Recipes
Barbecue Brisket Sliders with Creamy Coleslaw
Warm, barbecued brisket and creamy, cool coleslaw on a sweet, pillowy bun — these sliders fall into the deluxe comfort food category, a must for movie nights or any summer night when you don’t feel like standing over the stove. The meat is rubbed with spices, and then put in a slow cooker with the barbecue sauce ingredients for nearly five hours, until it’s fork-tender and redolent with paprika, cumin, and the mild, savory-sweet sauce.
We like our sliders with a pickled condiment, like a spicy banana pepper or red onion. For pairings, we’d go with beer, either a Young’s Double Chocolate Stout to amplify the rich flavors — or something hoppier for contrast, like a Golden Road Wolf Pup IPA.
Our tip: Put your brisket in the slow cooker fat side up, so that the fat can melt over the meat, slowly basting it throughout the long cook time.
Servings: 8 to 10
Barbecue Brisket Sliders
Ingredients
- 4 to 5 lb flat cut beef brisket
- ½ cup plus 1 Tbsp brown sugar, divided
- 2 Tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 Tbsp cumin
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp mustard powder
- 1 Tbsp salt
- 1 Tbsp plus 2 tsp black pepper, divided
- 6 oz lager-style beer
- 2 garlic cloves
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 ½ cup ketchup
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 24 slider buns
Directions
- In a bowl, whisk together ½ cup of brown sugar, smoked paprika, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, mustard powder, salt, and 1 tablespoon of the black pepper, and then gently rub it into all sides of the brisket.
- Place the brisket in the bowl of your slow cooker fat side up.
- Add the beer, garlic, vinegar, ketchup, 1 tablespoon of the brown sugar, 2 teaspoons of the black pepper, cayenne pepper, and worcestershire sauce.
- Turn the slow cooker to high and cook the brisket for 4.5 to 5 hours, or until it’s fork-tender and flaking. Set the meat on a cutting board to rest, reserving the barbecue sauce.
- Place the barbecue sauce in a small saucepan and bring it to a simmer over medium heat, stirring, until it thickens.
- Slice the fat cap off the top of the brisket and discard. Flip the brisket over, lean side up, and slice it against the grain. Note: The meat will fall apart or shred as you slice, and that’s just what you want!
- Place the meat in a bowl or on a platter, and pour barbecue sauce over it. If you have leftover barbecue sauce, put it in a small bowl or ramekin.
- Serve the meat warm on slider buns with a little coleslaw — and the extra barbecue sauce for the folks who like it messy.
Creamy Coleslaw
Ingredients
- ½ head green cabbage
- ½ head red cabbage
- ½ red onion
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- 1 Tbsp prepared horseradish
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup sour cream
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Directions
- Julienne both of the cabbages and the red onion and place them in a medium bowl
- Add the mayonnaise, horseradish, sugar, and vinegar, and then season with salt and pepper to taste
- Serve room temperature or cool