After making pulled pork recently, I felt inspired to create a similar recipe using brisket. I love the combination of roasted coffee notes with beef, and I managed to get my hands on some smoked salt which, in addition to the smoked paprika, added great smoky notes. The inclusion of lemon zest is crucial to brightening the flavors (as the intense flavors of the coffee and smoked spices can feel a bit muddied without it). The rub I used here is very simple, but you could experiment with adding more spices; I think I might include cumin and oregano next time or use my chili powder instead of ancho chile powder. I served this pulled brisket with a quick oil and vinegar slaw (too simple for a recipe – just combine 1/2 head shredded cabbage with red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper).