Brisket Taco Meat

Optional: Heat a smoker to 250 F with your favorite wood—my husband likes to use walnut. Liberally salt and pepper both sides of the brisket and smoke for 2 hours (we’re not trying to cook it here, just get some smoke flavor).

Combine peppers, adobo sauce, garlic, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper and 3 tablespoons of broth in a food processor. Process until smooth and set aside.

At this point you can use a slow cooker or your oven. If using your oven, preheat to 300 F.

Place (smoked or regular) brisket in a slow cooker insert or roasting pan. Spread the chipotle sauce on top of brisket and pour the remaining broth around the sides. If using the oven, cover roasting pan tightly with foil. For both oven and slow cooker, cook (on low setting of your crockpot or at 300 F in the oven) for 8-10 hours, until brisket shreds easily with a fork.

Remove brisket from pan onto a large platter or cutting board. Shred with two forks (be careful, it’s hot!). Moisten the shredded meat with some of the sauce. You probably need to use at least half of the juices. For a spicier taco, reduce pan juices by boiling them in a pot on the stove for 10-20 minutes, and use all of the juices to moisten the meat.

Serve on warm tortillas with sour cream, cilantro, diced purple onion, salsa and a squeeze of lime juice!

*I can usually buy a half brisket (8-12 pound size) at the local packing plant and save half for later. This freezes very well, so don’t worry if you can only find a large piece of brisket.