Slow Cooker Italian Beef and Beer

This slow cooker Italian beef and beer dish is full of flavor, and a snap to throw together in the slow cooker. Once cooked, the meat is shredded, making for tasty sandwiches or a beef main dish. It serves a dozen or more people, so it's great for tailgating, Super Bowl parties, or family get-togethers. 

The meat called for is a beef chuck roast, which is a big, thick cut of meat that should actually not be roasted, despite its name—it will turn out chewy and tough. Instead, this cut is best when braised, which is a moist heat cooking method that involves simmering the meat in a small amount of liquid. In this recipe, the liquid is beer, along with some of the liquid from the jar of pepperoncini peppers, offering a nice depth of flavor and a little bit of spice. Dry Italian dressing mix and the peppers themselves bring even more flavor to the dish, and the crock pot cooks the beef to tender perfection, making it ideal for shredding.

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When it comes to the beer, you can choose whichever type you prefer; if you'd rather not use beer, substitute with 1 1/2 cups of beef stock or broth, preferably low sodium or unsalted. The best way to build the sandwich is to spoon some of the warm broth onto split rolls or bread, pile with shredded beef, and then top with a few peppers.