Brisket, a naturally tough cut, becomes meltingly tender braised in beer and chiles. Try this with corn tortillas or as a filling for enchiladas or tamales. Or serve simply with rice and a green salad.

Makes 8 servings, about 3/4 cup each

ACTIVE TIME: 30 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 3 1/2 hours

EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy

6 dried New Mexico, Anaheim or ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes, preferably fire-roasted
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup Mexican lager, such as Corona or Dos Equis
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 pounds trimmed flat, first-cut brisket (see Shopping Tip)
1 15-ounce can pinto beans, rinsed

1. Tear chiles into 1-inch pieces and place in a large bowl. Cover with hot water and let sit until softened, at least 20 minutes. Drain.
2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Place tomatoes and their juices, onion, garlic, chili powder, cumin, salt and the drained chile pieces in a food processor. Process until smooth. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in beer.
3. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add brisket and brown on all sides, about 6 minutes total. Pour the chile sauce over the meat and bring to a simmer.
4. Cover, transfer to the oven and bake for 2 hours. Stir in beans and continue baking until the meat is fall-apart tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour more.
5. Transfer the meat to a cutting board and pull apart into long shreds using two forks. Stir the shredded meat back into the sauce.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 285 calories; 9 g fat (2 g sat, 3 g mono); 54 mg cholesterol; 18 g carbohydrate; 31 g protein; 6 g fiber; 492 mg sodium; 678 mg potassium.
Nutrition bonus: Vitamin A (60% daily value), Zinc (47% dv), Iron (26% dv), Potassium (19% dv).
1 Carbohydrate Serving
Exchanges: 1/2 starch, 1 vegetable, 4 lean meat

TIP: Shopping Tip: “Flat, first-cut brisket” is a far better choice for healthy eating than the fattier point cut. If the briskets at your store aren’t labeled as such, ask the butcher to help you select the right cut. You’ll need 2 pounds of brisket after it’s been trimmed of fat.

MAKE AHEAD TIP: Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

I made this dish with high hopes but was sorely disappointed. The flavors, in spite of the long cooking time, are not smooth and mellow. The overall taste of a bit off. I would be interested to read others' comments.

Murielle, San Jose, CA

This is one of my all-time EatingWell favorites!

Anonymous

My entire family loved this! Reminds me of New Mexico border food. Served it in a flour tortilla with a dollop of sour cream and shredded cabbage- fabulous!

John Douglas, Denver, CO

Very disappointed with this recipe. The dried Ancho Chiles made for a bitter aftertaste that was very difficult to offset. The Meat was tender and quite edible once divorced from the sauce.

ceynon, Woodland, CA