southwestern pulled brisket

By khoglan1

Ingredients

• 3 pounds beef brisket
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 5 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
• 1 Spanish onion, halved and thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, with their juices
• 1 to 2 whole canned chipotle chiles en adobo [Read: 1 or 2 from a can, not one or two cans, m'kay? Many misread this amount!] (I used one pepper; two will give it a real kick)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/4 cup molasses

Details

Servings 4
Adapted from smittenkitchen.com

Preparation

Step 1

Season the beef generously with salt and pepper, to taste. Heat a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil and heat just until beginning to smoke. Add the meat and cook, turning once, until browned on both sides, about 10 minutes total. Transfer the meat to the slow cooker; leave the skillet on the heat.

Add garlic, onion, chili powder, coriander, and cumin to drippings in the skillet and stir until fragrant, about one minute. Add vinegar and boil until it’s almost gone (and seriously, get your head out of the way of the steam; inhaling vinegar is no fun!), scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Stir in water and pour the mixture over the brisket. Crush the tomatoes through your fingers into the slow cooker; add the tomato juices, chipotles, bay leaves, and molasses. Cover the cooker, set it on LOW, and cook the brisket until it pulls apart easily with a fork, about 8 to 10 hours. (The original recipe suggests 8 hours, but my mother-in-law, who makes wonderful brisket, says she cooks hers for 10. So I went with 10 and it was lovely, but feel free to check in on yours at 8 hours to determine if it needs more tenderizing.)