Chef Tom fires up the Yoder Smokers YS640s Pellet Grill for slow smoked Brisket Cheesesteak finished on the cast iron griddle and smothered in silky homemade Cheese Whiz!
WHAT YOU'LL LOVE
- The brisket gets smoked, chilled, and sliced like deli meat. Cooking it only to 165°F rather than the usual pull-apart-tender range, then chilling it fully before slicing, is what lets it be cut paper-thin instead of shredding apart.
- Sodium citrate keeps the cheese sauce silky under reheating. Dissolving it into the water before adding the cheeses helps the sauce stay smooth and pourable rather than breaking, even as it sits and gets ladled over multiple sandwiches.
- Beef tallow does triple duty on the griddle. Using it to cook the onions, char the chopped brisket, and toast the buns means every component picks up the same rich, beefy base flavor instead of switching fats partway through.
- Turmeric and hot sauce sneak into the cheese sauce. A small amount of each adds color and a background kick to the Cheese Whiz-style sauce without turning it into an overtly spicy condiment.
Brisket Cheesesteak
Tom Jackson
Rated 4.4 stars by 19 users
Category
Beef
Cuisine
American
Servings
4
Prep Time
1 hour
Cook Time
45 minutes
Calories
856
Fire up the Yoder Smokers YS640s Pellet Grill for a mouthwatering Brisket Cheesesteak crafted by Chef Tom! Slow-smoked to perfection, finished on a cast iron griddle with homemade Cheese Whiz - it's an unforgettable culinary experience.
Ingredients
-
Bear & Burton’s W Sauce
-
Obie-Cue’s Steakmaker Seasoning
-
Cattleman’s Grill Lone Star Brisket Rub
-
Cornhusker Kitchen Premium Rendered Beef Tallow
-
2 large yellow onions, sliced 1/4”, pole-to-pole
-
Long Sandwich Buns
-
193 g (~13 1/2 tbsp) water
-
9 g (2 1/4 tsp) sodium citrate
-
113 g (4 oz) smoked provolone, diced
-
113 g (4 oz) sharp cheddar
-
1 tbsp Cattleman’s Grill Pit Fire Hot Sauce
-
1/2 tsp Bear & Burton’s W Sauce
-
1/4 tsp turmeric
Cheese Sauce: Yields 1 cup
Directions
Slather your trimmed brisket with a layer of Bear & Burton’s W Sauce. Season first with Obie-Cue’s Steakmaker Seasoning and press into the meat to attach. Then season with the Cattleman’s Grill Lone Star Brisket Rub. Let sit until the rub looks wet on the surface.
Preheat your Yoder Smokers YS640s Pellet Grill to 190ºF, set up for smoking (diffuser plate installed and damper pulled most of the way out).
Place the brisket on the second shelf of the smoker and smoke overnight.
In the morning, increase the grill temperature to 225ºF. Continue cooking until the internal temperature reaches 165ºF. Remove from the smokers.Chill completely in the refrigerator.
When the brisket is entirely chilled down, slice as thin as possible, then chop into small pieces.
Heat your YS640s to 450ºF, this time with the diffuser removed and the Yoder Smokers Reversible Cast Iron Griddle installed over the fire box, flat side up.
Melt a few tablespoons of beef tallow on the griddle. Place your thin sliced onions on the griddle. Season with Cattleman’s Grill Lone Star Brisket Rub. Cook until softened and browned, about 20 minutes, stirring often. Remove from the griddle.
While onions cook make the cheese sauce. Combine the water and sodium citrate in a Lodge 10” Steel Skillet. Bring to a simmer. Whisk to dissolve. Slowly add cheeses until entirely incorporated, whisking constantly. Whisk in the Cattleman’s Grill Pit Fire Hot Sauce, Bear & Burton’s W Sauce and turmeric. Adjust consistency as needed (keep it thin).
Next, melt a few more tablespoons beef tallow on the griddle. Add the chopped brisket and cook until it begins to char at edges. Add the caramelized onions to the beef and toss to incorporate. Move to mixture to the back of the griddle.
Toast your sandwich buns on griddle in the remaining beef fat.
Load the beef and onions onto the buns. Smother in cheese sauce. Enjoy!
Recipe Note
Recipe FAQ
Why smoke the brisket only to 165°F instead of the usual pull-tender range?
This brisket is meant to be chilled and sliced thin like deli meat, not pulled apart. Stopping at 165°F and cooling it fully afterward keeps the texture firm enough to slice cleanly.
Why use sodium citrate in the cheese sauce?
Sodium citrate helps keep the melted cheeses smoothly emulsified in the water base, so the sauce stays pourable and doesn't break or turn grainy while it sits or gets reheated.
Why cook the onions, brisket, and buns all in beef tallow?
Using the same fat throughout builds a consistent beefy flavor across every component of the sandwich, rather than switching to butter or oil partway through.
Why chop the brisket instead of leaving it in slices?
Chopping the chilled, thin-sliced brisket into smaller pieces lets it char more evenly on the griddle and mix more easily with the caramelized onions.
Can I make the cheese sauce ahead of time?
Yes, though you may need to gently rewarm it and whisk in a bit more water to loosen it back up, since sauces made with sodium citrate can thicken slightly as they cool.
How indoor-friendly is this recipe?
3 out of 5 — the cheese sauce, onions, and final assembly all work on a stovetop griddle or large skillet; the overnight smoke for the brisket is the one step that really needs an actual smoker.
Recipe Highlights
Smoking to a slicing temperature, not a pulling one: Stopping at 165°F and chilling fully afterward is what allows the brisket to be sliced paper-thin instead of falling apart.
Sodium citrate for a stable cheese sauce: This keeps the sauce smooth and pourable through reheating, rather than breaking into a greasy, separated mess.
One fat for every component: Using beef tallow for the onions, the brisket char, and the toasted buns ties the whole sandwich together with a consistent flavor base.
Chopping after chilling: Cutting the cold, thin-sliced brisket into smaller pieces before griddling gives it more edges to char and makes it easier to fold in with the onions.
Recommended Recipes
Nutrition
Nutrition
- Nutrition Serving Size
- 6 oz
- per serving
- Calories
- 856
- Fat
- 33 grams
- Saturated Fat
- 17 grams
- Cholesterol
- 250 milligrams
- Sodium
- 1078 milligrams
- Carbs
- 45 grams
- Fiber
- 3 grams
- Sugar
- 6 grams
- Protein
- 89 grams
