We are huge fans of hand held food, be it burgers, steambuns, tacos or anything in between. One of those simple pleasures we keep going back to are sandwiches. This is our “Mouthgasm BBQ smoked brisket sandwich”, so check it out!
When I on the rare occasion smoke a brisket, there are two things we always make. On day 1, we serve it with the Grilled poblano & habanero mac ‘n cheese. On day 2, it’s these incredible sandwiches.
If you don’t have a BBQ smoked brisket, some home made or store bought pastrami or a roast beef will make an equally amazing sandwich.
Quickly about the brisket: I use a dry rub with fine sea salt, garlic powder and cayenne. Rub it all over the day before, and leave in the fridge overnight. I smoke it on juniper wood for 2 hours using the snake method (since we don’t have a dedicated smoker).
I then wrap it tightly in aluminum foil and roast it in the oven at 150C until the internal temperature in the thickest part reads 96C. Let it rest for minimum 1 hour before cutting into it.
Here’s how to make the sandwich:
Ingredients
- NY Deli rye bread, two slices per person
- BBQ smoked brisket, 70-100 grams per person
- Flavorful, aged cheese*
- Sandwich dressing (enough for 4 sandwiches)
- 2 tbsp dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp whole grain mustard
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp honey
- a metric shit ton fresh tarragon, chopped
*You want a very flavorful, somewhat aged cheese to balance the robust smoky flavors of the meat. It also needs to melt very well. We usually use Pan or Konrad from Stavanger Ysteri. These are AMAZING smear-ripened cheeses from our local cheese maker.
If you are in Norway, a decent alternative is Ridderost from Tine (not their pathetic excuse of Port Salut!). Outside of Norway, look for Saint Paulin, Port Salut, Havarti or Esrom. Failing that, a good cheddar would do well too.
Method
Start by making the dressing. Simply mix all ingredients together, and set aside.
Using a very sharp knife, slice the meat as thin as you possibly can – this has a huge impact on the mouthfeel of the sandwich.
For one sandwich: Spread a reasonably liberal layer of dressing on both slices of bread. Layer half of the meat on one of the slices. Add a layer of cheese on top of the meat, then grill it with a kitchen torch (or hot air gun!) until nicely melted.
Add the remaining meat, then another layer of cheese, then grill this layer too with your kitchen torch. Slap the last slice of bread on top, and cut the sandwich diagonally, then plate and serve.
This goes down very well with a stout or porter, especially a Foreign Extra Stout (beer class) will pair extremely well with the smoked meat and aged cheese.
