BBQ Sandwiches

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BBQ Love with white bread. Does it get any better?

BBQ sandwiches are typically lunch fare. But have two or three and they make a nice dinner as well…

They can be as simple as a hunk of brisket with a pickle or two wrapped up in white bread as seen below at the outstanding Luling City Market in Luling, Texas.

Or, you can “gild the lily,” and make one as upscale as smoked prime rib, complete with caramelized onions and horseradish cream. Of course, I would still serve that on a white roll- there is no need to get too snotty.

And, if you have an abundance of smoked meat leftover, a little pork shoulder and some fresh guacamole makes and incredible Mexican torta.

Whether its sausage on a hamburger bun inspired by Elgin, Texas “hot guts,” or bbq chicken, bbq “samitches” are a little slice of meat heaven..

BBQ Beef Sandwich: Texas soul food.

The classic Texas bbq beef sandwich!

The bbq beef sandwich is one of the easiest of smoked brisket recipes and for my money easily the most satisfying. Many brisket sandwiches contain: brisket barbecue sauce and bread. But, the real key is the addition of pickles and onions. And, to add insult to injury, a light coating of mayonnaise on the cheapestwhitest, unhealthiest bread you can find makes it ethereal…

Recipe:

For 1 sandwich:

  • 1 White hoagie roll, hamburger bun, or even white bread
  • melted margarine or butter
  • mayonnaise
  • 4 oz. smoked beef brisket
  • Sliced white onions
  • Hamburger sliced pickles (must be neon green. no gourmet pickles here.)
  • BBQ Sauce

Assembly: Brush the roll with the butter and lightly toast on a griddle or in a skillet.

Remove and spread on mayonnaise (optional but good. I have heard from many fellow Texans that this is not authentic. No, it’s not. But it is GOOD.)

Place a few slices of onion on the bread and 4-5 pickles. Top with the warm meat and your favorite sauce. Pickled jalapenos go swimmingly as an accompaniment!

Chicken BBQ sandwich

A bit healthier than red meat, but really delicious!

This chicken bbq sandwich is not completely authentic. In a typical recipe, barbeque chicken is taken off the bone, mixed with sauce and placed on white bread.

This version, created by a chef friend for our restaurant, uses smoked chicken (white or dark), lettuce and tomato and crispy onion strings for a sweet bite, and interesting texture contrast. Basically it’s just great.

Also,while this recipe calls for a white hoagie roll, I think this is one bbq recipe where you can go out of the box a bit and gild the lily by using a nice baguette, ciabatta or focaccia.

Recipe:

  • 1 Hoagie roll or bread of your choice
  • melted butter or margarine
  • 4 oz. smoked chicken
  • Sliced tomatoes
  • Mayonnaise
  • BBQ sauce (your choice)
  • Onion strings*

*(unless you want to fry these yourself- in which case they would be delicious, you can use those canned fried onions)

Brush melted butter on the roll, and toast on a griddle or skillet. Spread on mayonnaise.

Top with lettuce and tomatoes, and chicken. Drizzle warm bbq sauce on top and add the onions. EAT.

The BBQ Pork Wrap

Wrap up your favorite bbq meat for a delicious twist on the bbq sandwich..

Tired of sandwiches? How about a bbq wrap? 

In the mid 90’s wraps were everywhere- Caesar salad wrap, Thai noodle wrap, blah blah blah. Just like any food fad, they quickly ran their course.

But the wrap is actually a pretty cool and tasty invention. After all, a burrito is nothing but a wrap.

All you need for a great wrap is an oversized tortilla- use a colored one if you must, and some fillings that naturally go together.

And here’s where bbq wraps excel. The plethora of available bbq side dishes that are out there marry themselves naturally to this type of “sandwich” and are one of the more easy bbq recipes around.

For me, a really killer wrap is one made with only 3 ingredients. Here we go:

Recipe:

That’s it. 3 ingredients. To assemble you must heat the tortilla slightly to make it pliable. If you can steam it, great, otherwise, wrap it in saran wrap and heat in the microwave for 30 seconds or so. Spread the beans on the bottom, followed by the slaw and pork.

Now, fold the two sides in half way and, starting at the end closest to you, roll the wrap up, pinching it as you do to make it a tight cigar.

Grab a cold beer, some hot sauce or bbq sauce to dunk it and enjoy!

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