Braised Brisket Sloppy Joes with Crispy Onion Straws

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Chuck roast (or leftover smoked brisket) braised until it shreds under a fork, hand-chopped, then simmered into a smoky-sweet sloppy joe sauce built on tomato, molasses and a hit of chipotle. Piled onto buttered toasted brioche and crowned with a tangle of buttermilk onion straws fried crisp — the crunch is the whole point.

Ingredients

• 3 lb boneless beef chuck roast, cut into 3 large chunks
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 tbsp neutral oil
• 1 large yellow onion, quartered
• 4 cloves garlic, smashed
• 2 cups low-sodium beef broth
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 bay leaf

• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
• 1 medium red bell pepper, finely diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 cup canned crushed tomatoes
• 1/3 cup ketchup
• 2 tbsp molasses
• 2 tbsp dark brown sugar
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 tbsp yellow mustard
• 2 chipotle peppers in adobo, minced, plus 1 tbsp adobo sauce
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 cup reserved braising liquid, plus more as needed
• kosher salt and black pepper, to taste

• 1 large sweet onion, sliced paper-thin on a mandoline
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, plus more for finishing
• 4 cups peanut or vegetable oil, for frying

• 6 brioche buns, split
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup dill pickle chips

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 300°F. Pat the chuck chunks very dry and season all over with 2 tsp kosher salt, 1 tsp black pepper and 2 tsp smoked paprika.
2. Heat 2 tbsp neutral oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high until shimmering. Sear the beef in batches, 3–4 minutes per side, until deeply browned on all surfaces. Transfer to a plate.
3. Add the quartered onion and smashed garlic to the pot and cook 3 minutes, scraping up the browned bits. Pour in the beef broth and 2 tbsp cider vinegar, add the bay leaf, and return the beef with any juices. The liquid should come about halfway up the meat.
4. Cover and braise in the oven for 3 to 3 1/2 hours, turning the meat once at the halfway mark, until a fork twists through it with no resistance. Uncover and let the beef cool in the liquid for 20 minutes.
5. Lift the beef out and strain the braising liquid into a measuring cup; skim off the surface fat. On a cutting board, pull the beef apart and hand-chop it into rough 1/4-inch pieces — chopped, not shredded, is what gives the sandwich its brisket texture. Discard large fat pockets. (If using leftover cooked brisket, chop 4 cups and substitute 1 cup beef broth for the braising liquid.)
6. Wipe out the Dutch oven and melt 2 tbsp butter over medium heat. Add the diced onion and bell pepper with a pinch of salt and cook 7–8 minutes until soft. Stir in the minced garlic and cook 1 minute.
7. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes until it darkens to brick red. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, ketchup, molasses, brown sugar, Worcestershire, 2 tbsp cider vinegar, mustard, chipotles with adobo, 1 tsp smoked paprika and cumin.
8. Add the chopped beef and 1 cup of the reserved braising liquid. Simmer uncovered over medium-low, stirring often, for 25–30 minutes, until the sauce clings to the meat and a spoon dragged through leaves a brief trail. Add more braising liquid a few tablespoons at a time if it tightens too much. Taste and adjust with salt, pepper, or an extra splash of vinegar for brightness.
9. While the meat simmers, soak the paper-thin onion slices in the buttermilk for at least 15 minutes. Whisk the flour, cornstarch, 1 tsp smoked paprika, cayenne and 1 1/2 tsp salt in a wide bowl.
10. Heat 4 cups oil in a heavy pot to 365°F. Lift a handful of onions from the buttermilk, letting the excess drip off, toss in the flour mixture until fully coated, then shake off the excess through your fingers to separate the strands.
11. Fry in 4 batches, 2–3 minutes per batch, stirring once with a spider to keep them from clumping, until golden and no longer bubbling vigorously. Drain on a wire rack and salt immediately. Let the oil return to 365°F between batches.
12. Spread the softened butter on the cut sides of the brioche buns and toast face-down in a dry skillet over medium heat for 2 minutes, until golden and crisp.
13. Pile a generous scoop of the brisket mixture on each bottom bun, top with pickle chips and a tall tangle of onion straws, and set the top bun on at an angle. Serve immediately, with extra onion straws on the side.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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