Cube the cold, leftover smoked brisket into about half inch-3/4 inch cubes. It’s much easier to slice cold, so do this straight out the fridge.
Start with about a tablespoon of butter in a large pot. Melt the butter on high, then toss in the diced onion and cook until translucent and starting to caramelize. I add in some leftover fat/oil from the brisket, too. It’s usually the fat that I cut off when I’m chopping it into cubes. Some fat I leave on, but the larger areas I remove so people don’t have to eat those.
Toss in the garlic and let that simmer for a minute or two. Add salt and pepper at this point. I use about a tablespoon of salt and a teaspoon of pepper. The brisket also has salt and pepper on it, so it adds to the flavor.
Now add the cubed brisket and mix. Let that heat for a minute or two, mixing around occasionally. Some of the brisket will fall apart, and that’s ok.
Once the meat looks like it’s heated and shiny, add all of the canned ingredients (with juices, so don’t drain them), the seasonings (paprika, cumin, oregano, and chili powder), and the broth. Mix well and bring to simmer. Add as little or much broth as you’d like. Sometimes I don’t add any, sometimes I add some to make to more soupy.
Notes
The amount of green chiles and beans is just your preference. You can add the low end or the high end and it will be fine either way. I let how many people I’m feeding determine how much I add. Add more chipotles in adobo if you want more heat and more chili powder. Use “hot” cans of green chiles and “original” or “hot” rotel if you want it spicer. Alternatively, use mild of everything if you want to keep the spice level down.
Ingredients
1 large onion - diced
2-3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce - chopped to about 4-5 tablespoons more will increase the heat, so just use however much you want
butter
Sea Salt - course or fresh cracked
Fresh cracked Pepper
1-2 lbs leftover smoked brisket
2 cans fire roasted tomatoes
1 can rotel, regular
2-4 cans diced green chiles
4-6 cans pinto beans
2-3 cans light red kidney beans
1/2 boxes vegetable broth (not always needed)
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons corn meal
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
6 cloves garlic, minced