History
Jeff and Joy Stehney built Joe's Kansas City Bar-B-Que (then Oklahoma Joe's) inside a working Shamrock gas station at 47th and Mission in Kansas City, Kansas in 1996 from their competition-circuit success. The Z-Man, layered brisket with smoked provolone and onion rings on a kaiser, was named in 1997 after Kansas City radio host Mike Zarrick (aka The Z-Man), who ran a fan naming contest that kept the on-air nickname. The sandwich became Joe's signature and now defines the city's sandwich-format barbecue.
Make it at home
Yield Makes 4 sandwichesHands-on 30 minTotal 8 hrDifficulty Intermediate
Ingredients
- 1 lb smoked brisket, sliced or pulled
- 4 kaiser rolls
- 4 slices smoked provolone
- 8 crispy fried onion rings (storebought or homemade)
- 1/2 cup Kansas City-style barbecue sauce
- Pickle slices to serve
Method
- Reheat the brisket in a covered pan with a splash of beef stock until just warm.
- Cut each kaiser in half. Brush the cut sides with butter; lightly toast on a flat top.
- Layer the bottom bun: 4 oz brisket, drizzle of barbecue sauce, slice of smoked provolone.
- Place under a broiler for 90 seconds to melt the cheese.
- Top with two crispy onion rings and the top bun. Serve with pickles on the side.
Tip from the editors. Smoked provolone is non-negotiable; regular provolone tastes flat. Pre-fry the onion rings while the brisket warms so they stay crispy on the bite.
This is the TableJourney editorial recipe, modelled on the canonical bistro / counter version. The first place to try the dish in its city of origin is below.