Lives to Eat

This post has been in my drafts for a very long time waiting to be published. I finally took pics of the leftovers that I ate for dinner tonight (it freezes well!) and so here we go.

I found this recipe on Smitten Kitchen and was completely inspired but what sounded like a delicious combination of ingredients. The only downfall is that I cannot seem to find a plain beef brisket anywhere near my house. I had a corned beef brisket in the freezer and I just decided to give it a go with the corned beef and see how it turned out. Usually I cook corned beef in a beer bath in the slow cooker, so this is definitely a different take. I'll be eating it for dinner tonight either as sandwiches or taco-style.



Southwestern Pulled Brisket
Inspired by Smitten Kitchen

3 pounds beef brisket (corned works ok too)
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 TBSP vegetable oil
5 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
1 Spanish onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 TBSP chili powder
2 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 cups water
1 (14.5 oz) can whole peeled tomatoes, with their juices
1 to 2 whole chipotle chiles en adobo (I used 1 pepper - don't use the entire can)
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup molasses

For serving:
For sandwiches, serve on soft sandwich buns. For tacos, serve on small soft tortillas. For both, I served with homemade coleslaw.

1. Season the beef with salt and pepper, to taste. If using corned beef, you won't need much salt at all, since corned beef is already brined.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil and heat just until beginning to smoke. Add the meat and sear on both sides, about 10 minutes total.
3. Transfer the meat to the slow cooker. Leave the skillet on the heat.
4. Add garlic, onion, chili powder, coriander, and cumin to drippings in the skillet and stir until fragrant, about one minute. You may have to add some more oil if there isn't enough fat from the brisket.
5. Add vinegar and deglaze the pan. Boil until the vinegar is almost gone. Keep your face out of the way! Boiling vinegar is potent stuff!
6. Crush the tomatoes through your fingers into the pan; add the tomato juices, chipotles, bay leaves, and molasses. Heat through.
7. Stir in water and pour the mixture over the brisket in the slow cooker.
8. Cover and cook the brisket on low until it pulls apart easily with a fork, about 8 to 10 hours.
9. Remove the meat from the slow cooker and shred with two forks.
10. Pour the sauce into a pan. Remove the bay leaves. Bring to a boil and simmer until reduced by 1/3 to 1/2.
11. Mix the beef and the sauce back together in the slow cooker and heat through, about another 20-30 minutes.

Serve with coleslaw either on rolls or on small tortillas. I preferred the tortillas, whereas he preferred the rolls. Either way rocks!