Alberta Style Beef on a Bun

While I’ve called Western Alberta my home for most of my life, I spent a year living in Southern Alberta back in the early 2000’s. For that brief moment in time, Hanna was where I called home. 

While living there, I noticed that every single local event, fundraiser, rummage sale, rodeo, or business barbecue I attended involved a Southern Alberta staple – “Alberta Style Beef on a Bun”.  It didn’t matter if it was summer, fall, winter, or spring, if you were having an event in Hanna, this style of beef on a bun would be there.

Most beef on a bun recipes involve thinly shaved slices of roasted beef, topped with barbecue sauce, and nestled on a bun.  Alberta Style Beef on a Bun is unique in that it involves slow cooking the beef in a homemade barbecue sauce, and shredding the beef rather than slicing it. The result is a sweet, smoky, melt in your mouth beef on a bun experience.

Though it’s been several years since I lived in Hanna, and a solid few years since I’ve had a chance to visit, whenever I make this recipe I’m transported back to the year I spent there. I reminisce about all of the great memories that I made, most of them accompanying a bun or two topped with this Hanna hometown favourite.   

Recipe serves 8

Ingredients

- 3 lbs beef

- 1 medium yellow onion, diced

- 1 green pepper, diced

- 1 cup barbecue sauce

- ½ cup ketchup

- ¼ cup brown sugar

- ¼ white wine vinegar

- 2 tbsp mustard

- 2 tsp worchestershire

- 1 tsp garlic powder

- salt and pepper, to taste

- 8 hamburger buns

Directions

Add all ingredients to slow cooker.  Cook on low for 8 hours, or high for 4-6 hours until beef is tender.

Remove beef from slow cooker and allow to rest for 15 minutes.

Using two forks, shred beef, and return to slow cooker, stirring to combine with sauce.

Top fresh buns with shredded beef.

Recipe can be made a few days in advance of serving. Reheat in oven or slow cooker for best results. 

Enjoy!