RECIPE Chipotles spice up braised brisket

The brisket should be made ahead of time and refrigerated for easy fat removal.
KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
Brisket is an all-purpose cut of meat. It's good enough for company, but it's a comfort meal for family, too.
The only special consideration that brisket requires is long, slow cooking to tenderize it.
This recipe benefits from the heat of canned chipotles in adobo sauce. Adjust the amount to suit your family's taste. The meat stands alone, or wrap it in tortillas for fajitas. Chop it up, and you've got a great barbecue sandwich.
Because it's easy, you'll reach for the recipe time and again, especially with the upcoming holidays. Make it ahead of time so the fat can solidify for easy removal.
The corn salad can also be prepared in advance; it's a great side dish for busy weeknights or easy entertaining. Pick up a cobbler or ice cream on the way home, add some warmed tortillas, some lime wedges for squeezing, a bit of avocado, and dinner's ready.
MENU
Braised Brisket in Chipotle Onion Sauce (recipe below)
Corn and Tomato Salad With Lemon Thyme and Roasted Poblano Chile (recipe below)
Tortillas
Lime wedges
Avocado slices
Light red wine
Mexican beer
Iced tea
Cobbler
Ice cream
BRAISED BRISKET IN CHIPOTLE ONION SAUCE
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
21/2 cups sliced onions, about 2 medium
1 (4- to 5-pound) beef brisket, surface fat trimmed
1 cup chili sauce
2 large canned chipotles in adobo sauce
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Set aside shallow roasting pan just large enough to hold meat or use heavy-duty foil to make close baking space for meat and set in larger pan.
Combine garlic with brown sugar, cumin and salt. Rub mixture over surface of meat.
Spread half of sliced onions in pan or on foil. Place meat on top. Scatter remaining onions over meat.
Pur & eacute;e chili sauce with chipotles; spoon over meat and onions. Pour 1/4 cup water around meat (not on it). Cover tightly with foil.
Bake 3 hours. Remove top piece of foil; continue baking until meat is tender, 1 to 2 hours longer. Cool, then cover and refrigerate up to 3 days.
To reheat, remove fat from meat and onions. Reserve small cluster of onions for garnish. Transfer remaining onions and pan juices to processor or blender. Pur & eacute;e until smooth. Use sharp knife, preferably electric, to slice meat across grain into thin slices. Arrange slices in shallow casserole. Nap with some sauce; arrange reserved onions on top. Reheat, covered, in 350-degree oven, for 35 minutes. Reheat remaining sauce separately.
Serve hot, drizzling with more sauce and passing the rest. Makes 8 to 10 servings.
Note: This recipe varies too much for meaningful nutritional analysis.
CORN AND TOMATO SALAD WITH LEMON THYME AND ROASTED POBLANO CHILE
1 poblano chile, roasted and peeled (recipe follows)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium zucchini, finely chopped
4 cups fresh corn (cut from about 6 or 7 ears) or frozen, thawed
Salt and pepper to taste
2 scallions, thinly sliced
5 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons small fresh lemon thyme sprigs (or substitute thyme)
3/4 pound vine-ripened cherry tomatoes (about 1 pint), halved
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
Finely chop the roasted, peeled poblano. In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Saut & eacute; zucchini and corn with salt and pepper to taste, stirring, until corn is golden brown, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to moderate and stir in poblano, scallions, garlic and thyme. Cook mixture, stirring, 1 minute. Transfer vegetables to a bowl and immediately add tomatoes and cilantro, tossing well. Cool corn salad.
Corn salad may be made one day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring salad to room temperature before serving. Makes 4 to 6 servings.
ROASTED POBLANO PEPPER
Preheat broiler. Put pepper on rack of a broiler pan and broil about 2 inches from heat, turning frequently, until skin is blistered and charred, about 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer pepper to a bowl and let stand, covered, until cool enough to handle. Cut off tops, remove blackened skin and discard seeds and ribs.
Per serving: Cal 161 (28 percent fat) Fat 6 g (trace sat) Fiber 4 g No chol Sodium 205 mg Carb 28 g Calcium 27 mg
Source: Epicurious/Gourmet