Barbecued Brisket

• 2 1/2 teaspoons mild smoked salt (preferably Spanish or alder smoked)
• 1 tablespoon ancho chile powder or mild chile molido powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chipotle powder
• 1 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
• 1 beef brisket (about 2 1/2 pounds, 8 by 6 by 2-inch piece)
• 2 cups smoky chipotle barbecue sauce (or add 2 tablespoons chipotle puree, page 152, to 2 cups of your favorite barbecue sauce)
• 3 large cloves garlic, dry roasted (page 158)
• 2 medium Roma tomatoes (about 5 ounces), blackened (page 164)
• 1 medium white onion, cut into 1/4-inch slices, dry-roasted (page 162)
• 3 tablespoons Tabasco Chipotle Sauce
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chipotle puree (page 153)
• 1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 12 (5 1/2-inch) soft yellow corn tortillas (page 13), for serving
• Garnish: Baja Cabbage Slaw (page 145)

1. To make the barbecue rub, in a small bowl, combine the smoked salt, ancho chile powder, chipotle powder, and black pepper.
2. Sprinkle the rub over the entire brisket and massage the spices well into the surface of the meat.
3. Place the brisket in a nonreactive pan, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight, or at least 4 to 6 hours.
4. To make the barbecue sauce, in the jar of a blender, add the 2 cups chipotle barbecue sauce, roasted garlic, tomatoes, onion, Tabasco, chipotle puree, and liquid smoke and puree until smooth.
5. You should have about 3 1/2 cups sauce.
6. Reserve 2 1/2 cups for cooking the brisket.
7. To make a sauce for the tacos, put the remaining 1 cup barbecue sauce in a saucepan with 1/2 cup water and cook, covered, over low heat, 20 to 30 minutes.
8. Set aside at room temperature if using the same day.
9. Or transfer to a container and refrigerate until needed; gently reheat before serving.
10. To cook the brisket, in a very large skillet (12 to 14 inches), heat the canola oil over high heat until very hot.
11. Decrease the heat to medium-high and sear the spice-rubbed brisket on both sides, about 2 minutes per side.
12. The spice rub on the meat should be a dark mahogany color, but not burned.
13. Remove from the heat, reserving any browned crusty bits from the pan.
14. Preheat the oven to 275F.
15. Line a roasting pan with two 18-inch-long sheets of 12-inch-wide heavy-duty aluminum foil.
16. Have another 18 by 12-inch sheet of heavy-duty foil ready.
17. Place 1 1/4 cups of the reserved barbecue sauce on the foil.
18. On the sauce, place the brisket and any browned, crusty bits from the skillet in the center of the foil.
19. Pour over the remaining 1 1/4 cups barbecue sauce.
20. Seal into a tight packet by crimping the ends of the foil together and mold the remaining piece of foil around the packet to keep steam from escaping.
21. Place in the oven and cook until you can insert a fork with just a little resistance, about 4 1/2 hours (or about 5 hours if you prefer a more tender brisket).
22. Remove from the oven, open the foil to let the steam escape (be careful, the steam is hot), and let the meat cool in its juices for about 15 minutes.
23. The meat should pull apart with 2 forks and still have a toothsome texture.
24. Reserve about 1/2 cup of the meat juices and add to the reserved barbecue sauce and rewarm to serve with the tacos as a sauce.
25. Shred the meat along the grain with forks and reserve in a saucepan with some of the remaining pan juices.
26. Serve immediately or keep warm in the pan until ready to serve.
27. To serve, lay the tortillas side by side, open face and overlapping on a platter.
28. Divide the slaw and filling equally between the tortillas and top with crema and barbecue sauce.
29. Grab, fold, and eat right away.
30. Or build your own taco: lay a tortilla, open face, in one hand.
31. Spoon on some slaw and filling, top with crema and barbecue sauce, and eat right away.

salt, chile powder, chipotle powder, ground black pepper, beef brisket, smoky chipotle, garlic, tomatoes, white onion, puree, liquid smoke, canola oil, corn tortillas, cabbage

Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/barbecued-brisket-394006 (may not work)