Go slow – make pulled beef brisket tacos

I’ve always been a sucker for the lesser-known cuts of beef: the ones that love long, slow cooking and just a little more know-how.

Using ingredients that demand creativity, skill and understanding is what I love about cooking. Taking something and turning it into a mouthwatering feast, fit enough to put a gravy-painted smile on even the fussiest eater? That, for me, is what life is about.

Today’s plan is to take Woolies boneless beef brisket slices and turn them into something everyone loves:

TACOS!

Heat 2 T canola oil in a large, high-sided pan or saucepan, then brown 800 g Woolies boneless beef brisket slices in batches, ensuring they are well caramelised. Add more oil for each batch if necessary.

Once all the brisket has been browned, remove from the pan and set aside.

Roughly chop 1 onion and add it to the same pan with another 2 T canola oil. Brown slightly, then add ¼ cup water to deglaze the pan. Allow the liquid to reduce almost completely, then return the meat to the pan and season with salt and a very generous amount of freshly ground black pepper.

Add ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce and toss to combine the ingredients. Pour in enough water to come up about 2 cm above the meat. Cook slowly for 1 hour, or until most of the liquid has evaporated and the meat is sizzling in the pan.

The meat should be tender enough to shred easily; if not add a little more water and cook for a few more minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and pull the meat apart in the pan using two wooden spoons. Return the pulled meat to the pan and add ½ cup Woolies sweet sticky BBQ marinade, ½ cup white or brown vinegar and as much chipotle Tabasco as your heart desires. Stir to combine and taste to check whether extra seasoning is needed.

The filling for your tacos is now made.

Don’t go spending tons on hard taco shells, rather make your own by draping flour tortillas over the wire racks in the oven to resemble upside down taco shells. Bake for 5 minutes at 180°C until crisp.

Finely shred some cabbage and place in a mixing bowl with thinly sliced red onion and fresh roughly chopped coriander. Toss with Woolies sour cream-and-chive dressing, then place some into each taco shell.

Spoon in a generous amount of the brisket and add a few slices of ripe avo. Finish off with a few extra splashes of chipotle Tabasco and serve.

Can't get enough of tacos? Here are more recipes to try:

Pulled pork tacos

Slow-roast pork mole tacos

Fish tacos with salsa

Spicy chicken and pepper tacos

Luke's fish tacos