Crockpot Brisket for Tacos

Cook’s Note: This makes a lot of meat for tacos, enchiladas, taco salads, etc. It is great served at, oh … say, any upcoming TV sports events. Leftover brisket can be portioned out and easily frozen in airtight containers for later use.

Mix the dry rub ingredients together in a small bowl. Divide the mixture in half and set both sections aside.

Using half of the dry rub, rub both sides of the brisket with it. Save the other half of the rub for adding to the brisket at the end of the cooking time.)

Cut brisket in half crosswise so that it will fit into the crockpot.

Place some of the onions and garlic on the bottom of the crockpot. Lay the brisket on top of the onions and garlic. Scatter the remaining onions and garlic over the brisket. I separated some of the onion layers and broke off pieces of the garlic so that there would be more pieces for flavoring the meat. I also put some of the onion and garlic pieces between the overlapping pieces of brisket.

Pour 1/2 cup of water around the edges of the brisket. Put lid on crockpot and cook brisket on low for 8-10 hours.

Then remove brisket from the crockpot. Allow it to cool for a few minutes, then shred it with two forks. The brisket literally falls apart at this point.

If desired, do a quick rough chop of the meat to cut it into smaller bite-sized pieces. Remove the onions and garlic from crockpot. Leave about 2 cups of the juices in the bottom (it doesn’t have to be exact, but don’t leave more than 2 cups of juices behind).

Return meat to crockpot and sprinkle with remaining rub. Toss to coat well. Turn crockpot to high and allow the meat to get hot again.

In the meantime prepare desired accompaniments for the tacos. Taste and adjust brisket seasonings prior to serving. If you prefer more heat, add more chipotle chile powder. You may also prefer a saltier flavor, so add a little more salt.

May be served directly from crockpot or removed, drained and put into a separate serving dish. (Please note: the cooking liquid helps to keep the meat from drying out so if you store or freeze some of it for later, add some of the liquid into the container.)

Serve with flour tortillas and taco toppings such as diced tomatoes, shredded lettuce or cabbage, black olives, salsa, grated cheese, sour cream or guacamole.

Cook’s Note: If you prefer a few crispy parts to the brisket, simply put shredded meat on a large baking pan and put it under the broiler. Broil until it sizzles and you can see a few pieces with some char on them. Remove from oven, stir, repeat. Don’t over-do it with the crispy bits or else the meat will be too dry.