Barbeque Brisket Hustlers: Burgers for your Superbowl shindig
One of my favorite recipes for any afternoon get together are these little BBQ Brisket Hustlers. Sometimes I make them full size, but when there are a lot of people and a lot of food, you want everyone to try everything without over stuffing! I love a bright and fruity white wine with this dish. Sharp’s Hill Viognier is perfect!
Bar-B-Q Brisket Hustlers
- 1 (4 pound) Beef Brisket*
- 3 TBS olive oil
- 1/2 sweet onion small dice
- 5 cloves of garlic minced
- 2 cans tomato sauce
- 2 TBS vinegar (I like cider or balsamic)
- 3 TBS dark brown sugar
- 3 TBS Molasses
- 2 tsp Worcestershire
- 1 TBS hot sauce or a couple pinches of red chili flakes
- fresh ground pepper & salt
- 12-14 small Ciabatta rolls, or other dinner roll.
* I like the flat half of the brisket because it’s much leaner.
The great thing about making homemade BBQ sauce is that you can tailor it to your own tastes. There are a few key ingredients – ie: tomato sauce or ketchup – but then you get to play with the sweet, sour, or spicy factors. You can add anything from preserves to coffee! And if you think it’s too thick – add your favorite beverage! Wine, Coca-Cola, whiskey, or even a good beer will thin it out and add delicious flavor.
To start – preheat the oven to 300° then warm a dutch oven or a deep oven-proof skillet to med-high and add 2 TBS of the olive oil. Remove the excess fat from the brisket, and season it with fresh ground pepper and a little salt. Place the brisket in the heated oil and cook until lightly brown on each side.
Remove the brisket and set aside. Turn the heat down slightly, add the rest of the olive oil to the pan and the onion & garlic. Cook for 5 minutes or so until just translucent.
Next add the vinegar, tomato sauce, dark brown sugar, molasses, worcestershire, and hot sauce/chili flakes. Let it simmer for 10-15 minutes stirring occasionally.
Taste the sauce! If it is not flavored to your liking think about what you suppose it needs and go from there. You can increase any of the ingredients or add your own flair.
Return the brisket to the sauce with any accumulated juices. Cover and place in the oven. The brisket needs to cook for at least 3 hours. (I often will make a brisket the night before an event or put it in first thing in the morning. You could even just make your sauce the day before!)
Once it is fork tender, remove it from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes. Pull the brisket apart and let it soak in the sauce.
Cut the rolls in half and toast them in the broiler for a minute. Once you take them out, line them up and put your Hustlers together. I have included a simple coleslaw recipe that is a great topper for the brisket sandwiches!
Coleslaw
- 3 cups shredded cabbage (green & purple)
- 2 carrots shredded
- 1/2 apple julienned
- 1/3 cup mayo (low fat is fine but no miracle whip)
- 1 TBS sugar
- 1 tsp celery salt
- 2 tsp cider vinegar
In a bowl add the cabbage, carrots, and apple. In a smaller bowl add the mayo, sugar, salt, and vinegar. Mix well. Add the mayo mixture to the cabbage, carrot, and apple and mix again. Coleslaw is great on your brisket sandwich or you can serve it on the side!
