Meat Sweats
intro
An indulgent, smoky platter piled high with slow-smoked brisket, pulled pork, and grilled sausage, built to deliver that signature post-feast meat sweats glow at casual BBQs.
Ingredients
Steps
Prep and season meats
Pat the 450g pork shoulder and 340g brisket completely dry with paper towels, then rub all surfaces evenly with the 3 tablespoons of BBQ dry rub, pressing gently to help the seasoning adhere. Let the seasoned meats rest at room temperature for 30 minutes while you preheat your smoker to 120°C (250°F) for indirect hickory-smoked cooking.
Smoke the core cuts
Place the seasoned pork shoulder and brisket on the indirect heat side of the preheated smoker, close the lid, and cook for 2 full hours, maintaining a consistent 120°C (250°F) internal smoker temperature, until both meats reach an internal temperature of 75°C (165°F) as measured with a digital meat thermometer.
Wrap to tenderize
Remove the partially smoked pork and brisket from the smoker, wrap each cut tightly in heavy-duty aluminum foil with 1 tablespoon (14g) of unsalted butter per piece, then return the foil-wrapped meats to the smoker. Cook for 45 additional minutes at 120°C (250°F), until the internal temperature of both cuts reaches 93°C (200°F) for pull-apart tenderness.
Grill the sausages
While the wrapped meats finish their tenderizing cook, turn one section of the grill to medium-high heat (190°C / 375°F). Place the 225g of pork sausage links directly on the hot grates, and cook for 12 minutes total, turning every 3 minutes with tongs, until casings are crisp and sausages reach an internal temperature of 71°C (160°F).
Rest and slice meats
Remove the foil-wrapped pork and brisket from the smoker, unwrap, and let rest on a cutting board for 15 minutes to lock in juices. Slice the brisket 6mm (1/4 inch) thick against the grain, pull the pork shoulder into rough, bite-sized chunks, and cut the cooked sausages into 5cm (2 inch) diagonal pieces.
Assemble the platter
Pile all prepared meats in loose, generous mounds on a large metal serving platter. Drizzle 120ml of the BBQ sauce over the top of the meat pile, serve the remaining 60ml of sauce in a small ramekin on the side, and tuck the 60g of dill pickle slices and 8 slices of white bread around the edges of the platter for serving.
Tips
2.Always let smoked meats rest for a full 15 minutes before slicing; cutting into hot meat immediately will cause all the flavorful, juicy renderings to run out onto your cutting board.
3.If you do not have a dedicated smoker, you can replicate this recipe on a charcoal grill by placing soaked hickory chips in a foil smoke box and arranging coals for indirect, low-heat cooking.
OMG y’all, this Meat Sweats recipe is a total game changer! I made it for our Sunday family dinner and even my super picky teen went back for thirds. The cook time is long but totally hands off for most of it, so I was able to watch the game while it slow cooked. SO good, 10/10 will make for our next neighborhood potluck too.
Took me a minute to get the temp right on my smoker since I’m used to shorter cooks, but wow this was worth the 3.5 hour wait. Juicy, flavorful, exactly the hearty meal my crew craves after a long week of work and school. Only note is I added a little extra paprika because we love a smoky kick.
Made this in my dorm’s shared kitchen with my roommate, we split the cost of the meat and had enough leftovers for meal prep for literally 4 days. Way better than the dining hall burgers, no cap. Only knocked a star off because we forgot to buy one of the spice blends and had to improvise, but even then it slapped.
My kids loved it! I was worried the flavor profile would be too rich for my 7 and 9 year old, but they cleaned their plates and asked if we could have it every weekend. I served it with roasted veggies and mac and cheese on the side, total comfort food win.
As someone who eats basically zero veggies, this is my new favorite recipe. No random weird add-ins, just straight up flavorful, fall-apart tender meat. I did find the cook time ran a little long for my oven – mine was done at about 3 hours flat, so I’d recommend checking temp 30 minutes early if you have a convection oven.
I make big batches of protein every Sunday for the work week, and this is going into my regular rotation! It holds up so well in the fridge for up to 5 days, and it’s just as good reheated as it is fresh out of the oven. 10/10 for anyone who hates boring meal prep chicken.
Brought this to my annual fantasy football draft party and it was the first dish gone. People were hovering over the platter before I even set it down! Worth every minute of prep, will be making this for every big game gathering from now on.
I’m used to Texas-style brisket that takes 12+ hours, so I was skeptical of a 3.5 hour meat recipe, but y’all? This delivers that same deep, smoky flavor without the all-day cook. I made it for my in-laws who are total brisket snobs and they asked for the recipe. Wild.
I’ve been making hearty meat dishes for my family for over 50 years, and I have to say this recipe is a real keeper. The spice blend is perfectly balanced, not too salty, not too spicy, even my great-grandbabies enjoyed it. I added a splash of apple cider vinegar to the mop sauce like I do with my old pork shoulder recipe, and it turned out wonderful.
Tried this last night, and while the flavor was great, I had a hard time getting the meat to the right internal temp without the outside getting too charred. I think my oven runs hot, so next time I’ll lower the temp by 25 degrees and tent it with foil halfway through. Still tasty, just a little trial and error for my setup.
I almost skipped this recipe because I mostly eat plant-based, but my partner is a total meat lover so I gave it a shot for his birthday. Even I snuck a few bites! It was so tender and flavorful, I get the hype now. Served it with a big side salad to balance it out, and he said it was the best birthday meal he’s ever had.
Made this ahead for a 3-day backpacking trip, vacuum sealed portions, and it was perfect for camp dinners! No weird processed trail food, just real, filling protein that kept us fueled for long hikes. The cook time is a little involved for pre-trip prep, but so worth it not to eat dehydrated meals every night.
I live in a tiny NYC apartment with a tiny wall oven, so I was worried I couldn’t pull off a longer cook like this, but it worked perfectly! My whole studio smelled amazing for hours, my roommate kept popping out of her room asking when it would be done. Perfect for a cozy cold weekend night in.
Okay, I’ll admit I was intimidated by the medium difficulty rating because I’m the guy who usually burns frozen pizza. But the step-by-step instructions were so clear! I only messed up one part (forgot to baste in the last 30 minutes) and it still came out incredible. My wife thought I ordered it from a fancy BBQ joint.
If you’re on the fence about making this, just do it. I’ve made it three times in the last month, once for a cookout, once for my brother’s graduation party, and once just for my household, and every single time people rave. The only heads up is it does make a ton of food, so be ready for leftovers or invite a crowd.
I know the cook time is 3.5 hours, but don’t let that scare you off for weeknights! I pop this in the oven right when I get home from work, help the kids with homework while it cooks, and it’s done right in time for dinner. No fancy skills needed, just set a timer and baste when it tells you to. Total weeknight comfort food win.