This version of barbecue sauce is made without store-bought tomato sauce, which is replaced instead with canned tomatoes and extra spices. Brisket is a wonderful cut of meat and here it is slow-cooked in barbecue sauce until tender then thinly sliced and served piled into soft buns with coleslaw and pickled red onion. 

Recipes, styling & photos Emma Boyd

Serves  8–10 |  Prep Time 40 minutes  |  Cook Time 3–4+ hours

INGREDIENTS

• 1 x 2.5–3 kg piece beef brisket
• 1½ cups water

BBQ Sauce

• 75 g dates, roughly chopped
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 x tin chopped tomatoes
• 1 tbsp tamari
• ½ cup apple cider vinegar
• ¹/₃ cup brown sugar
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp smoked paprika
• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp sea salt
• ½ tsp chilli flakes
• 1 tsp coriander
• ½ tsp cumin
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• 2 cloves

Rub

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp smoked paprika
• 2 tsp coriander
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp oregano
• 2 tsp sea salt

Coleslaw

• 300 g white cabbage, finely shredded
• 1 large carrot (approx. 250 g), cut into thin matchsticks
• ½ small brown onion, halved, thinly sliced
• ¼ cup mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp sour cream
• 2 tsp lime juice

To Serve

• 1 red onion, sliced into rounds
• 3 tbsp red wine vinegar

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 160˚C. Put the chopped dates into a heat-proof jug and cover them with boiling water. Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot and cook the onions and garlic until soft and translucent. Add in the remaining ingredients including the dates and the water. Bring to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes until thick. Remove from the heat and cool slightly before blitzing with a stick blender until smooth.

Put all the rub ingredients into a small bowl and mix well to combine. Rub this over the brisket and place into a large roasting dish. Pour the barbecue sauce over and around the meat then pour the water into the roasting tray around the edges. Cover with tinfoil, seal tightly and cook for 3–4 hours or until tender. The cooking time will vary depending on the size of the brisket so check it at the 3-hour mark.

Put the red onion into a small bowl, pour over the vinegar and mix. Continue to mix and turn the onions from time to time as you prepare the rest of the dish.

Turn the oven up to 180˚C. Once the meat is tender, scrape the barbecue sauce off the meat then remove from the roasting dish and cover with tinfoil. Tip the barbecue sauce into a saucepan, bring to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes until thick and silky. Return the brisket to the roasting pan, generously spoon over the barbecue sauce and put back into the oven and cook for a further 20–30 minutes or until well browned.

Put the cabbage, carrot and onion into a bowl and mix well. Put the mayo, sour cream and lime juice in a small bowl and mix well until smooth. Pour this over the slaw and mix well again.

Thinly slice the brisket then pour over the remaining barbecue sauce and mix. Pile buns with slaw, beef and then red onion and serve.