Smoked Texas Brisket Burger

• 4 lb brisket
• 1/4 cup chipotles in adobo
• 1 head garlic
• Saica Sicilian Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 tbsp Jacobsen Salt Co. Kosher Sea Salt
• 2 tbsp Jacobsen Salt Co. Tellicherry Black Peppercorns, coarse grind
• 8 oz Horseradish Havarti cheese 
• 8 oz sharp cheddar
• Bacon Jam (recipe below)
• Pickles (recipe below)
• 8 Brioche buns

Pickles:

• 2 mini cucumbers, sliced 1/8”
• 2 jalapeños, sliced 1/8”
• 1/2 medium yellow onion, sliced 1/4”
• 3/4 cup water, plus more for boiling
• 3/4 cup white vinegar
• 1 tbsp Cattleman’s Grill Trail Dust All Purpose Seasoning
• 1 tsp Noble Saltworks Maple Smoked Turbinado Sugar
• 1 clove garlic, crushed, peeled

Coffee Bacon Jam:

• 1 lb bacon, sliced 1/2”
• 1 1/2 lb yellow onion, sliced 1/4” thick
• 2 tbsp Cattleman’s Grill Smoky Chipotle Coffee Steak Seasoning
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup coffee
• 1/2 cup cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 2 tbsp TX whiskey

To make the pickles, place the cucumbers, jalapeños and sliced onion in a pint sized mason jar. Combine the 3/4 cup water, vinegar, Cattleman’s Grill Trail Dust All Purpose Seasoning, Noble Saltworks Maple Smoked Turbinado Sugar and garlic in a small pot. Bring to a simmer. Pour over the onions in the jar. Store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. The onions will be ready to eat after a couple of hours, but best overnight.

To make the roasted garlic, slice the tip end of the head of garlic off, exposing the cloves. Place in a Lodge 8” Cast Iron Skillet. Drizzle with Saica Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Drizzle a few more tablespoons oil in the skillet. Cover with a lid and cook over low heat until the cloves are tender. You can flip the garlic to cook evenly. Let cook, then squeeze the cloves of garlic out of the papery skins.

To make the brisket burgers, grind brisket once with a large die. Mix garlic and chipotles in adobo into the meat. Grind again with small die. Form into 1/2 lb patties and chill.

To make the bacon jam, cook the bacon over medium heat in a Lodge dutch oven, stirring frequently until lightly browned. Remove from the dutch oven using a slotted spoon. Drain bacon on paper towels. Discard all but 2 tbsp bacon fat.

Add the sliced onions and Cattleman’s Grill 8 Second Ride Carne Asada Seasoning to the dutch oven. Cook until translucent, about 5-10 minutes. Add the garlic and brown sugar. Cook for one minute.

Add the remaining ingredients. Bring to a simmer. Return the cooked bacon to the dutch oven. Cook over low heat until the mixture is syrupy.

Transfer to a food processor and pulse to desired consistency.

Fire up the smoker! Build a charcoal base in the firebox of the Yoder Smokers Loaded Wichita Offset Smoker. Add splits of oak wood to maintain a 225-250°F temperature inside the grill.

Combine the Jacobsen Salt Co. Kosher Sea Salt and ground Jacobsen Salt Co. Tellicherry Black Pepper. Season the patties with the salt and pepper mixture.

You might also enjoy: Texas Brisket Chili

Smoke the burgers until they reach an internal temperature of 130°F, then remove them from the grill.

Add a chimney full of hot charcoal to the firebox, right in the center. Add more oak splits to the top. Place a Yoder Smokers Cast Iron Griddle in the firebox, directly over the fire.

Sear the burgers on the hot skillet. Flip and top with the cheeses. Add a squeeze of water to the griddle and close the door to the firebox to steam the cheese. Remove when the cheese is melted and the internal temperature is 145-150°F.

To build the burgers, add the pickles to the toasted bottom bun of the brioche roll. Place the burger on the pickles. Top with bacon jam and the top bun.