I like to think of this as a grown-up version of that favorite sandwich we all had as kids. Instead of ground beef with the sweet tomato-based barbecue sauce, I like to slow-cook brisket instead for fall-apart-tender sloppy joes. That’s not all though—I top them off with crispy fried red onion rings and pickle chips.
| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 4 hr 25 min |
| Active: | 1 hr 15 min |
| Yield: | 4 servings |
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- One 2-pound beef brisket, fat cap trimmed, sinew removed
- 1 tablespoon Miss Brown’s House Seasoning, recipe follows
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 bay leaf
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 hamburger buns
- Dill pickle chips, for serving
- One 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
- 2 cups ketchup
- 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1/3 cup molasses
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- 1/2 medium red onion, sliced into 1/4-inch-thick rings
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Miss Brown’s House Seasoning, recipe follows
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
- Start the brisket: Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the brisket with the House Seasoning. Place the brisket, fat-side down, in the hot Dutch oven and brown until a deep golden crust forms, 5 to 7 minutes. Turn the brisket over and brown on the other side, another 5 minutes. Remove the brisket from the Dutch oven. Add the onions and bell pepper to the drippings in the Dutch oven and stir until well coated in oil. Add the beef broth and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Return the brisket to the Dutch oven. Cover and place in the oven. Bake for 3 hours.
- Meanwhile, make the sloppy joe sauce. Combine the diced tomatoes, ketchup, brown sugar, molasses, apple cider vinegar, garlic powder, mustard, paprika and cayenne pepper in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer over medium-low until slightly thickened and reduced by one-fourth, about 30 minutes.
- After the brisket has baked for 3 hours, pour 2 cups of the sauce over the brisket. Cover the Dutch oven and continue baking the brisket until tender, 30 minutes longer. (Use a knife to test the tenderness of the brisket. It should pierce the brisket very smoothly, with no pushback.) Shred the meat using two forks and stir in 1 more cup of sauce. Season with salt and pepper.
- During the last 30 minutes, make the fried onions: Pour oil halfway up the sides of a large cast-iron skillet and heat to 350 degrees F.
- Place the onion in the buttermilk in a small bowl. Place the flour in a shallow baking dish and season with salt and pepper. Working with a few onions at a time, dredge them in the flour, shaking to remove any excess flour. Add to the hot oil and fry until golden brown and crispy, about 4 minutes. Remove the onions to a baking sheet with a wire rack and sprinkle with the House Seasoning while still hot. Repeat with the remaining onions and set aside.
- To assemble the sandwiches, spoon some of the brisket on the hamburger bun bottoms. Top with the fried onions, pickles and bun tops.
- Stir together the garlic and onion powders, paprika, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Store in an airtight container.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 4 servings |
| Calories | 2358 |
| Total Fat | 175 g |
| Saturated Fat | 30 g |
| Carbohydrates | 148 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 8 g |
| Sugar | 86 g |
| Protein | 57 g |
| Cholesterol | 216 mg |
| Sodium | 2307 mg |
Reviews
Saw Kardea make this and I had to try! Omg! So good!!! The sloppy Joe’s of my childhood elevated. The only difference I did was drain off some of the broth. Love you cooking can’t wait for your your cookbook! Come on October!
I made this after watching this episode. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to get brisket so I used beef short ribs instead. Incredible and so easy!!! Will be on my regular rotation!
I made these sandwiches and onion rings for my daughter’s family after watching Miss Brown’s show this week. The kids from 15 – 6 years old ate up every bite! 2.75 lbs of meat fed 6 with leftovers for lunch the next day. I will try more recipes!