adapted from Smitten Kitchen

3 pounds beef brisket

Salt

Pepper

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

5 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1 onion, cut in half, sliced thin

2 tablespoons chili powder

2 tablespoons ground coriander

2 tablespoons ground cumin

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1 1/2 cups beef broth

1 14oz can fire roasted crushed tomatoes

1/2 cup ketchup

3 chipotles in adobo, minced

2 bay leaves

1/4 cup molasses

Preheat oven to 325. Heat the vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven pot over medium high heat. Make sure your pot is oven proof. Season the brisket liberally with salt and pepper. Brown the brisket on both sides. This should take about 10 minutes. Transfer the beef to a plate. Leave the skillet on the heat.

Add the garlic, onion, chili powder, coriander and cumin to the pan. The pan should have some drippings from the meat to help the vegetables saute. Stir until the vegetables are fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the vinegar and bring the pot to a boil. (Keep your face away from the pan as you add the vinegar - it gives you quite a facial). Scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon as the vinegar comes to a boil. The brown bits at the bottom of the pan will come up - which adds flavor to the pot. Add the beef broth, crushed tomatoes, ketchup, chipotles, bay leaves and molasses.

Add the beef back to the Dutch oven pot. Shimmy (yes shimmy) the beef down to the bottom of the pot so that the vegetables and broth are covering it. Place the pot into the oven. Cook for 3 1/2 - 4 hours, basting the beef with the broth every half hour or so. Your house should smell divine by this point.

Optional: once beef has cooked, take the beef and place it on a plate. Place a strainer over a large mixing bowl. Pour the broth and vegetables through the strainer so that the broth flows into the mixing bowl. Chill the broth in the refrigerator - the fat will separate to the top. Scrape the fat into the garbage can.

Simmer the sauce on the stove until it thickens a bit. Add the vegetables back to the pot. With two forks, shred the brisket into small pieces. Pour the sauce over top to moisten the beef and the vegetables. Can be reheated or kept warm in the crock pot. Serve as tacos or sandwiches.