Ingredients

• 3 cups Mesa BBQ Sauce or store bought bbq sauce
• 1 whole buffalo brisket, about 5 pounds
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 carrots, coarsely chopped
• 2 onions, coarsely chopped
• 2 stalks celery, coarsely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 2 cups water
• 1 large head red cabbage, cored and thinly sliced
• 3 cups red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• Salt and pepper
• 4 cups rice wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon whole white peppercorns
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon toasted cumin seeds
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh dill
• 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped cilantro
• 2 unpeeled English cucumbers, washed, cut in half horizontally then quartered lengthwise

Instructions

1. Place 2 cups of the bbq sauce in a large shallow baking dish, add the brisket and turn to coat. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 4 hours or overnight. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Heat the vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven over high heat until smoking. Remove the brisket from the dish, season with salt and pepper and sear well on both sides and remove to a plate. Add the carrots, onions, celery and garlic and cook until soft and golden brown. Return the brisket to the pan and cover with the chicken stock, water and the remaining 1 cup of bbq sauce. Bring to a simmer on top of the stove, cover and place in the oven. Cook for 2 1/2 to 3 hours or until tender. Remove from the cooking liquid, let rest for 15 minutes then slice thinly on the bias.
2. Place cabbage in a large nonreactive bowl. Bring vinegar, honey and salt and pepper to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Pour the warm mixture over the cabbage and stir to combine. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest 30 minutes at room temperature.
3. Combine the vinegar, honey, pepper flakes, peppercorns, coriander, mustard seeds, fennel seeds, cumin and salt in a medium nonreactive saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil. Let boil for 2 minutes; remove from the heat and let sit until cooled to room temperature. Add the dill and cilantro. Place the cucumber in a medium bowl and pour the cooled vinegar mixture over them. Refrigerate, covered for 24 hours or up to 4 days.
4. Assemble: 16 slices cornmeal pain de mie BBQ Brisket 8 slices fontina cheese Red Cabbage Slaw 1 stick unsalted butter Pickles
5. Place 8 slices of bread on a work surface. Top each slice with 4 to 5 slices of the brisket, a slice of cheese and some of the red cabbage slaw. Top each with the remaining bread. Heat 1/2 of the butter in a large skillet over high heat. Saute 4 of the sandwiches at a time until golden brown on both sides and the cheese has melted. Serve with spicy pickles and chips.