Barbecue Beer Shoulder Roast

Posted on June 18, 2013

When you think of lean protein, red meat doesn’t appear on the radar. While most nutritionists won’t advice you have red meat completely written off in your diet, they won’t encourage you to eat copious amounts of it either. I very seldom cook and serve red meat. I normally reserve red meat such as roast beef and shoulder roast for special occasions. I confess to being inexperienced when it comes to cooking with red meat. I can’t seem to achieve my desired temperatures. I never had any help or guidance and had to solely rely on cookbooks. I admit feeling nervous and a lack of self-confidence when cooking beef. After a couple of cooking mishaps in which are prone to happen, I decided to muster up the courage to cook this shoulder roast right. I wanted to make something special for Hubby’s upcoming birthday since I neglected to bake him a cake as I traditionally do on his birthday. Not only was the shoulder roast cooked to perfection but throwing in the barbecue beer sauce was a brilliant idea. I couldn’t think pf any meat dish more masculine than barbecue beer shoulder roast. I even include a quick barbecue beer sauce recipe here as well. A spice rub is an integral part of preparing red meat. The flavors of the spice rub will penetrate in the meat. The meat needs 2 hours to overnight to marinate in the spice rub. You can use any type of roast cuts you want but I chose beef shoulder roast. Beef shoulder is one of the most inexpensive roast beef cuts. If cooked properly, it makes an excellent main course. Sorry but I don’t care for beef jerky much. With careful preparation (note to self), beef shoulder roast is an affordable and delicious choice for entertaining or feeding families. When it comes to cooking shoulder roast, it is important to note that a lot of connective tissue, which can benefit from slow cooking at a low temperature. This beef cut should be cooked with liquid to prevent it from being tough and stringy. Regardless of which cooking method you opt for, the end result will be a savory dish to feature in a family dinner. If you are concerned about not knowing what to do with the leftovers, don’t be. You can use the leftovers in salads or for sandwiches. But who is to guarantee that there will be any leftovers? I highly doubt it with this recipe 🙂

For this recipe, you will need:

1. 3-4 lbs beef shoulder roast
2. 3 tbsp of olive oil
3. 3 cloves of garlic minced
4. 1 tbsp of fresh chopped rosemary
5. 1 teaspoon of paprika or cayenne pepper
6. 1 teaspoon of Kosher salt
7. 1/2 teaspoon of ground pepper
8. 2 onions chopped

For the barbecue sauce:

1. 1 cup of tomato paste
2. 1/2 cup of molasses
3. 1 can of beer
4. 1 tbsp of Worcestershire sauce

Instructions

Place all spice rub ingredients in a food processor except for onions. Process till paste-like consistency. Rub all over meat and place it in a sealed plastic bag. Allow it to marinate for 2 hours or overnight.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Remove beef from bag and allow it to come to room temperature. To prepare the barbeque beer sauce, combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well.  Scatter onions all over the roast pan. Place beef in the pan. Pour sauce over beef. Insert meat thermometer into the thickest part of the meat and set it to 135°F. This will be rare. You can always cook it longer when reheating after slicing the meat. Cook for 45 minutes to brown the meat, then lower it to 350°F. Cover meat and let cook until probe hits 135°F internally, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let it sit for at least 15 minutes before slicing diagonally and thinly. Serve roast with pan sauces, either over the roast or in a gravy boat.

Yields 8 servings