By Rebecca Frisker
This recipe originally appeared on The Nosher.
When I was growing up, I knew brisket as an island of meat in a sea of sweet brownish-red sauce with carrot-plank buoys. Every holiday, this was plunked in the center of the table alongside a loaf of bread. It was … fine. But nothing to write home about.
Whoever hosted the meal would lament about how the meat had been in the oven for hours as they sawed through the roast. I couldn’t help but think “all that time for this?”
As I sliced through the brisket, I imagined all the ways it could be improved upon: more salt, always, maybe a bit of heat to break up all this fat, and some acid, too, to balance out the sweetness of the sauce. And why such thick slices of brisket? Brisket is a tough cut of meat, but if braised in well-seasoned liquid long enough, it can go so tender it practically shreds itself when nudged with a fork.
I’ll be honest, all I want to do with shredded meat is wrap it inside a warm corn tortilla with a big squeeze of lime. This summer, I dare you to leave the giant platter of meat for the winter months and embrace the warming weather with braised brisket tacos.
A note on carrots: You’ll find none in this pot of brisket. When cooked to oblivion along with the meat, carrots become mush. But a crunchy, tangy raw carrot slaw served alongside the meat breathes new life into the familiar flavors.
My great-aunt probably wouldn’t stand for it, but I say that once you’re changing one thing, why not just lean into some tweaks that speak to you? Personally, I don’t miss the original at all when this is on the table.