October 3, 2017

Brisket Soft Tacos

Posted by HI Cookery under 10 October | Tags: , , , , , |
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Brisket Soft Tacos

October 3: National Soft Taco Day

Just one day before National Taco Day, National SOFT Taco Day is observed as a food holiday. Highlander prefers the latter but Islander likes her tacos crispy. Tacos are a versatile dish. The filling could be beef, pork, chicken or seafood and the shells could be soft (flour or corn tortilla) or crispy. Toppings could include cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, cilantro, avocados, jalapenos, sour cream and salsa.

For this particular post, we used soft low-carb flour tortilla shells in which to wrap the meat filling and toppings. We used leftover shredded beef brisket made from our slow cooker (it yielded a lot of meat for just the two of us). And we filled it with toppings as colorful as the Mexican blanket in the final food photo above.

Switch up the tortillas for tacos today and go specifically for the soft shells on National Soft Taco Day.

Recipe

Ingredients

  • SOFT tortillas (flour, corn or a combination of both)
  • Shredded beef brisket (or other meat or seafood of your choice)
  • Shredded cheese (we used a Mexican blend of cheeses)
  • Shredded lettuce
  • Diced tomatoes
  • Chopped onions
  • Chopped cilantro leaves
  • Salsa or taco sauce
  • Lime wedges or slices (optional)

Directions

Warm the soft tortillas in a skillet or microwave according to the package directions to make them warm and more pliable. Lay a soft tortilla on a plate. Place hot shredded beef brisket on top. Layer with cheese on the hot brisket (it will melt slightly to bind the meat together).

Sprinkle with shredded lettuce. Top with tomatoes, onions, cilantro leaves and salsa or taco sauce. Roll and secure with toothpicks. Serve with lime wedges or slice to squeeze the juice to flavor the filling in the soft tacos (optional).

Notes

  • National Soft Taco Day on October 2 falls near the middle of Hispanic Heritage Month.  This month is a great opportunity to try some of the Latin American recipes posted under the Theme Menus on our blog.
  • Cook crispy tacos tomorrow for National Taco Day on October 3.

 

 

May 28, 2017

Slow Cooker Brisket

Posted by HI Cookery under 05 May | Tags: , , , |
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Slow Cooker Brisket

May 28: National Brisket Day

We have eaten our fair share of beef brisket as Texas residents. Whether barbecued, braised, baked, smoked or slow cooked, brisket is delicious shredded as a sandwich or taco filling or sliced and served with BBQ sauce, potatoes and sweet baked beans.

Brisket is a primal cut from the portion of beef breast or lower chest and can be a little tough and stringy. So the meat must be cooked slowly with some liquid to keep it moist and tender.

For a Tex-Mex touch, we slow cooked our brisket with beer/cerveza for a tender and tasty meat filling in soft or crispy tacos. Leftovers could be eaten with BBQ sauce between burger buns for a hearty sandwich. Whether for tacos or sandwiches, try this slow cooker brisket recipe for National Brisket Day.

Recipe

(Adapted from Muy Bueno Cookbook)

Ingredients

  • 2-4 pounds beef brisket
  • 2 ounces liquid smoke (recommended 2 ounces per pound of brisket)
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 12 ounces beer
  • salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Line the crockpot container with slow cooker bags for easier cleanup. Place the beef brisket in the container, fat side up. Pour in the liquid smoke. Add the bay leaves.

Pour in the beer. Cover the crockpot with a lid and cook on low for 8-10 hours or high for 6-8 hours. Remove the brisket from the crockpot and transfer to a cutting board. Shred the brisket, discarding the fat, and place in a bowl. Salt and pepper to taste. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Notes

  • This slow cooker brisket is similar to our kalua pig (Hawaiian pulled pork) recipe.
  • Learn more about beef brisket from the Better Homes & Gardens website.
  • Smokin’ hot! We once attended Rodeo Houston’s World’s Championship Bar-B-Que Contest as guests of Highlander’s company’s associate sponsors. There were lots of tents/booths and barbecuing activities going on at the grounds of NRG Stadium. Coincidentally, the tent/booth to which we were invited won the contest in the best brisket division! However, unlike our brisket, they did not use a crockpot–just the Texas-sized grills!