This salsa verde is one of my most requested recipes. By grilling all the ingredients you add another depth of flavor. If you don’t have a grill, you can roast them under a broiler. If you don’t like beef, you can use about any meat you like. I will use rotisserie chicken or even a shrimp and crab mixture.

I use a pressure cooker to break the meat down, but you can always slow down and use a crock pot. Give this dish a try with Cahaba Brewing Companies American Blonde Ale.

Shredded Brisket

• 1 3lb brisket
• 1 onion, quartered
• 2 cups low sodium beef stock
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 tablespoon whole cumin seed, toasted and ground
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

1. Heat Grill to high. While grill heats, rub brisket with oil, salt and pepper. Grill brisket for 2 min on each side. You are just cooking it long enough to get some grill marks.
2. While meat is grilling, heat olive oil over med-high heat in pressure cooker. Add onion and brown. Once the onion is browned, deglaze with a splash or two of beef stock. Add beef and spices to the pressure cooker. Add enough stock to cover half the beef (being careful not to overfill). If you are not comfortable in using your pressure cooker, just throw it in a crockpot and cook till tender.
3. Cook beef for 1 hour, or until tender. Release steam per your cookers instruction. Reserve beef stock for use in enchiladas.
4. While beef is cooking, make the salsa verde.

Fire Roasted Salsa Verde

• 3 lbs tomatillos, husked and halved
• 2 yellow onions, quartered
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 jalapeños, halved and seeded
• 2 pablano peppers, halved and seeded
• 1 habanero pepper, halved and seeded (optional)
• 2 limes, juiced
• ½ cup cilantro leafs, chopped
• 1 tablespoon whole cumin seed, toasted and ground
• Salt to taste

1. Heat grill to med-high while you are chopping everything.
2. Toss veggies and peppers in olive oil, cumin seed and salt. Add veggies and peppers to grill (if your grill openings are too large, you may need a veggie basket). Grill for 4 – 5 min. You want the tomatillos to break down and get a little char on them.
3. Remove from heat and place in food processor. Turn on and start processing. Add cumin, salt, lime juice and cilantro a little at a time. Taste as you go.

Enchiladas

• 2-3 lbs Shredded Brisket
• 1 batch of Fire Roasted Salsa Verde
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, diced
• 1 teaspoon whole cumin seed, toasted and ground
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Reserved beef stock from shredded brisket
• 1 lb Mexican blend cheese
• Package of burrito size flour tortillas
• 2 tablespoons olive oil.

1. Heat olive oil over med high. Add onion and cook till soft. Season with salt, pepper and a little cumin. Add galic and cook one more min. Add flour and toast, but don’t burn. Start adding beef stock to create a gravy (veloute), reduce heat and stir till thick. Add 1.5 cup of salsa and meat. Stir till combined.
2. In a casserole dish, add a few spoons of salsa and stir to coat. Lay tortilla in dish. Place a spoonful of meat in the middle. Top with cheese and salsa and roll up. Place in end of dish. Repeat, adding more salsa to the bottom as needed. Once the dish is full, top with more salsa and cheese. Bake at 350 for 20 min.