Crazy Easy Slow Cooker Shredded Beef

This "recipe" is so crazy easy that I almost feel lame posting it... but, I have been asked about how I make shredded beef for tacos, so here it is.

Slow Cooker Shredded Beef 

Ingredients: 

• 4 pounds beef roast, such as a chuck roast (I buy mine at Costco).
• 2 cans chopped tomatoes with green chilies, such as Ro-Tel.
• 1/2 cup or so salsa of your choice (if you plan to re-heat the shredded beef later).

Instructions:

1.  Trim major fat from roast. Cut to fit slow cooker if needed. The chuck roast from Costco usually comes with two pieces in the package (each about 2 pounds), which works great for me.
2. Place roast in slow cooker and cover with contents to two cans of tomatoes with green chilies.
3. Cook on low until meat is falling apart. My slow cooker runs a little hot, so for me this is about six hours.  It may take 8 or more, depending on your slow cooker.
4. When meat is to the falling apart stage, shred with two forks.  OPTIONAL: I like to remove the diced tomatoes with a slotted spoon before shredding the meat. I do this because I think that the tomatoes tend to get a little bitter and over-cooked tasting.

The shredded beef freezes fabulously - just let it cool and portion it into Ziploc freezer bags. It will reheat easily in a saucepan on the stovetop with some salsa stirred in to add some moisture.

GrandmaT and I figured out the number of portions for the almost 4 pounds of meat I cooked most recently - enough for 20! That is:

• The three of us had a dinner of shredded beef tacos the day I cooked the meat. The rest was frozen.
• The next weekend, 8 people dined on shredded beef tacos (1 - 3 each) and lots of other yumminess (to be shared in a post called "Patio Party Menu for 4/7/12" upcoming).
• The night after the patio party, the three of us had a repeat dinner of leftovers. We made a total of 8 tacos.
• The remainder was portioned into two Ziplocs and frozen, to make two more dinners.
• There was a small amount left, which Niece used to make a total of 4 tacos over the course of the afternoon as I write this.

So, four pounds of meat costing just under $20 yielded 20+ servings, which is $1 per serving. I used Hatch brand diced tomatoes and green chilies that I purchased at Natural Grocers for $1.15/can, adding 11.5 cents to the cost of each serving of meat (you can get grocery store-brand cans for as little as 79 cents). Of course, to make tacos you have to have tortillas/taco shell, lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, sour cream, etc. which obviously ups the cost of the meal as a whole, but I think the meat itself is a pretty good deal!
 
~Mamie "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro!" (Hunter S. Thompson)