The 10 Best Sandwitches

Method:

Texas BBQ Brisket Sandwitch

Texas brisket is one of the great barbecue classics: a large piece of beef cooked very slowly until it becomes dark, tender and full of flavour. In Texas this is normally done in a smoker, often for many hours, with wood smoke and a lot of patience. At home, however, you can still make a very good version using a normal oven. It will not be exactly the same as meat cooked all night in a smokehouse, but it can still be rich, juicy and perfect for a crusty sandwich.

Preparing the brisket

Choose a piece of brisket with some fat still attached. Do not remove all the fat, because it protects the meat during the long cooking and gives flavour. If there are very thick hard pieces of fat, trim them a little, but leave a decent layer.

Mix the brown sugar, smoked paprika, sweet paprika, black pepper, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin and chilli powder if using. Rub the brisket with a little oil, then cover it generously with the spice mix. Massage the rub into the meat on all sides.

Ideally, leave the brisket in the fridge for a few hours, or overnight if you can. This gives the spices time to season the meat properly. If you are short on time, even 30 minutes at room temperature is still useful.

Cooking brisket in a normal oven

Preheat the oven to 140°C. Place the brisket in a roasting tray, fat side up. Add a small splash of apple cider vinegar, beef stock or water to the bottom of the tray. You do not want to boil the meat; you only want a little moisture so it does not dry out too much.

Cover the tray tightly with foil. This is important because in a home oven the brisket needs protection. In a smoker, the meat cooks slowly in a humid, smoky environment; in an oven, the foil helps imitate that gentle cooking.

Cook the brisket slowly for about 4-5 hours, depending on the size and thickness of the meat. The important thing is not the exact time but the texture. The brisket is ready when it is very tender and a knife or fork goes into it with little resistance.

If you want a darker, more barbecue-style outside, remove the foil for the last 30-40 minutes of cooking. You can brush the meat with a little of the cooking juices, or with a very small amount of barbecue sauce if you like, but keep it simple. The flavour should come mostly from the beef, the spices and the slow cooking.

Resting and slicing

When the brisket is cooked, take it out of the oven and let it rest, still loosely covered, for at least 20-30 minutes. This resting time is very important. If you slice the meat immediately, the juices run out and the brisket becomes dry. Resting lets the meat relax and stay moist.

Slice the brisket across the grain. This means cutting against the direction of the meat fibres. It makes the slices much more tender. If you cut with the grain, even well-cooked brisket can feel stringy. For sandwiches, you can make thin slices, or slightly thicker rustic slices if the meat is very soft. Spoon a little of the cooking juices over the sliced meat to keep it moist.

Building the sandwich

Toast the crusty bread lightly. You want the bread to be strong enough to hold the juicy brisket and the chimichurri, but not so hard that it becomes difficult to eat.

Place a generous amount of sliced brisket inside the bread. Add chimichurri sauce over the meat. The chimichurri gives freshness, acidity, garlic, herbs and olive oil, which cut through the richness of the brisket beautifully.

Do not add cheese. This sandwich does not need it. The important balance is the smoky, slow-cooked beef, the crusty bread and the sharp green sauce. Serve warm, with extra chimichurri on the side.