This past weekend I smoked The BEST Wagyu Brisket. Seasoned simply with salt and pepper, this brisket hit all the right marks: it had the bark, the bend, and the bite. With such an amazing piece of meat and a great group of friends, I was surprised (and lucky enough) to get a few slices leftover.

Trust me when I say you do not want any of this Wagyu Brisket going to waste! Now leftover brisket is perfect for BBQ sandwiches or loaded in a fluffy, buttery potato, but this wasn’t just any brisket, and this isn’t just any Texas BBQ. Here in south Texas, the Gulf Coast is home to some of the best Mexican food you’ll ever have. So, what better way to use this leftover brisket than inside some cheesy enchiladas! These brisket enchiladas are so easy to make, and absolutely delicious.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 1 lb chopped or shredded brisket
• 8 flour tortillas (small)
• 12 oz shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 4 oz shredded cheddar cheese
• 19 oz can red enchilada sauce
• 4 oz can diced green chiles
• 9x13” baking dish

The Brisket:

Make sure to reheat your leftover brisket in the microwave or on the stove top before you begin. Now is also a good time to heat up the enchilada sauce on medium-low heat. You can shred or chop up your brisket depending on what you like.

For this recipe, I did a rough chop to maintain the integrity of such a beautifully cooked brisket. You’ll find that as you mix in the green chiles and sauce, the tender brisket will start to break apart on its own anyway, so a rough chop in the beginning will help to keep that original texture of the brisket. In a bowl, add the brisket, one 4 oz can of diced green chiles, and ¼ cup of the enchilada sauce and mix just to combine.

The Cheese:

For this recipe, we use a combination of Monterey Jack cheese and cheddar cheese. Monterey Jack cheese is a soft cheese that melts very easily, so it was the perfect choice to put on the inside of these enchiladas to give it that ooey gooey quality you want in an enchilada. Pepper Jack would also be a great choice if you want something with a little extra spice.

To top the enchiladas, I went with a combination of Monterey Jack and cheddar cheese. You could just use Monterey Jack, but I like the flavor and color the cheddar adds. I shredded the cheese myself as I find it melts much better that way, but you could always use pre-shredded bags of cheese. Most stores offer bags of pre-shredded Mexican blend cheese that would be perfectly fine in this recipe if you’re looking to only purchase one type of cheese.

The Tortillas:

Enchiladas are traditionally made with corn tortillas, but for this recipe I used flour because it goes well with the brisket. If you’re feeling up to it, you can use homemade flour tortillas like I did in this recipe, but the store bought are just as good and will save you quite a lot of time! Just make sure to use the small flour tortillas whether you're buying or making them.

The Process:

Remove the enchilada sauce from the heat. Set aside 8 oz of the shredded Monterey Jack cheese to use inside the enchiladas. Combine the remaining 4 oz of Monterey Jack cheese with the 4 oz of shredded cheddar cheese. Once you have all the components ready, you can begin rolling.

Ladle a little bit of sauce onto the bottom of the pan to keep the enchiladas from sticking.

On a plate or cutting board, you can begin stuffing and rolling these delicious enchiladas. Start by dipping one side of the tortilla into the sauce, and place it sauce side up onto your plate. Fill it with a couple spoon fulls of the brisket mixture (approximately 1/4 cup per enchilada). Sprinkle some of the Monterey Jack cheese on top and roll it up. Place the enchilada seem side down in the baking dish.

Repeat this process until all the enchiladas are rolled and placed seem side down in the pan. Pour the remaining enchilada sauce evenly over the top of the enchiladas. Sprinkle the Monterrey jack and cheddar cheese mixture on top of the enchiladas.

Bake the enchiladas at 350°F for 30 minutes or until the cheese has completely melted. I know, 30 minutes will seem like a lifetime waiting for these cheesy brisket enchiladas to finish, so we wont judge if you start cranking up the heat to get them out faster, but trust me, these are worth the wait!

Once these brisket enchiladas are done, you’ll want to scoop them onto your plate while they’re hot and cheesy. Top them with a dollop of sour cream or maybe with a side of rice and beans. Either way, they will be some of the best enchiladas you’ve ever tasted, and that brisket will be just as good as the day it was pulled off the pit.