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–+ servings
Golden baked smoked brisket stuffed hot pocket made with puff pastry and topped with black sesame seeds on a wooden cutting board

Smoked Brisket Stuffed Hot Pocket

Two sheets of puff pastry sealed around cream cheese, pickles, pickled red onions, cheddar, chopped leftover brisket and BBQ sauce. Egg washed, seeded and baked at 400°F until puffed and golden. Makes a sheet pan sized meal.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Rest Time 10 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Lunch, Main Course, Snack
Cuisine: American, BBQ
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 sheets puff pastry Thawed. Let sit out 15 to 20 minutes before working with it.
  • 2 tbsp cream cheese Softened. Spread edge to edge.
  • 0.5 cup sliced pickles
  • 0.25 cup pickled red onions chopped
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 0.5 lb leftover smoked brisket chopped
  • 1 tbsp sweet BBQ rub 1 to 2 tbsp, sprinkled over the brisket.
  • 3 tbsp BBQ sauce Enough to cover it lightly.
  • 1 egg For the egg wash.
  • 1 tbsp water For the egg wash.
  • Black or white sesame seeds
  • Oil spray Applied halfway through cooking.

Equipment

  • Oven or grill Running at 400°F.
  • Sheet pan and parchment paper
  • Fork For crimping the edges all the way around.
  • Pastry Brush For the egg wash.
  • Oil spray Applied halfway through the bake.

Method
 

Prep
  1. Let the puff pastry sheets sit at room temperature about 15 to 20 minutes. Straight from the freezer they crack instead of stretching. Left too long they go soft and stick. You want them pliable but still cold to the touch.
Build
  1. Lay one sheet down and spread the cream cheese evenly from edge to edge. This is the barrier that keeps the sauce and juices out of the bottom sheet, and the adhesive that holds the filling in place.
  2. Add a layer of sliced pickles, then the chopped pickled red onions, then the shredded cheddar, then the chopped brisket.
  3. Season the brisket with the sweet BBQ rub, then drizzle the BBQ sauce over the filling and spread it into a thin even layer.
  4. Lay the second sheet of puff pastry over the top. Press and crimp all the way around the edges with a fork to seal the two sheets together.
Bake
  1. Whisk the egg with the water and brush the entire top. Cut three slits in the top so steam can escape, then sprinkle with sesame seeds.
  2. Bake on a grill or in the oven at 400°F for about 20 to 25 minutes, until the pastry is fully puffed and golden brown. Give the top a light spray of oil about halfway through for a shiny finish.
  3. Let it rest about 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with your favorite BBQ sides.

Notes

Puff pastry temperature: 15 to 20 minutes out is the window. The solid butter between the layers is what creates the puff, so you want it pliable but still cold.
Cream cheese edge to edge: It keeps the sauce and juices from soaking the bottom sheet, and holds everything in place when you seal the top. Bare spots are where filling escapes.
Cut the steam vents: Everything inside turns to steam. Without an escape route it blows out the side of your crimp.
Oil spray at halfway: Egg wash gives the color, the oil gives the shine.
Reheating leftovers: This uses already-cooked brisket. The USDA recommends reheating leftovers to 165°F, which a 20 to 25 minute bake at 400°F will comfortably reach.
Timing: Prep time and servings are estimates. The 400°F, 20 to 25 minutes and 10 minute rest are as given.

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