Barbecued Beef Sandwiches are an old-fashioned crowd-feeding favorite built around slow-roasted beef brisket, plenty of barbecue sauce, and soft hamburger buns. Recipes like this became especially popular in American home cooking for picnics, church suppers, reunions, and casual gatherings because a large amount of meat could be prepared ahead and served with very little last-minute work. Here, trimmed briskets roast slowly in a mixture of barbecue sauce and water until fork-tender. After cooling, the cooking juices are skimmed of excess fat before the beef is thinly sliced and reheated in those flavorful juices. Served on buns with chopped onion on the side, these sandwiches are simple, hearty, saucy, and ideal for feeding a crowd.
Ingredients
- 2 beef briskets (trimmed, about 12 lb total)
- 6 cups barbecue sauce
- 2 cups water
- 40 to 50 hamburger buns
- chopped onion (for serving)
Instructions
Step 1: Prepare the Briskets
- Place the trimmed beef briskets in a large roasting pan.
Step 2: Add the Sauce
- Combine the barbecue sauce and water.
- Pour the mixture over the meat.
Step 3: Slow-Roast the Beef
- Cover the roasting pan tightly.
- Bake at 325°F for 4 to 4½ hours, or until the brisket is fork-tender.
Step 4: Cool the Beef and Juices
- Remove the meat from the cooking juices.
- Allow the beef and juices to cool.
Step 5: Remove the Fat
- Skim and discard the solidified or excess fat from the cooking juices.
Step 6: Slice the Brisket
- Thinly slice the cooled beef.
Step 7: Reheat
- Return the sliced beef to the roasting pan with the cooking juices.
- Heat until the meat and sauce are thoroughly hot.
Step 8: Assemble the Sandwiches
- Pile the hot barbecued beef onto hamburger buns.
- Serve with chopped onion on the side.
Tips
- For the most tender beef, cook the brisket until a fork slides easily into the thickest portion.
- Allowing the cooking juices to cool makes it much easier to skim away excess beef fat.
- Slice the brisket against the grain for more tender sandwiches.
- For extra barbecue flavor, add a little additional sauce when reheating the sliced beef.
- Toast the hamburger buns lightly before serving for additional texture.
- Offer chopped onions, pickles, coleslaw, and extra barbecue sauce as optional toppings.
- The brisket can be cooked a day ahead, refrigerated in its juices, sliced, and reheated before serving.
- For smaller gatherings, the recipe can easily be halved.
- Keep the finished beef warm in a slow cooker when serving it at a party or buffet.
- Leftover barbecue beef can be served over baked potatoes or used in wraps and quesadillas.
Nutrition
Calories: 490kcalCarbohydrates: 45gProtein: 32gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 90mgSodium: 1050mgPotassium: 570mgFiber: 2gSugar: 18gVitamin A: 150IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 95mgIron: 4mg