Memphis Smoked Bologna Sandwich with Mustard Slaw
Chapter 2 — The Meats
Let’s get one thing straight: smoked bologna is not a joke, and if you’ve ever stood in a gravel parking lot in Memphis breathing in the blue smoke of a cinderblock pit, you know it commands respect. We’re taking a cheap deli chub, scoring it, rubbing it down, and giving it three hours of hickory smoke until it transforms into a rich, mahogany-barked masterpiece. Sliced thick and piled on a squishy bun with a punchy, neon-yellow mustard slaw that cuts right through the fat, this is the uncompromising taste of the Mid-South.
Before you start
Whisk together the mustard slaw dressing.
Vigorously combine the 1/3 cup yellow mustard, apple cider vinegar, white sugar, mayonnaise, Colman's dry mustard, 1 teaspoon celery seed, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon black pepper until the sugar completely dissolves.
Toss the chopped cabbage with the dressing and refrigerate for at least two hours.
Make this ahead of time. The salt will draw moisture from the chopped cabbage as it sits, thinning the highly acidic dressing to the perfect consistency.
Ingredients
- bologna chub4 lb
- yellow mustard2 tbsp
- sweet paprika3 tbsp
- dark brown sugar2 tbsp
- kosher salt1 tbsp
- black pepper1 tbsp
- garlic powder2 tsp
- onion powder2 tsp
- dry mustard powder1 tsp
- celery seed1 tsp
- cayenne pepper1/2 tsp
- green cabbage1 med
- yellow mustard1/3 cup
- apple cider vinegar1/4 cup
- granulated white sugar1/4 cup
- mayonnaise2 tbsp
- Colman's dry mustard1 tsp
- celery seed1 tsp
- kosher salt1 tsp
- black pepper1 tsp
- Memphis-style BBQ sauce1/2 cup
- soft white hamburger buns6 med
Method
- 01
Score the outside of the bologna chub in a deep diamond pattern.
Make cuts about 1/2-inch deep and 1-inch apart spanning the entire length and circumference. This allows the smoke to penetrate the otherwise impermeable processed meat and gives the fat a place to render out.
- 02
Slather the chub with two tablespoons of yellow mustard and pack on the dry rub.
The mustard acts purely as a binder and will leave no flavor behind. Mix the paprika, brown sugar, 1 tablespoon salt, 1 tablespoon black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, regular dry mustard, 1 teaspoon celery seed, and cayenne, then coat the meat liberally, pressing it firmly into the scores.
- 03
Fire your smoker for indirect cooking at 250°F with hickory or pecan wood.
Place the bologna on the grates, close the lid, and smoke for 2 to 2.5 hours. Because the meat is precooked, there is no stall to worry about; you are simply waiting for the score marks to blossom outward and a dark mahogany bark to form.
- 04
Glaze the chub with Memphis BBQ sauce when the internal temperature reaches 160°F.
Mop the exterior heavily during the final 30 minutes of the cook to let the sugars in the sauce tack up and caramelize into a sticky finish.
- 05
Rest the meat for 20 minutes before slicing it thick.
A brief rest on a cutting board allows the sticky glaze to set and cool slightly. Cut the chub into 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch slabs.
- 06
Assemble the sandwich on soft white buns with a heavy hand of mustard slaw.
Put a thick slice of bologna on the bottom bun, drizzle with a little extra BBQ sauce, heap a massive spoonful of the neon-yellow slaw directly on top, and cap it. Keep plenty of napkins nearby.
Notes
Use the snake method if smoking on a standard charcoal kettle grill.
Stack unlit briquettes 2-wide and 2-deep around the inside edge of your kettle, top with hickory chunks, and light one end with 8 hot briquettes. Keep your vents 1/4 open to hold 250°F for hours, placing the chub opposite the fire over a disposable pan of water.
Cheat the smoke honestly using an indoor kitchen oven if you lack outdoor equipment.
Mix 1 tablespoon of hickory liquid smoke into your mustard binder. Roast the rubbed chub on a wire rack at 300°F for 1.5 hours, then glaze for 15 minutes. To fake the live-fire char, sear your thick slices in a hot cast-iron skillet for 1 minute per side before building the sandwich.
From Cook BBQ at Home.