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What Are the Best Ideas for Brisket Sandwiches?

Amber Eberle
Amber Eberle

Beef brisket is a cut of meat that can be tough if not cooked properly. To make it tender, the best cooking methods include grilling, smoking, or using a slow cooker. Brisket is often served by itself as an entree, but also makes a good sandwich filling. Pulled barbecue brisket sandwiches are very well known, but this meat can also be used in a variety of other sandwich recipes.

Brisket sandwiches are popular with many barbecue enthusiasts and often a staple dish of restaurants that specialize in grilled and smoked meats. A brisket is usually smoked for hours, until it is tender and can be shredded by hand or with a fork. Typically, barbecue sauce is then mixed with the shredded meat, which can be served on a sandwich roll or hamburger bun. Many people add sliced onion to this sandwich, or some place a layer of coleslaw between the meat and the bun.

Sliced brisket.
Sliced brisket.

This cut of meat can also be used to make French Dip sandwiches. For this dish, beef brisket is usually cooked for several hours in a slow-cooker with beef broth and onions. When the meat is tender, it is sliced and placed on a baguette. Some people like to add Swiss or provolone cheese to these brisket sandwiches. The cooking liquid is then used as a dip for the whole sandwich.

Melted cheddar cheese is often used to top brisket sandwiches.
Melted cheddar cheese is often used to top brisket sandwiches.

A Reuben sandwich can also be made with brisket. The beef should be sliced thinly for this type of sandwich. This deli favorite is made with the beef brisket, as well as Russian dressing, Swiss cheese, and sauerkraut on rye bread. Reuben brisket sandwiches can be served warm, grilled, or cold.

Philly cheesesteak sandwiches are traditionally made with a combination of beef, onions, and cheese served on a hoagie roll. The sandwich is typically made with sliced steak, but brisket can be a good substitute. Melted processed cheddar cheese is often used in this dish, but some people prefer using a white cheese such as American, Swiss, or provolone.

Sauteed onions add flavor to brisket sandwiches.
Sauteed onions add flavor to brisket sandwiches.

Brisket sandwiches can be made in a variety of other ways as well, using many different ingredients. The meat makes a good sandwich filling, either sliced or shredded. Before cooking, a brisket can be rubbed with spices or marinated to give it different flavor profiles that make interesting sandwiches. A well-cooked brisket is very moist and tender, so regular sandwich bread is generally not recommended when making brisket sandwiches, because that bread will become soggy and fall apart.

Brisket sandwiches often feature Swiss cheese.
Brisket sandwiches often feature Swiss cheese.

Topping cooked brisket, bell peppers, and onions with marinara sauce can make an Italian-style sandwich. Use sliced brisket on a roll with tomato, lettuce, and horseradish sauce for a twist on a typical deli roast beef sandwich. Try brisket sandwiches both warm and cold, as the difference in temperature can change both the texture and the flavor profile of this meat.

Discussion Comments

Viranty

Both of you make some great points.

@RoyalSpyder - The best/worst examples of this is pizza. Also, have you ever had pizza made from scratch? I've tried it once, and it was the best I've ever had. The ingredients were fresh, and nothing was stale. As you mentioned that many foods come in stock, it seems like pizza is the most infamous for this. Don't get me wrong, there are some excellent pizza places out there, but with low quality restaurants like Little Caesar's and Domino's, you really have to wonder what goes on in there. Is the pizza actually made, or are they just heated up in the oven and ready to eat?

RoyalSpyder

@Chmander - You make some excellent points. Also, I would like to make note that the reason why most foods taste better when they're made from scratch is because they're fresh ingredients. Besides, at restaurants, don't most foods usually come in stock? They could have been sitting in the freezer for a while, and are ready to heat up and eat. As an example, I dare you to name one restaurant that doesn't have a burger menu. People love hamburgers, and there must be a lot in stock, straight from the freezer and ready to eat. That's not to say that restaurant food is low quality, but it's definitely something to think about.

Chmander

@RoyalSpyder - That's not just the case with briskets, but it's the case with a lot of restaurant food. Obviously there are always exceptions, but generally speaking, the portions can be really small, and you may not feel like you're getting your money's worth. In an economy like this, the portions of meals at restaurants have been greatly reduced and more than often, so has the taste.

RoyalSpyder

Great article about the delicacies of brisket sandwiches. Based on my personal experience, it's always better to make your own. I've been to several restaurants, and their briskets have tasted really cheap, not to mention that their portions were pretty small. Overall, the sandwiches were decent, but I find that they generally taste better when they're made from scratch.

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    • Sliced brisket.
      Sliced brisket.
    • Melted cheddar cheese is often used to top brisket sandwiches.
      By: Bert Folsom
      Melted cheddar cheese is often used to top brisket sandwiches.
    • Sauteed onions add flavor to brisket sandwiches.
      By: Natika
      Sauteed onions add flavor to brisket sandwiches.
    • Brisket sandwiches often feature Swiss cheese.
      By: Tim UR
      Brisket sandwiches often feature Swiss cheese.
    • Bell peppers may be used in topping cooked brisket, coupled with onions and marinara sauce to make an Italian-style sandwich.
      By: Malyshchyts Viktar
      Bell peppers may be used in topping cooked brisket, coupled with onions and marinara sauce to make an Italian-style sandwich.
    • Brisket can be cooked "low and slow" inside a crock pot.
      By: JackF
      Brisket can be cooked "low and slow" inside a crock pot.