Brisket barbacoa tacos

Ingredients

• Brisket Barbacoa Tacos
• 1kg (2.2 lbs) beef brisket, cut into 5cm (2-inch) cubes
• 2 dried Ancho chillies (easily available online)
• 1 dried Pasilla chilli (easily available online)
• 1 dried Chipotle chilli (if unavailable, use 2 Chipotles in adobo sauce from a tin)
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled
• ½ large or 1 small white onion, peeled
• ½ tbsp oregano
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 clove
• 40ml (1½ fl oz) white vinegar
• salsa verde, corn tortillas, diced white onion, and diced radish to serve
• Salsa Verde
• 700g (24.6 oz) tin of tomatillos, drained
• 1 jalapeño, sliced
• 2 large cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 bunch of coriander (cilantro)
• juice of 1 lime
• salt, to taste

Directions

1. Brisket Barbacoa Tacos
2. Generously season the brisket pieces with salt on all sides. Heat a large pot over high heat and add the fatty pieces of brisket, fat side down, to render out the fat. Use this fat to sear the other pieces of beef. Working in batches, sear the beef on all sides until nicely browned, but not burnt. Remove from the pot and set aside.
3. In a separate pot, bring about 350ml (12 fl oz) of water to a light simmer. While the water is heating, cut open the dried chillies and remove the seeds and stems.
4. Once the water is simmering, turn off the heat and add all the dried chillies. Ensure they are fully submerged and let them soak for 10 minutes.
5. To make the sauce, add the soaked chillies, garlic, white onion, oregano, clove, white vinegar, and the soaking water to a blender. Blend until you have a smooth paste.
6. If cooking in the oven, place the seared beef into a large oven dish. Pour over the chilli sauce you just blended, add the cinnamon stick, and cover the meat with a piece of parchment paper. Then, seal tightly with tin foil, making sure no steam can escape. Place the dish in a preheated oven at 120°C (250°F) for 5 hours.
7. If using a slow cooker, add the beef, chilli sauce, and cinnamon stick to the slow cooker pot. Cover with the lid and cook on low for 12-14 hours.
8. Once cooked, remove the beef from the cooking liquid and shred it using two forks. Gradually mix in the braising liquid, ladle by ladle, until the meat has absorbed all the flavours.
9. Serve the Barbacoa in corn tortillas with diced white onions, diced radish, salsa verde, and hot tacos.
10. Salsa Verde
11. Drain the tomatillos and place them in a blender with the jalapeño, garlic, coriander, lime juice, and a pinch of salt.
12. Blend to your desired consistency, then refrigerate until ready to use.