This Texas BBQ Sandwich Uses Glazed Donuts Instead of Bread

Barbecue is a lifestyle in Texas, where classic culinary techniques and traditions are upheld to the highest degree -- but Black’s Barbecue is doing something a little rebellious these days. The Lockhart, Texas-based BBQ joint has launched a new item called the sweet, smoky, & spicy sando, which is essentially a heap of tasty barbecue between two glazed donuts, and it's a remarkable blend of trendy ideas and traditional technique.

“I was fortunate enough to be given these wonderful recipes of the brisket, the ribs, [and] the sausage from my grandfather, that [he] worked so many years to make just perfect,” says owner and pitmaster Barrett Black. “Part of my job here is to not change anything. But also, part of my job is to be creative.”

And so the donut barbecue sandwich was born. The sweet, smoky, & spicy sando gets it start with Black’s 80-year-old family recipe for jalapeño-cheddar-brisket sausages, which are cased and smoked for a couple of hours. Once the smoking process has finished, the sausage is cut into small chunks, drenched in maple syrup, and caramelized with a blowtorch to make it super sweet and crispy. The torched meat is finally loaded up on a glazed donut, producing one hell of an American sandwich.

“The donut sandwich was something where I can honor the past and the traditions of my grandparents, but also look to the future and make something fun and something new,” Black says.

Not sure you’ll be in Lockhart any time soon? Have no fear: Black’s also has an Austin location, and will be showcasing its barbecue -- including this sandwich -- at Hotel Thrillist, a huge food and drink feast happening in Austin on November 17.

For now, check out the video above to see how this all-American sandwich comes together.

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