ancho & coffee braised tacos

I saw this recipe on an episode of Diners Drive-Ins and Dives. Yes, I know, it’s embarrassing. But you all know you watch it when it is on, and you can’t deny that it’s an interesting concept for a show. Anyway, the recipe comes from what appears to be an awesome restaurant in Cleveland called Momocho.

The ingredients you’ll need are as follows:

• 2 1⁄2 lb beef brisket, quartered and trimmed of fat
• 1⁄8 c ancho chile powder or 1-2 dried peppers
• 1⁄2 t ground cinnamon
• 3 T kosher salt
• 1⁄2 c red wine vinegar
• 3 c tomato juice, unseasoned
• 1⁄8 c lime juice (about 2 limes)
• 1 c red wine
• 2 T freshly ground guatemalan coffee
• 1⁄2 T black pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 1⁄2 spanish or yellow onion, quartered
• corn tortillas

I added a few things, and substituted a few things. I used whole wheat soft tortillas instead of corn. I added spicy mustard to the braising liquid, as well as a delicious organic coffee stout.

These are the steps I more or less followed exactly, with a couple of exceptions.

• In a small bowl, mix the ancho powder, cinnamon, coffee, and 2 tablespoons salt together. On a large plate or baking sheet, rub the seasoning all over the surface of the brisket pieces. On a grill, or in a large cast iron pan over medium heat, place the seasoned brisket to sear and caramelize the spices, 6 to 8 minutes per side. It should smell tasty, not burned.
• In a braising pan or heavy bottom Dutch oven or other heavy pot, add the quartered brisket, red wine vinegar, tomato juice, lime juice, red wine, 1 tablespoon salt, black pepper, bay leaves, and the onion.
• Add water to cover the brisket, then cover the braising pan with the lid or foil and place it on the stove top. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat, simmering covered for 3 hours or until the brisket is tender. Remove the bay leaf and onion. Remove the meat and shred. Use the reserved liquid to reheat.
• To serve, put about 2 to 3 ounces of meat on a warm corn tortilla, topped with salsa, avocado or guacamole, crumbled queso fresco, and lime wedges.

I put the brisket in a glass dish and cooked it in the oven, rather than on the stove top. Covered in foil, 325 degrees for about 3 hours. ‘Low and Slow’ is the saying I believe. And once I removed the brisket, I used two forks, and it was quite easy to just pull it all apart. Veronica sliced up some fresh Avocado, rather than making guacamole, she also made a deliciously diced pico de gallo.

I think these tacos came out excellent. It’s nice to cook something for such a long period of time, it just seems a bit more rewarding. They went well with a nice cold beer. And all the extra brisket served well as dinner for the next few days.

27 April 2010