Brisket Twisters Recipe

Prep

Preheat oven to 150°C (300°F). Pat the brisket dry with paper towels. Mix kosher salt, black pepper, onion powder and garlic powder and rub evenly over all sides of the brisket.

Heat a large, oven-safe Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add 2 tbs vegetable oil. When shimmering, sear the brisket fat-side down for 4–5 minutes until deep golden brown; flip and brown the other side 3–4 minutes. Remove brisket to a plate.

Reduce heat to medium. Add the chopped yellow onion to the pot and cook 3–4 minutes until softened, scraping up browned bits. Add beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar and bay leaf. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer.

Return the brisket to the pot, fat-side up. The liquid should come about one-third of the way up the brisket; add a splash more broth or water if needed. Cover the pot tightly with lid or foil and transfer to the preheated oven.

Braise for 3.5–4.5 hours, or until the brisket is fork-tender and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part reads 90–95°C (195–205°F). Check once halfway through and spoon some braising liquid over the top.

Remove brisket from oven and let rest, covered, for 20–30 minutes. Reserve 120 ml of braising liquid. Shred the brisket using two forks or chop coarsely. Mix brisket with 2–3 tbs reserved braising liquid (to keep moist) and set aside, covered. If making ahead, refrigerate to firm before assembling twists (cold brisket is easier to work with).

Place thinly sliced red onion in a heatproof jar or bowl. In a small saucepan, combine 120 ml apple cider vinegar, 120 ml water, 1 tbs sugar and 1 tsp kosher salt. Bring to a simmer until sugar and salt dissolve, about 1–2 minutes.

Pour the hot brine over the sliced onions, pressing them down so they're submerged. Let cool to room temperature (about 15–20 minutes) then cover and refrigerate. They will be pleasantly tangy after 30 minutes and better after 1 hour. Use chilled or at room temperature when assembling.

Combine ketchup, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper in a small saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat, stirring. Simmer 6–8 minutes to meld flavors and thicken slightly. Taste and adjust sweetness or acidity. Remove from heat and cool. You can also use 1 cup store-bought BBQ sauce in place of making this.

Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. If puff pastry was refrigerated after thawing, let it sit at room temperature 10–15 minutes so it’s pliable but still cold.

On a lightly floured surface, roll each puff pastry sheet into a roughly 30 x 25 cm rectangle to even thickness. Cut each sheet into 4 long strips (about 7–8 cm wide) to make 8 strips total.

In a bowl, mix shredded brisket with 4–6 tbs of the prepared or store-bought BBQ sauce (use more for a saucier filling). The mixture should be moist but not soupy.

Place a centered 2–3 tbs line of shredded brisket down the length of each pastry strip, leaving a 1.5 cm border at each end. Sprinkle about 1/4 cup shredded cheddar (evenly divide the 2 cups) over the brisket line. Add a few small spoonfuls of quick-pickled onion (drain excess brine) distributed along the meat, and a sprinkle of chopped cilantro.

Fold the pastry over the filling so the edges meet (you can fold like an envelope or simply fold one edge over), then gently twist each filled strip 3–4 times to form a spiral/twister. Seal the ends by pressing with fingertips.

Place the twisters on the prepared baking sheets spaced 3–4 cm apart. Whisk the egg with 1 tbs water and brush the tops lightly for color. Sprinkle sesame seeds if using.

Bake for 18–22 minutes, rotating the pans once halfway, until pastry is puffed and deep golden brown and cheese is melted. If bottoms brown too quickly, lower oven to 190°C (375°F) and cover loosely with foil for the last 5 minutes.

Remove from oven and let rest 3–5 minutes. Serve warm with extra BBQ sauce on the side and pickled onions alongside. Garnish with additional fresh cilantro if desired.