Smoked Brisket BBQ Bun
- Level: Intermediate
- Total: 1 day 2 hr 45 min (includes seasoning, cooling and chilling time)
- Active: 3 hr
- Yield: 4 servings (with leftover brisket for days)
- Level: Intermediate
- Total: 1 day 2 hr 45 min (includes seasoning, cooling and chilling time)
- Active: 3 hr
- Yield: 4 servings (with leftover brisket for days)
Ingredients
Smoked Brisket:
Creamy Sesame Slaw:
Bee-Sting Carolina Sauce:
Smoked Brisket BBQ Bun:
Directions
Special equipment:
a smoker; mesquite wood; butcher paper- For the smoked brisket: Trim the brisket, removing any fat pockets and bringing the top fat cap down to 1/4 inch. Mix the salt and pepper together in a bowl, then use it to season the brisket generously on all sides and in all pockets.
- Rest the seasoned brisket overnight, refrigerated, to let that seasoning set into the roast, tenderizing and flavoring in our simple, Texas-style dry brine.
- OK, it’s GO time! Heat a smoker to 300 degrees F.
- Smoke the brisket over mesquite for 2 to 3 hours to get the juices flowing, activate our seasoning and get our bark started. Now, fat cap UP or fat cap down!? We have all heard both arguments. In my opinion, it depends where your heat derives from and if you’re rotating your brisket frequently. If your heat source is from the bottom like many home smokers, and you want to rest and forget this thing, go ahead and put your fat cap down to protect the meat from drying out (especially the flat). But either way, it’s gonna be great!
- Pull your brisket; we are gonna wrap this thing. Don’t get caught up in internal temps, and thermometer gadgets. I don’t use one, and we are voted #1 BBQ in Calgary. Use your senses. Pull 2 sheets of butcher paper and set them on a prep table in a cross, then set your brisket fat-side down (this will bring the brisket fat cap on top for our 12 to 14 hour finishing), folding one vertically and the other horizontally across the brisket. Tuck it in and flip the brisket, then place it back in the smoker. Bring the temperature down to 180 degrees F. Let smoke 12 hours, then use both hands to squeeze from the sides of the point. This should be tender, with a bit of spring, and juices should be flowing out clear and plentiful. (The spring of the roast indicates how much the sinew has broken down, which creates rich flavor and juiciness. For learning purposes, cut into the edge with a knife and examine the stages from 10 to 12 to 14 hours and you decide where your perfect point of doneness is.
- For the creamy sesame slaw: Slice the cabbages into 1/8-inch julienne. Julienne or grate the carrot, then add to the cabbage in a medium bowl. Add the onion, mayonnaise, tahini paste, yellow mustard, lemon seasoning, garlic powder, chicken stock powder, sugar, dill, paprika, pepper and salt to a blender (or use an immersion blender in a bowl!). Blitz the ingredients together for 5 to 10 seconds, then add the dressing to the cabbage and carrot slaw mix. Set aside for 30 minutes to allow the dressing to soak in and flavor the slaw mix.
- For the Bee-Sting Carolina Sauce: Whisk together the Dijon mustard, tahini, honey, yellow mustard, tomato paste, garlic powder, adobo pepper and liquid smoke, if using, in a small bowl, until your sauce is smooth and golden yellow. It should be rich, medium-thick, a touch of sweet with a hint of zest! Adjust to taste!
- For the smoked brisket BBQ bun: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Brush the onion rings with canola oil and bake them until golden and crispy, 6 to 8 minutes. Toast the brioche buns to your perfect texture, 4 to 8 minutes.
- So you’ve smoked a perfect brisket baby, jiggly with juices flowing and a perfect smoke ring. Ninety-nine percent of the battle is over, and it’s time to take the credit you deserve by making your folks a slammin’ Smoked Brisket BBQ Bun, you dinner HERO! We are going to separate the point of the brisket from the flat and highlight the point in this sandwich. It is rich, tasty and the most tender side of the brisket. The easiest way to do this is simply cut the brisket in half where the “flat” leaner side meets the “point.” Use the flat side for sandwiches, stuffed potato skins, brisket taquitos, dirty rice, or fork and knife it Sunday Dinner Style! Take that juicy point and cut it across the grain across the length of the roast.
- Flip your bun tops and bottoms onto a clean surface, and drizzle an ounce of Bee-Sting Carolina Sauce onto the tops.
- Pile 4 to 5 ounces of brisket onto the bottoms, then add 2 ounces of creamy sesame slaw on each bun, followed by 2 large onion rings, 2 crinkle cut dill pickles (for best texture), and go ahead and drizzle more Carolina Sauce onto that stack ‘til yer heart’s content! Serve these to your favorite folks, with your favorite side dish or salad.
Cook’s Note
Watch some videos on brisket smoking. There’s a learning curve, but don’t sweat it. We learn one brisket at a time, and we can always find a way to use an overdone brisket! Most important, have fun. Enjoy your favorite beer while prepping this baby. Camping out with your smoking is ALWAYS recommended! And have your friends or family join in the fun! If you wanna cut that prep time down, head into your favorite BBQ joint and buy some hot or cold pre-cooked brisket, and simply low-and-slow reheat, wrapped in butcher paper. For the brisket: To rest, or not to rest!? Resting allows for gentle finishing for a silky and rich rendering within the brisket. But you get a similar result smoking at this very low temperature. Rest up to 1 hour at your preference, or dig right in! Also, briskets like to cook with other briskets. It is much more challenging to perfect one brisket, because more briskets create more moisture in the cooking space. So, throw a party! For the Bee-Sting Carolina Sauce: You can make this sauce ahead of time. The longer it sits, the more the flavors will unfold together!
