Whisky-Infused Slow Cooker Roast Beef Sandwiches Recipe

While you may have made many pot roasts with red wine, a couple pasta sauces with dry whites, and a stew or two with a traditional stout, we’d wager a guess that rye whisky hasn’t made its way into your slow cooker yet. The strong brown liquor might work perfectly in Manhattans or make for an extra-spicy boulevardier, but it’s hardly the spirit we reach for when it comes to slow cooking. The truth is, rye whisky pairs perfectly with fatty foods like beef, and cooking it directly in the pot allows the beef to absorb the earthy, spicy flavors of the rye mash. It’s a surprisingly delicious choice for roast beef.

This recipe written with developer Michelle McGlinn combines rye whisky with brown sugar, tangy Dijon, plenty of garlic, and a litany of spices to make flavorful, tender roast beef. The beef is cooked low and slow until pull-apart tender, and then it’s piled onto ciabatta for a perfectly melty sandwich. The beef can be cooked a little less for sliced beef or made ahead for easy meal prep, making it a great recipe to use well beyond the ciabatta bread and cheese, too.

First, you’ll need to raid your spice drawer to coat the beef in flavor. You’ll need garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, paprika, brown sugar, and — of course — a good-sized beef chuck roast. From there, you’ll also need beef stock, Dijon mustard, tomato paste, garlic, and rye whisky. There are a few whiskeys we highly recommend cooking with, including the Rittenhouse rye used in this recipe, which has both sweet, caramel notes and spicy, peppery flavors. With the roast beef ingredients handled, you’ll just need ciabatta rolls, provolone, and arugula for serving.

In a small bowl, mix together the garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, paprika, and brown sugar.

Rub over the beef roast on all sides.

Add the beef stock, whisky, mustard, tomato paste, and garlic to the crock pot and stir to combine.

Add the beef roast and cover. Cook on low for 8 to 9 hours or high for 6 to 7.

Shred the beef into large pieces.

Preheat the broiler to high.

Add the rolls to a baking sheet. Fill with the shredded beef.

Top with the cheese.

Broil for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the buns are toasted.

Add arugula to the sandwiches to serve.

We recommend ciabatta rolls in this recipe, which are both crusty and soft with porous insides and firm exteriors. These rolls are great for hearty fillings like roast beef because they can withstand the weight of the meat and the accompanying juices. Ciabatta rolls baked into square shapes (rather than the long loaves) can be found at Trader Joe’s and Costco, but if you can’t find them, there are plenty of other great options for roast beef sandwiches.

For a sandwich that might resemble an Italian beef or even, vaguely, a Philly cheese, try using hoagie rolls. You can also swap the ciabatta for brioche burger buns for something a little more traditionally barbecue. Or, use thick slices of white bread (think Texas toast thick) for something softer and more like a grilled-cheese. Instead of broiling, though, butter each side of the bread and make it grilled cheese–style on a skillet so that each side of the bread becomes crispy golden brown.

This recipe is designed around the spicy, earthy flavor of rye whisky, which differs slightly from its sweeter cousin, bourbon. Bourbon and rye are made with different mash components, giving them each a different flavor: But, they can still be used interchangeably depending on the flavor profile. All whiskeys have flavor notes that can be identified by smelling and sipping, and most flavor notes will work well in this recipe because beef is highly agreeable — and forgiving.

Some whiskeys work better than others, though. We recommend using a rye because the peppery, spicy flavor makes the beef more robustly flavored, especially when paired with Dijon mustard, garlic, and spices like paprika. You can use earthy, oaky, or even smoky bourbons, too, which will complement the beef well without being overly sweet. We also recommend using a cheaper whisky here, not your top shelf: A higher-priced bourbon won’t necessarily offer better flavor, so don’t burn through the good stuff.