Three Meat Plate
intro
A protein-packed Southern BBQ platter featuring smoky brisket, juicy pulled pork, and spicy sausage, made with simple seasonings for classic cookout flavor.
Ingredients
Steps
Mix BBQ dry rub
In a small mixing bowl, combine 2 tablespoons kosher salt, 1.5 tablespoons coarse ground black pepper, 1 tablespoon smoked paprika, 1 tablespoon garlic powder, and 1 tablespoon light brown sugar. Stir until fully evenly mixed, breaking up any brown sugar clumps with the back of a spoon. Set aside 2/3 of the rub for the brisket and pork shoulder, and reserve the remaining 1/3 for the sausage.
Season all three meats
Pat the 450g beef brisket and 450g boneless pork shoulder completely dry with paper towels. Rub the reserved 2/3 portion of dry rub evenly over every surface of the brisket and pork shoulder, pressing gently to help seasoning adhere. Lightly prick each of the 340g sausage links 3-4 times with a fork to prevent bursting during cooking, then coat them lightly with the remaining 1/3 dry rub. Let all meats rest at room temperature for 20 minutes while you preheat the grill.
Preheat grill for smoking
Preheat a charcoal or gas grill to 120°C (250°F) set up for indirect heat cooking. While the grill preheats, soak 2 cups of hickory wood chips in cold water for 15 minutes, then drain thoroughly. Place drained wood chips directly on hot coals (or in a metal smoker box for gas grills) once they begin to produce thin, wispy blue smoke.
Smoke brisket and pork
Place the seasoned brisket and pork shoulder on the indirect heat side of the grill, fat side facing up. Close the grill lid, maintain a steady internal grill temperature of 120°C (250°F), and smoke for 2 hours. Spritz the surface of the meats with 60ml apple cider vinegar every 45 minutes to keep the exterior moist, avoiding unnecessary lid openings that cause temperature drops.
Grill the sausage links
After the brisket and pork have smoked for 2 hours, place the seasoned sausage links on the indirect heat side of the grill alongside the other meats. Close the lid, hold the grill temperature steady at 120°C (250°F), and cook for an additional 1 hour. Cook until sausage reaches an internal temperature of 74°C (165°F), and the brisket and pork reach an internal temperature of 93°C (200°F) as measured with an instant-read thermometer.
Rest and slice meats
Carefully transfer all three cooked meats from the grill to a clean wooden cutting board. Tent the meats loosely with aluminum foil, and let them rest for 15 minutes to allow internal juices to redistribute. Slice the brisket against the grain into 6mm thick slices, shred the pork shoulder into tender pulled pieces with two forks, and slice the sausage links on a diagonal into 2.5cm thick pieces.
Arrange serving platter
Arrange the prepared meats on a large serving platter in three distinct sections: fan the sliced brisket across one third, pile the shredded pulled pork across the center, and line up the sliced sausage across the final third. Serve immediately while warm, with your favorite BBQ sides if desired.
Tips
2.If hickory wood chips are unavailable, substitute oak or apple wood chips for a milder, fruitier smoke profile that pairs equally well with all three meats.
3.Never skip the 15-minute resting period: cutting into hot smoked meat immediately after cooking causes all the flavorful, juicy moisture to leak out onto the cutting board.
OMG y’all, this three meat plate was the star of our Sunday family dinner! I did the ribs, pulled pork, and smoked sausage like the recipe said, and even my super picky middle kid asked for seconds. SO good, I already sent the recipe to my whole mom group chat. Only note is I added a little extra apple cider vinegar to the mop sauce and it *chefs kiss*
Took me a minute to get the smoke temp right on my offset smoker, but man this recipe delivered. 3.5 hours cook time was spot on, no tough meat, all the bark was perfect. This is gonna be my go-to for when my buddies come over to watch football this fall.
I was nervous to tackle this since I’ve only ever done basic burgers on my tiny apartment grill, but it was way more doable than I thought! Me and my roommates split the cost of the meats and had enough leftovers for meal prep all week. 10/10 would make again.
Brought this to my office potluck yesterday and people were literally lined up to get a plate. I was worried three meats would be overkill but nope, every last bite was gone before I even got to try the coleslaw I brought to go with it! Game changer for potluck season.
Wait, hold on — I’ve been chasing good Southern BBQ since I moved up north from Alabama and this recipe tastes exactly like the spot my grandpa used to take me to as a kid. The rub ratio is perfect, not too salty, just enough sweet and heat. I’m not crying, you’re crying.
Okay full transparency, I cheated a little and used my pellet smoker instead of a traditional offset and it still turned out amazing! Don’t let the medium difficulty scare you if you have a more beginner-friendly smoker, just follow the timings and you’re golden. My partner said it’s better than the BBQ joint we went to for our anniversary lmao.
Made this for my son’s high school graduation party over the weekend and got so many compliments. The only thing I changed was swapping the smoked sausage for brisket because that’s his favorite, and it worked perfectly with the same rub and cook method. Worth every minute of prep time.
Tried this last night and the ribs were fall-off-the-bone perfect, but my pulled pork came out a little drier than I wanted? I think I might have pulled it off the smoker a touch too early before the connective tissue broke down all the way. Any tips for next time?
Y’all know I’m picky about my BBQ being a Georgia native, and this recipe did not disappoint. The sweet heat rub paired with the tangy sauce is exactly what I look for in a proper three meat plate. My husband already asked when I’m making it again.
Made this for a small date night in with my partner and we ate so much we had to unbutton our pants lmao. The smoked sausage was the surprise favorite for both of us, I didn’t think it would hold up next to the ribs and pulled pork but it was absolutely delicious. Will be making again for our next dinner party.
I’ve been making BBQ for my family for over 40 years and I’m always looking for new little tweaks to my routine. This rub recipe is a game changer! I’ve been using the same rub for decades but I’m mixing this one into the rotation from now on. The grandkids went crazy for it.
Took this recipe camping last weekend and smoked all three meats over hickory wood on my portable smoker. It was so good the campers in the spot next to us wandered over to ask what we were cooking because it smelled so good. Ended up sharing a plate with them and they loved it too!
I made a big batch of this on Sunday and portioned it out with mac and cheese and collard greens for my work lunches all week. It reheats so much better than I thought it would, the meat doesn’t get tough or rubbery at all. Way better than spending $15 on takeout BBQ for lunch every day.
As someone who’s been smoking meats for competition cookoffs for a few years now, I can confirm this recipe is competition-worthy. The cook timings are spot on, the flavor profile is balanced, and it’s approachable enough for home cooks too. I already recommended it to a few of my new team members.
Full disclosure, I was a vegetarian for 6 years and just started eating meat again last year, so I’ve been very particular about what meat dishes I make at home. This was my first time ever smoking any kind of meat and it turned out incredible! I’m so proud of myself, and my roommate said I should open a pop-up lmao.
Quick question — has anyone tried making this with a charcoal grill instead of a dedicated smoker? I don’t have the space for a big smoker right now but I’m dying to try this recipe for my Fourth of July cookout.