Recipes

Brisket Tacos

  • Serves

    serves 8

  • Cook

    4 hours

PHOTOGRAPHY BY MATT TAYLOR-GROSS

By Julian Medina


Published on December 5, 2015

In Mexico, suadero is a cut of meat similar to brisket, and it's prepared in a similar fashion by braising. The braising liquid is often tinga, a sauce of tomatoes and chipotle, so New York chef Julian Medina adopts this method and adds Bohemia beer to finish out the braising liquid. Rough-chopped and served on fresh, homemade tortillas is Medina's way of showcasing brisket at the Hanukkah table.

Ingredients

For the Brisket:

  • 14 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 lb. lean beef brisket
  • kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 cup finely chopped carrot
  • 1 cup finely chopped celery
  • 1 cup finely chopped yellow onion
  • 5 garlic cloves, peeled
  • 2 cups canned tomato puree
  • 2 tbsp. adobo sauce from a can of chipotles in adobo
  • 14 tsp. ground cumin
  • 14 tsp. dried Mexican oregano
  • 5 thyme sprigs
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 (12-ounce) bottle Mexican beer

For the Tomatillo Salsa:

  • 12 cup cilantro leaves, plus more, finely chopped, for serving
  • 5 medium-to-large tomatillos, husks removed then quartered
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled
  • 2 jalapeños, stemmed, seeded, and cut lengthwise into 8 strips each
  • 1 small yellow onion, peeled and quartered
  • 1 avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, and cut lengthwise into 12 wedges
  • 8 (5") corn tortillas, warmed
  • lime wedge and finely chopped red onion, for serving

Instructions

Step 1

Make the brisket: Heat the oven to 325°. In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high. Season the brisket with salt and pepper, then add to the pan, and cook, turning as needed, until browned all over, about 12 minutes. Transfer the brisket to a plate and return the pan to medium heat.

Step 2

Add the carrot, celery, onion, and garlic, and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Add the tomato puree, adobo sauce, cumin, oregano, and bay leaf and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Stir in the beer, then return the brisket to the pot and pour enough water into the pot to cover the meat and bring it to a boil. Cover with the lid and bake until the brisket is very tender, about 2 1⁄2 hours. Transfer the pan to a rack and let the brisket cool in the cooking liquid.

Step 3

Once cooled, remove the brisket from liquid and shred with two forks. Pour the braising liquid into a blender and puree until smooth. Return the liquid to the pot over medium heat, stir in the shredded brisket, and reheat until warmed through.

Step 4

Meanwhile, make the tomatillo salsa: In a blender, puree the cilantro with the tomatillos, garlic, jalapenos, yellow onion, and avocado, and season with salt.

Step 5

Serve the brisket in the tortillas and top with a drizzle of the tomatillo salsa and the red onions, chopped cilantro, and lime wedges.

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