10.2.3 Barbecued chopped beef sandwiches

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[I have dentures and eating meat is difficult for me. Any suggestions?]

Danny Gaulden--

The marinated smoked brisket we sell in my store is called "chopped beef". It's a big seller. We sell about 40 to 50 pounds of it a day. I love it. What's neat about it is this: not only do all age groups like it, a lot of folks with dentures really like it. It's very flavorful, smoky, bold, and easy to eat. It definitely tastes like and is 'Real Pit BBQ', it's also marinated. So if one has dentures, I think a good chopped beef sandwich is their cup of tea. However the sauce that you use for a marinade is critical. It shouldn't be too strong, too thick, or over-powering. And for sure, not induced with liquid smoke. The sauce should compliment the smoked meat, and help bring out the natural flavor of it. Sauce should be composed of cider vinegar, mustard, oil, sugar, spices, and a little tomato product--not too heavy on the tomato. It should have a tangy, semi-sweet taste. (Sorry, I can't give you my secret recipe). The meat should be marinated while it's warm, and overnight for best flavor, but works OK if it's just marinated for a couple of hours. The meat should be chopped or pulled into very small pieces before it is marinated. Chop all of the meat--outside and inside. You must include the outside bark for a great flavor. Got this recipe from a real ol' time pit-master that still runs his own Q joint in Louisiana after 40 years. I grew up eating his barbecue. Hope this post and recipe gives you something to have fun with, and most of all, enjoy preparing and eating barbecue!

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William Ackerman--

I made some really great chopped beef sandwiches. I smoked a brisket by roughly following Belly's marinade advice (cut a slit in the Cryovac package, poured in Willingham's marinade, Balsamic vinegar, and Dr. Pepper, covered slit with duct tape. Let it marinade for 24 hours. Dried and rubbed with Willingham W'HAM rub.)

I smoked the brisket for 9 hours (1 hour per pound) at 225-250F using oak, cherry, and hickory. Cooked fat side up for first 5 hours, fat side down for the next 4 hours. Every so often I sprayed with Garlic Mist (oil with garlic in an aerosol can - great stuff!). The internal temperature when I removed the brisket was 165F.

I wrapped the meat in foil and placed it in a dry ice chest for 4 hours. Internal temperature when removed the brisket from chest was 146F. While still warm, I cut the meat into little pieces and marinated it over night in a sauce.

Ackerman's Chopped Beef Sandwich Marinating Sauce

I heat up the chopped brisket in a double boiler and serve it on lightly toasted onion rolls.