The Coffee BBQ Brisket as Served at Woodrow's Sandwich Shop in Philadelphia, PA as seen on Food Network's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives episode DV3212H.
Recipe courtesy of Woodrow's Sandwich Shop

Woodrow's Coffee BBQ Brisket Sandwich

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  • Level: Advanced
  • Total: 21 hr 25 min (includes chilling time)
  • Active: 1 hr 15 min
  • Yield: 5 servings

Ingredients

BBQ Rub:

Brisket:

Coffee BBQ Sauce:

Assembly:

Directions

Special equipment:
a deep-fryer
  1. For the BBQ rub: Mix together smoked paprika, brown sugar, chili powder, salt, pepper, granulated garlic and onion powder in a bowl. Set aside.
  2. For the brisket: Trim excess fat from the outside of the brisket, keeping about 1/2-inch layer of fat on.
  3. Chop up excess fat and place it in a pot with 1 cup of the vegetable oil. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the fat starts to brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Turn off heat and let cool, then strain to remove all the fat chunks. Set aside.
  4. Rub some of the remaining 1/4 vegetable oil all around the outside of the brisket. Rub brisket liberally with 3/4 cup BBQ rub (save remainder for another use). Rub the rest of the vegetable oil on top of the BBQ rub. (When putting rub on meat, just remember, "oil, rub, oil.")
  5. Let the brisket rest, covered and refrigerated, overnight. (If you are in a hurry, you could let it sit in the fridge for a couple hours and it should turn out okay.)
  6. Heat an outdoor grill to 350 degrees F. Preheat an oven to 200 degrees F.
  7. Sear the outside of the meat on all sides on the grill. Since we are not using a smoker, it is important to get some open flame action to caramelize the outside of the meat so we get some smoke flavor. Cover the meat with foil or thick butcher paper and place in a hotel pan.
  8. Transfer to the oven and roast for 12 hours or overnight. Let cool.
  9. For the coffee BBQ sauce: Melt the butter in a saucepot, then add garlic and shallots. Cook, stirring, until they start to caramelize. Add the BBQ sauce, coffee and bay leaf and simmer on medium-low heat, stirring frequently, for about 30 minutes. Let cool, remove the bay leaf and puree in a blender (optional). Set aside.
  10. Ready to make the sandwiches! Slice the brisket about 1/4-inch-thick and place in a large enough saute pan that each piece can be flat in the pan in a single layer. Add just enough BBQ sauce to come about halfway up the side of the meat. Heat the pan on medium to high heat. Meanwhile, split the burger buns. Toast the buns and add the melted butter to the insides.
  11. Heat the oil in a deep-fryer to 350 degrees F.
  12. Fry shoestring potatoes until they start to turn golden brown, then add the sliced jalapenos to the fryer and continue frying until the fries are golden and jalapenos are crispy but still bright green, 1 to 2 minutes. Let drain, then place in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
  13. Meanwhile, pay attention to the brisket in the pan. Turn each piece over on the other side with tongs and continue searing.
  14. Pour about 1/4 cup beef fat into another saute pan. Heat on medium-high heat and add the sliced onions. Cook the onions down until they start to get a dark caramelization-thing going on, then add salt and pepper to taste. Turn off heat, drain excess oil and set aside. At this point the brisket should be looking good. You want there to be a deep-dark crust forming on the outside.
  15. Time to assemble! Place buns on a tray, lay your Cheddar down on the bottom, add the BBQ brisket on top, beef fat onions on top of the brisket, jalapeno shoestrings on top of the onions, put on your bun lids…DONE!