BBQ Pulled Pork Nachos with Pourable Cheddar Sauce

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A steakhouse-sized platter of BBQ nachos built the right way: sturdy restaurant-style chips warmed in the oven, saucy pulled pork or chopped brisket, warm pinto beans, then a silky cheddar sauce poured over at the last second. Nothing sits under wet toppings long enough to go soggy, and quick pickled jalapeños plus a drizzle of thin BBQ sauce cut the richness. Ideal for leftover smoked pork or brisket, but store-bought pulled pork works in a pinch.

Ingredients

• 3 jalapeños, sliced into thin rings
• 1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 clove garlic, smashed

• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk, warmed
• 1/4 cup lager or pilsner (optional, or use more milk)
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp dry mustard powder
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 8 oz sharp cheddar, grated from a block
• 2 oz American cheese or white American deli slices, torn
• 1 tsp hot sauce
• kosher salt, to taste

• 1 lb leftover pulled pork or chopped smoked brisket
• 1/2 cup BBQ sauce, plus more for drizzling
• 2 tbsp water or beer
• 1 can (15 oz) pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp chili powder

• 10 oz thick restaurant-style tortilla chips
• 4 oz Monterey Jack, grated
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 tbsp milk
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1/4 small red onion, finely diced
• 1/3 cup cilantro leaves, roughly chopped

Instructions

1. Make the pickles first so they have time to sit: pack the jalapeño rings into a heatproof jar or bowl with the smashed garlic. Bring the vinegar, water, sugar, and 1 1/2 tsp salt to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves, then pour it over the jalapeños. Let stand at room temperature at least 15 minutes (up to 2 weeks refrigerated).
2. Heat the oven to 400°F (205°C) and set a rack in the middle. Thin the sour cream with 2 tbsp milk in a small bowl and whisk until it's pourable enough to drizzle from a spoon; refrigerate until serving.
3. Warm the pork: combine the pulled pork or chopped brisket with 1/2 cup BBQ sauce and 2 tbsp water in a skillet over medium heat. Cook 5–7 minutes, tossing, until steaming hot and glossy but not swimming in liquid. Keep warm off heat.
4. Warm the beans in a small saucepan over medium heat with the cumin, chili powder, and a splash of water, 3–4 minutes, mashing about a quarter of them lightly with a fork so they cling to the chips. Season with salt.
5. Make the cheese sauce: melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, whisk in the flour, and cook 1 minute until it smells nutty. Whisk in the warm milk and beer a splash at a time so no lumps form, then simmer, whisking, 3–4 minutes until it thickly coats a spoon. Stir in the smoked paprika, mustard powder, and garlic powder.
6. Pull the pan off the heat and add the cheddar and American cheese in three additions, whisking until each is fully melted before adding the next — over direct heat the cheese will break and turn grainy. Stir in the hot sauce and season with salt. The sauce should pour in a thick ribbon; loosen with a tablespoon of warm milk if it stiffens. Cover and keep warm.
7. Spread the tortilla chips on a large rimmed sheet pan in two overlapping layers, scattering the Monterey Jack between and over the layers. Bake 5–6 minutes, just until the Jack is melted and the chips smell toasty and are hot to the touch.
8. Working fast, scatter the hot beans over the chips, then the BBQ pork in loose clumps, leaving plenty of bare chip showing. Return to the oven for 2 minutes to marry everything.
9. Pour the warm cheddar sauce over the platter in wide zigzags — this goes on last so the chips stay crisp. Drizzle with the thinned sour cream and a little extra BBQ sauce.
10. Finish with drained pickled jalapeños, red onion, scallions, and cilantro. Serve immediately, straight from the pan, with the remaining pickles alongside.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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