoes and sugar snap peas with it. The chicken had a nice vinegary kick to them, which tasted incredible, but made the garlic turn blue. Apparently, the acidity in the vinegar can do that. It was the oddest sight, luckily, it doesn't affect the edibility.




Barbecue Beer Chicken Thighs

4 chicken thighs
1 cup beer (I used Pilsner Urquell)
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon Worchestire sauce
2 teaspoons mustard
1 small onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, smashed
Hot sauce to taste

Combine all ingredients except the chicken thighs in the crockpot. Stir together to incorporate. Add the chicken thighs and spoon the sauce over to coat. Set the crock pot to high and cook for 5 to 6 hours.

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