BBQ Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Chef Jeremy Davis from Legends at Toyota Stadium makes a yummy BBQ grilled cheese sandwich for National Grilled Cheese Day.

2 square slices (3 oz) cheddar cheese
1/2 Cup chopped beef brisket (recipe below)
1/4 Cup caramelized onion
1/4 Cup Root Beer BBQ sauce (recipe below)
1 Tbsp chopped dill pickle
2 Tbs butter
2 slices of hearty, thickly cut loaf bread

Before grilling bread, have the chopped beef hot tossed with Root Beer BBQ sauce.

Butter one side each of the two slices. Place the bread buttered side down inside a skillet or grill pan. Place one slice of cheese on each slice of bread. (You will have the two bread slices "open-faced" separately and flat at first.)

Turn the grill pan to heat at medium. It's important to grill the bread from room temperature with cheese slice on each piece of bread to simultaneously melt while bread is being grilled.

As the sandwich is grilling, lift the edges of the bread slices to ensure that a golden brown crust is developing. When the cheese is half way melted, on one of the open-faced sides, add the chopped BBQ brisket (BBQ sauce already mixed with brisket), caramelized onion and chopped dill pickle, and then stack/cover with the other bread slice with cheese, cheese side down.

Slightly press sandwich with the back of spatula, to fuse all ingredients together.

Remove from heat. Slice. Enjoy!

BBQ Brisket

One 4.5 lb. beef brisket
1/3 Cup salt
1/8 Cup ground black pepper
¼ Cup smoked chili powder
1 Tbs ground mustard seed

Preheat oven to 250° F.

Combine all seasonings in a small mixing bowl. Then coat one 4.5 lb brisket thoroughly.

Place in a wire roasting rack, and then place within a medium sized roasting rack that keeps the meat one inch from the bottom.

Cover meat and roasting pan tightly with foil.

Roast meat for seven hours at 250° F until meat reaches fork tender and is at 200° F when tested with a meat thermometer.

Yield: plenty of brisket for several BBQ Grilled Cheese sandwiches!

Root Beer BBQ Sauce

1 Cup of your favorite BBQ sauce
¼ cup of root beer

Combine BBQ Sauce and root beer in a small sauce pan and stir until blended. Heat over moderate heat until sauce comes to a simmer.

Yield: Root Beer BBQ Sauce for four BBQ Grilled Cheese Sandwiches.

Caramelized Onion

Heat ½ onion julienne sliced, with minimal mild olive oil, and a pinch of salt, slowly to bring out the natural sugars, until onions become clear and golden. Set aside.