SMOKED BRISKET TAQUITOS WITH FRESH GUACAMOLE AND SPICY CHEESE SAUCE

You've never had taquitos until you've tried smoked brisket with melted cheddar cheese inside them and topped with fresh homemade guacamole.

INGREDIENTS:

3 cups smoked, shredded brisket
10 corn or flour tortillas
Vegetable oil - for frying
2 cups grated cheddar cheese

Brisket
2 lbs brisket
8 oz beef broth
4 oz orange juice
Kosher salt & cracked pepper

Guacamole 
2 avocados
⅓ cup cilantro - chopped
½ red onion fine chopped
2 tbsp lime juice
Kosher salt & cracked pepper to taste
½ cup cherry tomatoes diced

Spicy Cheddar Cheese Sauce
1 cup low fat milk divided
4 tsp all purpose flour
¼ tsp salt
1 ½ oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
½ jalapeño - finely diced

Tools 
Smoker 
Foil 
Instant read thermometer
Large skillet
Large bowl 
Saucepan 

DIRECTIONS:

1. For the brisket, combine the beef broth, and orange juice.
2. Season the brisket generously with salt and pepper or your favorite rub.
3. Inject the brisket with about half of the reduction and refrigerate overnight.
4. Smoke the brisket for 8-10 hours at 225°F.
5. Remove from the smoker, double wrap with foil.
6. Smoke for another 4-5 hours, until the brisket reaches an internal temperature of 205°F.
7. Remove from the smoker, shred the meat, and set aside.
8. Prepare the Taquitos
9. To prepare the taquitos, place your tortillas on a plate and cover with a clean dish towel. Place in microwave and heat for one and a half to two minutes until all tortillas are steaming hot.
10. Carefully remove a tortilla from the covered plate. Lay the tortilla flat. Place 2 tablespoons grated cheese and 2 tablespoons meat down the center of the tortilla.
11. Grab the outside edge of one side of the tortilla and cover the meat and cheese. Gently pull back to tighten your roll. Continue rolling until you reach the outer opposite edge. Using a toothpick, lace it down and back up through the tortilla, like you would a needle in fabric, to hold the edge down and keep the taquito rolled. Continue filling and tacking down until you have filled all the tortillas.
12. In a medium skillet pour a half inch of vegetable oil. Heat over medium heat, on back burner, until hot enough to fry a tortilla crunchy.
13. Lay the taquitos toothpick side down first. Fry until golden brown. Using tongs or two fork carefully turn the taquitos over and fry until the other side is golden brown. 2-3 minutes per side.
14. Remove from oil and place on a paper towel lined plate to drain off any excess oil.
15. Serve with more grated cheese, sour cream, guacamole, and salsa.
16. To make the guacamole, in a medium bowl add the peeled and pitted avocado, red onion, cilantro, lime juice, salt and pepper. Mix using a fork until it's smooth and mixed thoroughly. Add the diced cherry tomatoes at the end and gently fold together.
17. For the spicy cheddar cheese sauce, combine 1/4 cup milk and flour in a saucepan; stir with a whisk. Stir in remaining 3/4 cup milk and salt; bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to low; simmer 2 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in cheese and pepper, stirring until cheese melts. Add the jalapeños in and stir.

Tip: Remove from heat, then stir in the cheese to ensure that the sauce doesn't curdle. The flour helps stabilize the dairy mixture, but if it's boiled after the cheese is added, the sauce will separate or curdle.