Paleoish Mexican Spice Rubbed Brisket Tacos

We recently had house guests over and since it was probably one of the hottest weekends since last Fall, we decided to go to the beach. Since we went to the beach, we needed to drink some beer. Since we had some beer, we decided to have tacos to go with it. (All of you “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie” fans will appreciate my candor).

Not just ANY tacos, but brisket tacos. I will say that you can absolutely substitute the brisket for a chuck roast but it’s not quite the same. I’ll forgive you if you do though. And If you don’t eat red meat, then I feel sorry because you’re missing out! No seriously though, between these two sauces, you can easily do this with chicken or fish. You just can’t go wrong! My mouth is watering just thinking about them.

So I had a recent trip to the CrossFit Games (circa 2014 when the Games were still in CA). When we were there, we were able to meet Paleo Nick and dine on his amazing paleo food. Luckily, I snagged some of his rib rub. Paleo Nick’s Super Radical Rib Rub is now our favorite dry rub of all paleo time! No joke. With the Mexican flavors this rub has, it only made sense to put it on my brisket for tacos. I think Nick would be proud. If for some reason you aren’t able to buy his rib rub (although I can’t think of any reason WHY), this is a good substitute dry rub for the brisket. I’ve tried it previously and it’s money. Oh and yes, we had corn tortillas. If you are strict paleo, omit the tortillas and serve with lettuce wraps. No biggie. You also have to use the avocado oil for the sauce. If you don’t a kitten will die somewhere. But seriously, the deliciousness comes from this Chosen Foods Avocado Oil (and you can sometimes find it at your local Costco!).

So, it’s almost summer, it’s hot out in sunny SD, you probably went to the beach today and likely had a beer. Chances are, if you had a beer, you’re gonna need some tacos to go with it.

Mexican Spice Rubbed Brisket Tacos

Serves 4-6

Clues

Meat

Rub both sides of the brisket with a few tbsp of dry rub, covering all of the meat. Place in the bottom of a crockpot with up to a cup of water.

Cook on low for 8 hours.

Remove brisket from water to shred with a fork.

Add 1-2 tbsp of dry rub and toss to coat meat.

Serve immediately.

Slaw

In a large bowl, dump cabbage and cilantro.

In a separate small bowl, whisk together the salt, pepper, lime juice, sour cream and vinegar. Add jalapeno and garlic. Coat cabbage with the dressing.

Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.

Dressing

Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender. Store up to 1 week (if it lasts that long). For more heat, you can choose to add more chipotle peppers.

Assemble brisket in corn tortillas and top with slaw mix and a drizzle of chipotle sauce.

Ingredients

Meat

2-3lbs Brisket

Paleo Nick's Super Radical Rib Rub (substitute mexican-style dry seasoning, see above for link for alternative)

½-1 cup water

lettuce for wrapping or corn tortillas for tacos if you aren't being strict paleo

Slaw

4 cups shredded cabbage--about ½ head cabbage or 1 package

1 head of fresh cilantro, chopped

1 fresh jalapeno, seeds removed and minced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp sea salt

pinch black pepper

1 lime, juiced

¼ cup mayo

¼ cup sour cream (you could also use ½ cup coconut cream to make this non-dairy)

2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

Chipotle Sauce

6 Tbsp red wine vinegar

¼ cup honey

¾ cup avocado oil (see link above for purchase)

½ teaspoon dried oregano

1-1/2 teaspoons salt

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

2 garlic cloves, minced