1 T pickling spice
2 pounds boneless beef chuck-eye roast, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes
Salt and Pepper
2 T vegetable oil
2 1/2 c water
1 1/2 c ketchup
1 T cider vinegar
1 tsp dry mustard
8 hamburger buns, toasted
1. Brown Beef
Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Tie picking spice in cheesecloth to make a sachet (or borrow a coffee filter from a friend--that's what we did). Pat beef dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 T oil in large Dutch oven over med-high heat until just smoking. Cook half of beef, turning occasionally, until well browned all over, abt 8 min. Transfer to large bowl. repeat with remaining oil and beef.
2. Braise Beef
Stir water into pot, scraping up any browned bits. Add beef, along with any accumulated juices, to pot and bring to boil. Transfer pot to oven and cook covered, stirring occasionally, until meat it nearly tender, about 1 hour. Stir ketchup, vinegar, and mustard into pot. Add picking spice sachet and continue to cook, covered, until meat is fork-tender, about 1 hour longer.
3. Shed and Serve
Discard sachet. Using slotted spoon, transfer beef to plate. When cool enough to handle, shred beef into bite-sized pieces. Return beef to pot and stir until coated with sauce and warmed. Season with salt and pepper. Serve on hamburger buns
