Summer special: Brisket tacos with carrot slaw

When I was growing up, I knew brisket as an island of meat in a sea of sweet brownish-red sauce with carrot-plank buoys. Every holiday, this was plunked in the center of the table alongside a loaf of bread. It was... fine, but nothing to write home about.

Whoever hosted the meal would lament about how the meat had been in the oven for hours as they sawed through the roast. I couldn't help but think "all that time for this?"

As I sliced through the brisket, I imagined all the ways it could be improved upon: more salt, always, maybe a bit of heat to break up all this fat, and some acid, too, to...