Texas Nail Sandwich
- Level: Advanced
- Total: 19 hr 20 min (includes chilling time)
- Active: 2 hr 5 min
- Yield: 4 servings
- Level: Advanced
- Total: 19 hr 20 min (includes chilling time)
- Active: 2 hr 5 min
- Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
Caramelized Onions:
Smoked Mushroom Duxelles:
Lime Crema:
Melty Cheese:
Jalapeño BBQ Sauce:
Texas Nail:
Directions
Special equipment:
a smoker; a silicone mat; an immersion blender; a kitchen torch- For the caramelized onions: Add the butter to a pot and set over medium heat. Let the butter melt, then add the onions and salt and cover with the lid. Cook, stirring with a slotted spoon every 5 minutes, until the onions have softened, collapsed and started to turn golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the lid and continue cooking over medium heat, stirring every few minutes, making sure to scrape the entire bottom surface as you stir, until the onions are well reduced and begin to caramelize at the bottom of the pot, 10 to 15 minutes more. Remove the pot from the heat and add the liquid aminos, scraping the caramelized bits from the bottom of the pot in the process. Cover with the lid and allow to rest until cool. Remove the lid, then scrape once more with the spoon to incorporate any remaining caramelized goodness from the bottom of the pot.
- For the smoked mushroom duxelles: Preheat a smoker to 275 to 300 degrees F.
- Rinse the mushrooms by placing in a bowl and filling with water. Agitate by hand for 30 seconds, then remove the mushrooms from the water to a 9-by-13-inch casserole or half-sheet pan. Smoke until approximately 275 to 300 degrees F, about 1 hour. Remove from the smoker and allow to cool.
- Meanwhile, clean the bowl with soapy water. Rinse and dry. Do not discard any of the accumulated juices from the casserole pan but use it when processing the mushrooms. (Depending on the size of your food processor, you may need to process in 2 to 3 batches.) Add enough mushrooms to come to the top of the blade handle, adding some of the collected juice to the processor bowl as well. Pulse the mushrooms 10 times in 1-second pulses. Scrape done the sides with a rubber scraper, then process the mushrooms until finely chopped, 45 seconds to 1 minute. Remove the blade and scrape out the processed mushrooms to the cleaned mixing bowl. Add the liquid aminos and table salt. Mix well and taste for seasoning.
- For the lime crema: Transfer the sour cream to a bowl. Lightly zest the lime into the bowl. Set a strainer over the bowl to catch any seeds, then juice the lime into the bowl. Add the salt. Stir to combine thoroughly. Transfer your newly made lime crema back to the original container for safekeeping! It will keep in the refrigerator for 10 to 14 days.
- For the melty cheese: Place a silicone mat on a half-sheet pan. Set the pan in the oven. Preheat the oven to the lowest setting, 150 degrees F to 175 degrees F, until the oven is at temperature, then turn off the oven and proceed.
- Combine the sodium citrate and beer in a 4-quart stainless saucepan. Buzz the beer and sodium citrate with an immersion blender for 1 minute. Tilt the pan to the side if the blade is not deep enough in the beer. Set the pan over medium-high heat and swirl to continue to dissolve the sodium citrate. Cook until it comes to a simmer and the sodium citrate has dissolved, 2 to 3 minutes, then turn down the heat to medium. Using the immersion blender, blend a handful of cheese at a time into the beer mixture. Blend each handful of cheese to a smooth texture (no lumps!) before adding the next. Once your hand is free of cheese, grab the pan handle (use an oven mitt if the handle has gotten hot!). You will have to work the blender into the corners of the pan to make sure all the cheese is getting incorporated and not sticking to the bottom. Repeat the process! After all the cheese has been melted and blended into the beer, turn off the heat. Scrape any cheese off the immersion blender back into the pan with the rubber scraper. Using an oven mitt, remove the silicone mat-lined pan to the stovetop. Pour the melted cheese mixture into the center of the silicone mat, using a scraper to get out every bit of cheesy goodness! Turn the oven back on to preheat to low. While the oven is warming again, use the rubber scraper to evenly spread out the melty cheese to just inside the edges of the silicone mat, within about 1/2 inch. Don’t worry about getting it evenly layered! Place back into the warm oven for a few minutes to help it spread nicely. Turn off the oven again and leave the half-sheet pan in the oven for about 3 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest on the counter until room temperature, about 30 minutes. Wrap the pan with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill overnight (at least 12 hours). Remove from the refrigerator. Unwrap the cheese. Flip the silicone mat, cheese-side down, onto a cutting board. Gently peel away the silicone mat. With the long side toward you, cut into 4 columns by 3 rows to make 12 slices. Separate the cheese slices using parchment paper or wax paper. Place the slices in a resealable plastic bag and keep refrigerated until ready to use. Will keep chilled for 10 to 14 days. Wrapped tightly, it will keep in the freezer for 6 to 8 months.
- For the jalapeño BBQ sauce: Preheat a smoker to low heat, 225 to 250 degrees F (optional; if not using a smoker, place in a preheated oven set to 350 degrees F for 15 to 20 minutes).
- Place a cast-iron skillet over high heat until hot, 3 to 5 minutes. Turn your range ventilation on high. Add the jalapeños and char with a torch while they are being charred by the skillet. Once all the surfaces are charred, remove the jalapeños to a sheet pan. Repeat this process two more times, first with the poblanos, then the tomatillos. Once all of the chiles and tomatillos have been charred and placed on the sheet pan, transfer to the smoker if using. Smoke for 90 minutes, then remove.
- If your blender cup is big enough, add all of the smoke-charred vegetables. Add the vinegar, garlic, salt, cilantro and 1 cup water and blend until smooth, then transfer to a storage container. Chill until ready to use.
- For the Texas nail: Preheat a griddle/pan over medium-high heat, 400 to 450 degrees F.
- Combine the green chiles with 1/2 cup caramelized onions on the griddle or keep separate in microwave-safe containers and nuke in a microwave for 30 seconds on high. Stir and set aside.
- Combine the onion micro dice with a light sprinkling of table salt in a coffee cup and set aside. Spread 2 teaspoons mayo or butter on each bun half. More if you like your buns crispy! Using a medium kitchen spoon, combine the chopped brisket and 1 cup mushroom duxelles in a medium bowl. Mix thoroughly. Lick the spoon, then set the bowl aside. Refrain from double-dipping.
- Toast the buns, split-side down, on the griddle/pan. Press lightly on the centers to make sure the entire surface of the bun gets GBD (golden brown delicious) and crispy, 30 to 45 seconds. Flip over to toast the tops and bottoms of the buns. Don’t skip this step! Not only does it make your finished sandwich more desirable for your taste buds, but it helps to melt the cheese slices to drippy goodness, which is also more desirable for your taste buds.
- Arrange the bun bottoms on a sheet pan for the toaster oven. Place 1 slice melty cheese on each bottom. Using a large kitchen spoon, evenly divide the brisket and mushroom mixture among the four burgeoning sandwich bottoms. Lick this spoon and the bowl and set them both in the sink. This will be messy! Don’t worry too much about stuff falling off. You can scoop it back on after melting the cheese. Using a soup spoon, divide the caramelized onions and green chiles evenly on top of the brisket mushroom mix. Drizzle or dollop about 1 tablespoon lime crema on each sandwich. Grab your coffee cup of diced onions and sprinkle a little on top of each sandwich. Just a little, or a little more, depending on how sharp you want the raw onion flavor! Place the remaining slices of cheese over the top of each mound of savory goodness. Lean the bun tops next to each sandwich and slide the pan into the toaster oven. Set to low toast and run the toaster cycle. Once the top layer of cheese begins to ooze over the sides, remove from the oven. Place the bun tops where they belong, then serve with a side of the jalapeño BBQ sauce, and enjoy! Repeat to make more sandwiches.
Cook’s Note
Caramelized Onions: This is a great condiment to have on hand to add to soups, pastas, sandwiches or on toast with butter, salt and freshly ground black pepper! If the cooking process is taking longer than what the recipe suggests, increase the heat slightly. If it is going too fast, turn the heat down slightly. The overall time is important because of the developing flavors! If not using for the Texas Nail, experiment with different and additional flavor enhancers. Add a 1/2 cup dry sherry, such as an Amontillado, at the end of the cooking process, scrape up the flavor bits off the bottom of the pot and simmer on low for 20 minutes more. Or give the finished onions a splash of cider or sherry vinegar and/or your favorite fish sauce. Cooked onions go well with so many different flavors. Experiment for your taste buds’ delight! Jalapeño BBQ Sauce: This recipe is both delicious and gift-able! Double or triple the recipe to jar and gift it to friends and family! Lime Crema: You can make this more of a drizzle by adding a tablespoon or two of water. Add more lime juice, too, if you want it tangier! Smoked Mushroom Duxelles: White button mushrooms, baby bellas, or cremini mushrooms are the best to use here. They provide the best texture when being prepared this way. This is a great condiment to not only use on any sandwich, but it’s also great to add to soups, as a base for a pasta sauce or to just eat by the spoonful. Although you probably will not need to, this is easy to freeze directly in resealable plastic bags or ice cube trays and transferred to resealable plastic bags for portioned defrosting. Enjoy! Melty Cheese: Use any sharp Cheddar you like! Using store-bought, pre-shredded cheese is not a copout. It provides convenience and the cornstarch used to keep the cheese from clumping is a bonus for the melty cheese, helping keep the emulsion intact. The only Cheddar I do not recommend is extreme aged Cheddars, 6 years or more. These cheeses are delicious, mainly because of forming amino acid crystals and reduced moisture levels. However, these two characteristics make using extreme aged Cheddar problematic for this recipe.
