My favorite meal since Christmas.

A good meal can put me in a state that I can only describe as pure bliss. As you might have surmised, I think about food an inordinate (freakish?) amount of the time - what I'm going to eat next, how soon is lunch, what I can make with the asparagus in my fridge. And certain foods can always make me happy, no matter how mediocre: pizza, cheese, most Mexican food.

The real quest in all of this is not adding a little excitement to my daily grind (yay - thai for lunch!), although that can be nice. What I'm often trying to create or re-create or find is that one meal. That meal where the flavors blend so perfectly, where the texture makes me what to die, the one where even I cannot find a flaw. I can still tell you what my husband and I ate for dinner at Gary Danko's nine years ago (Cornish game hen) and where I've eaten the best pork chop of my life (Nopa). This is all to say that when I find that meal, I cannot help but savor the memory.

This past Christmas dinner was one of those meals - succulent prime rib, spicy cauliflower and the most decadent scalloped potatoes you can imagine. Since then, I've had some delicious food (we had a truly delightful bone marrow appetizer at Michel in Oakland), but these tacos have emerged as my next Best Meal, to no one's greater surprise than my own. I hope you enjoy them as much as I have.

Beef brisket tacos with simple lime slaw

Serves 4

1-2 avocados, sliced

10-12 thick, small corn tortillas

Simple lime slaw (see below)

Southwestern pulled brisket (see below)

I try not to post recipes from other blogs if I have added very little in the way of modifications, so for the taco filling I will send you over to Smitten Kitchen's Southwestern pulled brisket. I have made this recipe several times now and I only have a few comments (I swear):

1. You don't need to cook a whole 3 lbs of brisket. Use whatever amount you want, but keep the rest of the ingredients the same for simplicity sake. You'll just have more leftover liquid to simmer down in the end and this is a good thing. I generously estimate about 1/2 lb brisket per person and usually use about 2 lbs.

2. Please take the time to find the canned chipotle chiles in adobo. I have made this recipe with and without, and I would say don't bother making it if you don't have the right chiles. I used two chiles and found the heat was still pretty mild, so if you like spice, consider adding three or four.

3. You MUST strain the sauce like Deb suggests and remove the overcooked vegetables. Simmer it down to about 1/2 and then add back the pulled brisket. No need to skim the small amount of fat.

Simple lime slaw

I make this slaw to go with everything and vary it depending on what I'm serving. I'll use apple cider vinegar in place of the lime juice, leave out the cilantro, and increase the mayo, oregano, and cayenne pepper for a spicy slaw to go with hamburgers. This version has a lot of lime, which is perfect for topping tacos, but can be served on the side as well if desired. Feel free to omit or increase the cayenne pepper depending on your preference for heat.

1/2 head cabbage, rinsed and thinly shredded (or 1 Trader Joe's bag of shredded cabbage)

2 carrots peeled and coarsely grated

6 green onions, chopped
handful cilantro, chopped (optional)

Dressing

juice of 1 lime

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/2 tsp oregano

1 large pinch cayenne pepper (optional)

salt and pepper

Whisk together dressing ingredients in medium bowl. Taste for salt and pepper.

In large salad bowl, combine cabbage, carrots, green onions and cilantro, if using. Toss with dressing about twenty minutes before serving and taste for salt and pepper.