Name: Z-Man sandwich (home recipe)
Prep time: 30 min
Total time: 8 h
Yield: 4
Cuisine: American
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

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.

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Common allergens: Gluten, Dairy, Egg

Make it at home

Yield 4Hands-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.