Halloween Savory Cajun Beef Sandwich

Ode to the Kitchen Cauldron “The Crock-Pot”

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Halloween is upon us! Black Cats, cauldrons, ghouls, and ghosts running door-to-door, collecting candy from parents dressed as their favorite Marvel characters, as delivery drivers zip through the neighborhood with mediocre food that's barely warm, and you wish you could tip them with a handful of Kit-Kats and say 'Be on your way, boy' in your best grumpy old man voice. What can I say: I am getting old!

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This year, you can save your family from a few things this year: zombies, General Zod, the Daleks, and most importantly “Dr. Cold Meal” and his sidekick “Dull Flavor!”

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So tonight, with a little bit of science and a touch of lightning, we will bring lie back to the Slow Cooker, aka the CrockPot!

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The crock pot has been around for generations, and over the years they have become passe sitting on your shelf collecting dust. Some of you never broke it out of the box when you received it on your wedding registry. Take it from their Crock Pot CounterCulture out there with thousands of amazing recipes that will crush your party, winter lunch, or dinner!

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Don't knock it, people; the CrockPot is one of my favorite tools in the day-to-day cooking at the asylum I call home. Cooking for these patients we call children can be riskier than a walk through a cemetery.

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So I will bring you to the city that screams spooky: the city of New Orleans! (A few times a year, well, it screams a few other things.)  

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The “Po-Boy King”  was a place that really put a spell on me. I begged the owner to show me how to make this sandwich which left me spellbound, but I had to promise I would never open a shop in the city and cut off one of my fingers as an offering to the “Chicken Man.”

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Now I am going to share this killer recipe with you. I hope your Monster Squad enjoys this dish!

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Please send a finger to the address listed in the bio!

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Savory Cajun Beef Sandwich Recipe

Equipment:

• Mixing Bowl
• Crock-Pot
• Skillet
• Whisk

Ingredients:

Dry Rub:

• 1 tsp Cayenne Pepper
• 2 tbsp Granulated Sugar
• 2 tbsp Onion Powder
• 2 tbsp Garlic Powder
• 2 tbsp Tony Chachere's Cajun Spice (NO SALT)
• 1 tbsp Cracked Black Pepper
• 2 tbsp Flour (optional)

Beef:

• 2 lb beef brisket (or similar cuts like Chuck Roast or Beef Shanks)
• 6 cups Knorr’s  Concentrated Beef Stock
• 2 tbsp Kitchen Bouquet Browning & Seasoning Sauce 
• 1-2 tsp  Tony Chachere’s Cajun seasoning (adjust to taste)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 tbsp butter (divided)
• 2 onions (cut into chunks)
• 2 Carrots (Diced)
• 2 Celery Stalks (Diced)
• 1 Yellow Onion (Diced)
• 8 garlic cloves
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 Cup Red Wine

Gravy:

• 4 tbsp cornstarch
• 6 tbsp cold water
• 2 tsp salt (adjust to taste)

Sandwich Dressing:

• 2 Loaves of Baguette (I love Levon Deli here in Denver)
• 2 Large Beefsteak Tomatoes (Sliced)
• 1 Red Onions (Sliced)
• Shredded Romaine Lettuce
• 1 lb Sliced Havarti Cheese (or your preferred cheese)
• Sucker Punch Sweet Spiced Bread & Butter Pickles
• Helmans / Best Foods Mayonnaise 

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Instructions:

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1. Prepare the Dry Rub:

• In a small bowl, combine Cayenne Pepper, Granulated Sugar, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Cajun Spice, and Cracked Black Pepper.

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2. Prepare the Beef:

• Pat the beef brisket dry with a paper towel.
• Apply the Dry Rub generously to the brisket.

3. Sear the Beef

• In a cast-iron skillet, sear the brisket on both sides until it gets a nice brown crust.
• Remove the brisket from the skillet and deglaze the pan with red wine. Pour this into the Crock Pot.

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4. Crock-Pot Cooking

• Place the seared brisket in the Crock Pot.
• Add chunks of onions, diced carrots, diced celery, yellow onion, garlic cloves, and bay leaves to the Crock Pot.
• Pour in the low-sodium beef broth. If the broth doesn't fully cover the meat, that's okay.
• Cook on medium for 5-8 hours until the brisket is fork-tender.

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5. Making Gravy

• Remove the cooked brisket from the Crock Pot and shred the meat.
• In a separate bowl, mix cornstarch with COLD WATER.
• Pour the cornstarch mixture into the Crock Pot broth.
• Add the shredded beef back to the broth and let it cook for 30 minutes until the gravy thickens.

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6. Preparing Sandwich:

• Warm up the baguette in the oven until it's crispy.
• Remove from the oven and place it on a cutting board.
• Spread your favorite mayonnaise on the roll.
• Layer with cheese, shredded meat, lettuce, tomato slices, and Sucker Punch Pickles.

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7. Serve

• Cut the sandwich into portions and enjoy with your favorite side dish.

Note: For plant-based diets, you can use mushroom broth and replace the proteins with jackfruit or hearty mushrooms for a delicious vegan twist on this recipe.

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Why is Hellman's called Best Foods on the West Coast?

In 1932, the same company owned Best Foods and Hellmann's. Because Hellmann's had such a devoted following, the owners decided to keep both brand names. To this day, west of the Rocky Mountains sells Best Foods

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