This article was originally published in early 2013. Since then, Rogers has eaten several Brisket Sandwiches from The Pig, and therefore felt the article needed retouching. If you think it’s a bit silly to write an entire column about a brisket sandwich, then you obviously haven’t tried it — and Rogers suggests you remedy that immediately.

 

For his Brisket Sandwich, Owner Sam Suchoff starts with all-natural Beef from Cliff’s in Carrboro, then uses a natural dry-rub and slow cooks the meat in-house for over twelve hours.

After the cooking is finished, Sam makes a point to keep the tomato-based sauce on the side — an unabashed attempt to show off how moist the finished product is.

Now as any foodie artist knows, every great sandwich is a careful balancing act between the soft/moist (meat, cheese, sauces, spreads etc…) and the hard/crunchy (fresh onions, greens, etc…). This is where the brisket “bark” comes into play — the tough outer layer that forms during cooking. The bark — the art form of any brisket or slow-cooked red meat — gives the sandwich definition and something tough to balance out the tenderness of the inner beef.

The result is a sandwich that’s devastatingly buttery soft and juicy, but with a world-class bark to balance out the texture. Sam’s rule for meat is easy: keep it simple. His rub is incredibly flavorful, but not overly salted or spiced. He lets the natural flavor come through in full blast, and allows the natural juices of the meat to do their thing.

This sandwich is incredible, but don’t take my word for it. You can find it any day of the week at The Pig on Weaver Dairy Road in Chapel Hill. Submit your own review and tell us what you think!

(image via foodnomad.net)