Submitted by Dugald Bruce Campbell and Dugald Andrew Campbell
Having returned from being deployed for four years in Korea when the family was young, Laura started experimenting with a crock pot and cheaper cuts of meat for more economic meals. Laura says she can’t remember where she picked up this recipe but tried it and slowly worked on designing it down to bare bones preparation and ultimate flavor. It became a family favorite and one of those meals that impacted the next generation. There was always a spare can of beer around for cooking or for significantly changing a family ritual; such as the now traditional leaving a can of beer and nacho chips out for Santa and the reindeer on Christmas Eve.
The one thing this recipe requires is backward planning. That was something my military background demanded and I insisted of my family. Yes! I was the family tyrant that required being on time. There is no excuse for showing up late and it was a matter of honor to arrive when you said you were going to arrive. Being late without an extremely good reason is totally self-centered since others were counting on you, or had made plans.
Maybe it wasn’t a matter of life and death when you didn’t show up to a family gathering on time. But some were contemplating bodily harm on the sister-in-law that showed up 2 hours late on Christmas Day as we all waited to open presents. Especially when the only excuse was, “We just couldn’t seem to get going this morning.”
So the dreaded ‘S P’ time was decreed. This was military speak for ‘Start Point’ time and was the critical moment that all players had to be at a certain spot. You took the SP time and counted back to create your personal plan of action. It didn’t matter if we were invading Europe or going to Grandma’s for a birthday brunch; the concept was the same. If the SP time announced was 0900, that would be the time I started the car engine and left for Grandma’s. If you were not buckled in: tough luck.
Other family members believed this horrible and child abuse. I just understood it as personal responsibility. If the daughter knew it took 45 minutes to put on her makeup, 30 min to dress, and 30 min to shower; then she could calculate 0900 minus 45 minus 30 minus 30 as her own wakeup time. The times the Campbells were late to any family gathering in 15 years could be counted on one hand.
Crock Pot Shredded Beef requires backward planning of days; but is well worth it at the time of execution. D.B. Campbell
Being a young bachelor I don’t cook much and only to stay alive; mainly macaroni and cheese and stuff. Mom did teach me some cooking while growing up and this BBQ beef recipe has few ingredients and very little hands on prepare time.
I also like how I can freeze leftovers in portions to zap and eat later. It is the only reason I even have a crock pot, and is another excuse to use my favorite kind of BBQ sauce.
When I dated Jen, she was always cooking all kinds of good things for dinner. One time I wanted to fix something more than just mac & cheese, so I cooked this BBQ beef for her and her boys.
Jen was surprised that I could actually cook something. The three boys were very impressed and loved the sandwiches just like good little carnivores would.
I remember dreaming about Mom’s BBQ sandwiches while I was in Iraq. I guess that would qualify them as a “comfort food.” D. A. Campbell
Copies of 2005 Yahoo Instant Messenger communications
Camp Tagi, Iraq and Corvallis, OR.
On comfort food:
Andrew Campbell: I got yelled at for using my MP3 player while on mission today.
Andrew Campbell: I sat in the humvee for 4 hours listening to the radio.
Andrew Campbell: so I put one ear piece in my left ear and listened to the company frequency with my right ear. I was trying to stay awake.
Andrew Campbell: Jackola saw me at the fueling point and got after me. (Plt Sgt J)
Dugald23: Ha, no sympathy from here. I’m one of the “old guys” remember?
Andrew Campbell: I thought you’d take the old guys side.
Dugald23: lol
Andrew Campbell: Hogland just came into my room and I think I’m going to go to midnight chow with him.
Andrew Campbell: the phillapino ladies are always pushing extra food on me.
Dugald23: They think you’re cute and want you fattened up.
Andrew Campbell: they made a bbq beef sandwich like mom’s the other day. Not even close. I dreamed about mom’s sandwichs the other night.
Dugald23: Yea, they’re soooo good.
Andrew Campbell: I tried to explain the whole dreaming thing about food to the guys and they said it was just the heat.
On SP times:
Andrew Campbell: We went out today to help collect a cache that was found yesterday.
Andrew Campbell: this cache had about 1000 RPG rounds and some 155mm rounds.
Dugald23: WOW!
Andrew Campbell: We were searching a nearby area and found a recoilless rifle and some other stuff. It was a pretty big operation.
Andrew Campbell: 1st and 2nd platoons and 5 Bradleys with some trucks and ditch diggers. before we left the wire we lost the engineers. they just wondered off somewhere in the FOB.
Andrew Campbell: we found them and left the wire a few hours late.
Dugald23: Even your sister understands the importance of an SP time!
Andrew Campbell: she doesn't follow it though.
Dugald23: Neither do the "ditch diggers" it seems. Taking away 1000 RPG rounds is a blow!
Andrew Campbell: yup
Dugald23: How did you know it was there or find it?
Andrew Campbell: one of the Kiowas saw something sticking out of the dirt and called in some ground unit to check it out. They scratched at it and found a bunch of RPGs
Laura Campbell’s Crock Pot Shredded Beef
Makes enough for 6 or 7 (hoagie roll) sized sandwiches.
2-3 pounds Roast – beef or pork.
1 Can Beer
1 medium Onion, sliced.
1 bottle BBQ sauce (15 ounce, brand of choice)
1. Trim as much fat off the roast before cooking as possible for less fat in the final product.
2. Put ½ onion slices in bottom of crock pot, add meat on top.
3. Place leftover onions, and then pour beer over top.
4. Cook on high about 8 hours, depending on size of roast. Meat should shred easily with 2 forks when done.
5. Pull out meat and onions, discard juice, and shred meat.
6. Put shredded meat and onions back into crock pot.
7. Pour ½ to ¾ bottle of BBQ sauce over mixture in pot and cook on medium for a 2 hours, to heat and saturate BBQ sauce into meat.
8. When ready to serve add more BBQ sauce not water for consistency desired.
9. Serve on toasted rolls or buns of choice with any desired condiments.
Goes great with Gail Campbell’s Coleslaw as a side dish.
