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BBQ brisket bao buns with cucumber and red onion pickle

Slow-cooked brisket, meltingly tender and smothered in a rich, sticky BBQ glaze, sits inside soft, steamed bao buns. Each bite is cut through by the sharp, tangy crunch of a cucumber and red onion pickle, finished with a kick of sriracha mayo.

Prep:less than 30 mins
Cook:over 2 hours
Serves:Serves 6
Dietary:Healthy
BBQ brisket bao buns with cucumber and red onion pickleBy Nathan Scarlett
From Saturday Kitchen

Nutri-Score E

This BBQ brisket bao buns with cucumber and red onion pickle receives a Nutri-Score of E due to the high saturated fat content from the beef brisket and sriracha mayonnaise, alongside the added sugar in the BBQ glaze and pickle.

Per serving (approximate): 750 kcal, 45g fat (of which 15g saturates), 50g carbohydrates, 20g sugars, 2g fibre, and 35g protein.

Equipment

Ingredients

For the house spice rub

  • 1 tbsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tbsp garlic powder
  • Pinch of salt
  • 2 tsp liquid smoke
  • 50ml/2fl oz vegetable oil

For the brisket and BBQ glaze

  • 1.5–2kg/3lb 5oz–4lb 8oz beef brisket, rolled or flat cut
  • 1 tbsp house spice rub
  • 300g/10½oz tomato ketchup
  • 70g/2½oz dark brown sugar
  • 4 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tbsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tbsp liquid smoke
  • 30ml/1fl oz rice vinegar

For the cucumber and red onion pickle

  • 150ml/5fl oz red wine vinegar
  • 2 tbsp caster sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 cucumber, finely sliced
  • 1 medium red onion, finely sliced

To serve

  • 6 pre-made bao buns
  • Sriracha mayonnaise, for drizzling

Customise

  • Swap beef brisket for pork shoulder if you prefer a slightly leaner meat
  • Replace sriracha mayonnaise with garlic mayonnaise for a milder finish
  • Use white wine vinegar instead of red wine vinegar for the pickle if you want a cleaner flavour
  • Swap bao buns for soft brioche buns for a richer, sweeter alternative
  • Omit the liquid smoke if you do not have it, relying on the smoked paprika for the smoky flavour

Method

Make the Rub and Start the Brisket (20 mins)

  1. Mix the rub — Tip the smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, liquid smoke and vegetable oil into a bowl and mix everything together until you have a smooth, fragrant paste.
  2. Sear the meat — Preheat your oven to 150C/130C Fan/Gas 2. Pat the beef brisket dry with kitchen paper and rub it all over with the house spice rub, pressing it firmly into the meat to ensure it sticks. Heat a large, heavy-based frying pan over a high heat and sear the brisket for 2 to 3 minutes on each side until it is well browned all over.
  3. Make the glaze — While the pan is still hot, whisk the tomato ketchup, dark brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika, extra liquid smoke and rice vinegar together in a separate bowl until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is smooth.

Slow-Cook the Brisket (4–5 hours — mostly hands-off)

  1. Coat and cover — Put the seared brisket into a deep roasting tin and pour the BBQ glaze over the top, turning the meat a few times to make sure it is completely coated. Cover the tin tightly with a double layer of kitchen foil to lock in all that moisture and flavour.
  2. Roast until tender — Slide the tin into the oven and roast for 4 to 5 hours. The brisket is ready when it yields easily to a fork and the meat pulls apart beautifully. This slow and low cooking method is the secret to incredibly tender BBQ brisket bao buns.

Pickle the Vegetables (10 mins — do this while the brisket cooks)

  1. Heat the pickle liquid — Pop the red wine vinegar, 50ml/2fl oz water, caster sugar and salt into a small saucepan. Heat it gently over a low heat, stirring just until the sugar and salt have completely dissolved, then take it off the heat.
  2. Pickle the veg — Put the finely sliced cucumber and red onion into a heatproof bowl. Pour the warm pickling liquid straight over them and leave it to sit for at least 10 minutes to let those flavours develop.

Prepare the Buns and Assemble (10 mins)

  1. Steam the buns — Put the bao buns in a bamboo steamer set over a saucepan of boiling water. Steam them for 3 to 4 minutes until they are hot and pillowy soft.
  2. Shred the beef — Transfer the cooked brisket to a large tray and use two forks to shred the meat into lovely, bite-sized pieces. Return the shredded beef to the roasting tin and toss it through the cooking juices so it soaks up all that sticky BBQ sauce.
  3. Fill and serve — Open the warm bao buns and pile them high with the shredded BBQ brisket. Drain the cucumber and red onion pickle and spoon a generous amount over the beef. Drizzle with plenty of sriracha mayonnaise and serve your BBQ brisket bao buns with cucumber and red onion pickle immediately while everything is still warm.

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