Memphis-Style Pulled Pork Nachos Recipe on Food52 (2024)

Fall

by: thirschfeld

July26,2014

4.8

4 Ratings

  • Serves 6 to 8

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Author Notes

A quest begun some 25-ish years ago and put before me by a friend ends here with the perfect American nacho, Memphis style. It's a little bit drunk, sometimes hungover, and stone cold sober good. —thirschfeld

  • Test Kitchen-Approved

What You'll Need

Ingredients
  • For the Memphis-style barbecue sauce:
  • 2 cupsketchup
  • 1/2 cupcider vinegar
  • 1/2 cupdark brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoonsWorcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoongarlic, grated with a microplane
  • 1 1/2 teaspoonsshallot, grated with a microplane
  • 1/4 teaspoonColman's mustard powder
  • 1 teaspoonhot sauce (I like Crystals brand)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoonsfresh ground black pepper
  • For the nachos:
  • 2 poundspulled pork, smoked or not, warm
  • 2 hearts of romaine, shaved
  • 1 bag of yellow corn chips
  • 1 cupheavy cream
  • 16 slices Kraft American singles
  • 1/2 cupred onion, small dice
  • 1/2 cupgreen onion, sliced into thin rings
  • 1 cupshredded mozzarella
Directions
  1. Combine all the ingredients for the sauce in a medium sized sauce pan and stir to combine. Place the pan over medium heat and bring the sauce to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and let it sit for half and hour. Remove the sauce from the heat until needed.
  2. Heat the oven to 500° F. Line an 18 x 13-inch half sheet tray with foil. Spread the shaved romaine lettuce across the bottom of the pan. Top with half the mozzarella and sprinkle with half the red onion. I know you think this step is crazy, but the wilted romaine that soaks up any and all juices will be your favorite part of the nachos. Trust me.
  3. Lay the bag of chips on its side and open it from the bottom. This keeps all the broken bits on the bottom, and the whole, good-looking chips stay on top. Place the bag onto the lettuce bottom side-down, and lift it slowly. Spread the chips out if needed.
  4. Place the cream in a small saucepan and bring it to a boil over medium heat. Add the slices of cheese, a slice or two at a time, only adding more when the first slices have melted. Be careful with the heat -- the sauce can scorch. When all the slices have melted, turn the heat down to a simmer.
  5. Dress the pork with a couple of tablespoons of sauce just to dampen it. Don't bathe the pork in the sauce. Spread the pork out across the top of the chips, then sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella.
  6. Place the nachos into the oven and bake 10 minutes or until the chips on top begin to brown. Remove the tray from the oven.
  7. Using a large spoon, drizzle the warm barbecue sauce across the chips to taste. It doesn't require as much sauce as you might think, plus the pork is already coated too, and you can always serve more sauce on the side.
  8. Spoon the cheese sauce across the top, then top with the green onion and the remaining red onion. Serve.

Tags:

  • Condiment/Spread
  • Cheese
  • Pork
  • Green Onion/Scallion
  • Milk/Cream
  • Mozzarella
  • Spring
  • Summer
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Gluten-Free
  • Appetizer

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5 Reviews

WellFedWit July 4, 2021

Well hell’s bells these are some mighty fine nachos. Followed to a tee. Don’t skimp on the cheese and bbq sauces! It’s a great combo. Lettuce is amazing!

Megan January 19, 2019

Ok.. this is hands down the best use I have tried for leftover pulled pork.. Even if you don't make the nachos, this sauce is perfect with a smoked pork shoulder. But you really should make the nachos! So freakin good!

Nicole L. November 7, 2015

I love the cheese sauce, the bbq sauce and I loved how the shaved romaine at the bottom helps keep the nachos crisp, and the flavor! So yummo. This will be my go to nacho recipe from now on! Only regret was I didn't make this on a Sunday for football and beer

Lauren September 19, 2014

Central BBQ in Memphis is famous for their barbecue nachos and they definitely put jalapeños on them.

April J. September 8, 2014

I made this a few weeks ago as I had some pulled pork on hand and didn't have the time to make slider buns as I had planned. I did use melted jalapeno Velveeta instead of the American cheese/cream mixture. It was a big hit at the fishing lodge happy hour :)

Memphis-Style Pulled Pork Nachos Recipe on Food52 (2024)

FAQs

How to make nachos Martha Stewart? ›

directions
  1. Preheat oven to 400°.
  2. Top each chip with about 1 teaspoon beans and 1 1/2 teaspoons cheese; evenly divide chiles and olives among chips.
  3. Transfer to an ovenproof serving platter, forming layers; add chili sauce.
  4. Bake until heated through and cheese melts, 3 to 5 minutes.

How do you reheat pulled pork nachos? ›

You can double the recipe to fit a larger half sheet pan. When you are making leftover pulled pork nachos in a baking sheet, the best way to melt the cheese is in the oven. I bake at 350ºF/177ºC for about 10-20 minutes, until all the layers of the cheese is melty and gooey. You can also make nachos in the microwave.

What is the best melting cheese for nachos? ›

Sharp cheddar gets my vote for nacho cheese. It melts smoothly without being stringy, while having a nice flavorful punch. You can use mild or medium cheddar if you prefer, but the flavor will be a bit blander. Monterey jack and pepper jack also melt really well into sauces and make a great white nacho cheese sauce.

What is the secret to making good nachos? ›

How to Make Nachos
  1. Keep it neat. Line your sheet pan with aluminum foil for super-easy clean-up. ...
  2. Layer up the pan with your chips, cheese, and toppings. ...
  3. Bake in a hot oven preheated to 400 degrees. ...
  4. Let your nachos cool for just a minute, then slap on your cold toppings and enjoy!
Sep 15, 2020

What is the best liquid for reheating pulled pork? ›

Reheating your pulled pork in the oven is easy, simple, and probably the best way to reheat a lot of pre-shredded meat. Place your whole butt or shredded pork in an ovenproof dish and add in a little liquid to replace some of the lost moisture. This can be apple juice, cider vinegar, broth, or a thick BBQ sauce.

What liquid to use to reheat pulled pork? ›

To reheat pulled pork in the oven, preheat the oven to 225 degrees Fahrenheit. Spread your leftover pork into the bottom of a glass or ceramic baking dish, add a splash of leftover barbecue sauce, broth, apple juice, or other flavorful liquid, then cover the pan tightly with a layer of tinfoil.

How do you reheat pulled pork and make it juicy? ›

How to Reheat the Next Day
  1. Place the meat into a foil pan or a cast iron skillet. ...
  2. Smoker: Uncovered at 225-275 for 30-60 minutes or until butter is melted and meat is hot all the way through.
  3. Pellet smoker: Uncovered at 160-180 for 60-90 minutes or until butter is melted and meat is hot all the way through.

What is the secret to crispy nachos? ›

Limiting the number of ingredients baked with the chips is the key to crispiness. Top chips with no more than two or three toppings. Choose from items such as black beans, refried beans, chopped grilled chicken, seasoned ground beef (browned and drained), or chopped jalapenos.

What is the best order of layers for nachos? ›

A great way to serve nachos to a larger party is to layer them, baking in between each layer. Start with a base of tortilla chips, cheese, salsa, jalapeño, and any warm fillings like meats and veggies. Once the cheese melts, remove from the oven, add another layer, and repeat.

How do you layer nachos so they don't get soggy? ›

* Bring refrigerated toppings to room temperature before piling them onto the warm chips. * To prevent the chips from getting soggy, sprinkle grated or crumbled cheese on top and bake them in the oven for a few minutes. When melted, the cheese will act as a buffer between the chips and toppings.

What are the layers for nachos? ›

Arrange half of tortilla chips onto prepared baking sheet in single layer, overlapping chips slightly. Top with half each of meat mixture, corn and black beans. Top with 2 cups cheese. Repeat Step 3 to create second layer with remaining beef, corn, beans and cheese.

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