Serve three to four sides for a gathering of eight to twelve people, roughly a cup of sides per person in total, alongside 150–200g of cooked brisket per adult. For a party in Singapore, the ten below are vinegar coleslaw, mac and cheese, cornbread, baked beans, potato salad, achar, sambal butter corn, garlic butter rice, a fruit platter and charred greens.
Pick Sides That Contrast the Brisket, Not Compete With It
Choose sides that offset the richness, and include at least one of each of four types. Acid (pickles, vinegar slaws) cuts the fat, freshness (crunchy vegetables, fruit) resets the palate, starch (cornbread, mac and cheese, rice) carries the meal, and sweetness (beans, corn) plays off the savoury bark.
1. Vinegar-based coleslaw. Skip the mayo-heavy version. Shredded cabbage and carrot in apple cider vinegar, a little sugar and a pinch of celery seed holds up far better in Singapore's heat. It is also the best thing to pile onto a brisket sandwich.
2. Mac and cheese. Use a béchamel base with sharp cheddar and a touch of mustard powder, baked until golden and crisp. It is the first dish children will empty.
3. Cornbread. Slightly sweet and crumbly, it mops up brisket juices. It is one bowl, no kneading, thirty minutes. Serve with salted butter and a drizzle of honey. Cornmeal is at most major supermarkets, or at Phoon Huat.
4. Pit-style baked beans. Doctor tinned baked beans with sautéed onions, a spoonful of your brisket's rendered fat or a few chopped burnt ends, brown sugar and a splash of Worcestershire. Twenty minutes of effort.
5. Potato salad. Go mustard-and-vinegar rather than heavy mayonnaise. Baby potatoes, wholegrain mustard, chopped gherkins, spring onion and a light dressing, served at room temperature.
Our heat is hard on dairy. Anything with mayo or cream should come out of the fridge in batches, not sit out all afternoon.
Local Twists and Fresh Sides
Achar, sambal butter corn and garlic butter rice pair with smoked beef as well as anything from a Texas cookbook, and cold fruit and charred greens keep the table fresh.
6. Achar. Nyonya pickled vegetables (cucumber, cabbage, carrot, pineapple) in a spiced vinegar dressing with ground peanuts. It cuts richness like American pickles, with more complexity. Any good achar from a wet market stall or supermarket deli counter works.
7. Grilled corn with sambal butter. Stir a teaspoon of sambal belacan into softened butter and brush it on corn on the cob. Char the cobs on a grill pan or under the oven grill until they blister.
8. Garlic butter rice. Plenty of guests will want rice, and brisket drippings over it work well. Jasmine rice, plenty of fried garlic and a knob of butter folded through at the end.
9. Watermelon and pineapple platter. Cold watermelon is what people reach for after rich beef, and it needs no cooking. Cut it just before guests arrive and keep it chilled. Pineapple's acidity cleanses the palate.
10. Charred greens. Blanch kai lan or broccolini, then hit it hard in a screaming-hot pan with garlic and a splash of oyster sauce, or just olive oil and salt. Five minutes, one pan.
Let Us Smoke the Brisket
Mandai Smoke Co. smokes brisket, ribs and pulled pork low and slow over real wood, and delivers across Singapore every Saturday and Sunday. A proper brisket takes a 12-to-16-hour smoke and a smoker you probably don't own, so you handle the coleslaw and the achar and we handle the smoke. Browse the menu and lock in your weekend delivery at mandaismokeco.com.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much smoked brisket should I order for a party of 10? Plan on 150–200g of cooked brisket per adult, so 1.5–2kg for ten people. If brisket is sharing the table with ribs or pulled pork, you can scale each meat down to around 100–120g per person. When in doubt, order up, leftover brisket makes exceptional fried rice and sandwiches the next day.
Which sides can I make the day before? Almost all of them. Coleslaw, potato salad, baked beans, mac and cheese (assemble ahead, bake fresh), cornbread and achar all hold well overnight in the fridge. Save the charred greens, grilled corn and fruit platter for party day, they take fifteen minutes combined.
What's the best way to reheat smoked brisket without drying it out? Low and gentle. Wrap slices in foil with a splash of beef stock or the juices from the packaging, then warm in a 120°C oven for 20–30 minutes. Whole unsliced portions reheat even better, so slice only what you're serving.
Do you deliver on weekdays? No, Mandai Smoke Co. delivers on Saturdays and Sundays only. Place your order in advance through mandaismokeco.com to secure your preferred weekend slot, as smoke runs are limited.