WINE & FOOD AFFAIR RECIPES

Main Dish

Cabernet Barrel-Smoked Brisket Sliders with Slaw and Cabernet BBQ Sauce

Soda Rock Winery

8015 Highway 128
Healdsburg, CA 95448
sodarockwinery.com

This slow-cooked brisket on Cabernet barrel staves is a crowd-pleasing dish that will leave you wishing you had made more. It's Sonoma County wine country barbecue at its best!

Cabernet Smoked Brisket

Ingredients:
  • 1 tablespoon ground bay leaves
  • 2 tablespoons smoked paprika
  • 2 tablespoons Hungarian paprika
  • 2 tablespoons kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons coarsely ground pepper
  • 2 tablespoons Montreal steak seasoning
  • 5 pounds beef brisket, trimmed of fat and sinew
  • 1/3 cup Soda Rock Winery Cabernet Sauvignon
  • Cabernet wine barrel staves or other wood chips for smoking
Directions:
To prepare the brisket, in a small bowl, stir together the ground bay leaves, smoked paprika, Hungarian paprika, salt, pepper and steak seasoning. Season the brisket generously with the spice mixture. Drizzle the wine over the meat and refrigerate for 2 days. 

Break or cut the Cabernet wine barrel staves into 6-inch pieces. Soak the pieces (or other wood chips) in water for 24 hours. The wood chips provide moisture to the meat over a long cooking period, just as a nice sauna does! 

When ready to cook, heat a smoker to 220°F. Drain the wood chips and place in the smoker. Smoke the brisket until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the meat registers 195°F, 15 to 20 hours.

Cabernet BBQ Sauce

Ingredients:
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • 1/2 white onion, diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 cup Soda Rock Winery Cabernet Sauvignon
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1/2 cup molasses
  • 1/2 cup ketchup
  • Salt, to taste
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Directions:
To prepare the Cabernet BBQ sauce, in a saucepan, warm the canola oil. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent. Add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the wine, tomato paste, molasses, ketchup, salt and pepper and simmer until the desired thickness is reached. Set aside.

Slaw

Ingredients:
  • 1 head cabbage, thinly shredded
  • 1 carrot, shredded
  • 3/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon sour cream
  • 2 tablespoons grated white onions
  • 1 tablespoon sugar, or to taste
  • 2 tablespoons white vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
  • 2 teaspoons celery salt
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Directions:
To prepare the slaw, in a large bowl, combine the cabbage, carrot, mayonnaise, sour cream, onions, sugar, vinegar, mustard, celery salt, salt and pepper and toss well. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Serving

Ingredients:
  • 8 brioche slider buns
Directions:
To serve, slice the brisket thinly across the grain and place on the bottom buns. Top with the Cabernet BBQ sauce and slaw, and cover each with a top bun.  

Enjoy with Soda Rock Cabernet Sauvignon, Mercantile, Sonoma County!