Smoky Pulled Pork Nachos with a Memphis Twist

Info

• Cook time: 55 minutes
• Total time: 4 hours 25 minutes
• Yield: 6 to 8

Ingredients

Barbecue Pork Sauce

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 medium red onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons salted butter
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 1/2 cups ketchup
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons hot sauce
• 2 tablespoons dry mustard
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1 pound Trisha's Pulled Pork (recipe below)

Cheese Sauce

• 1/2 cup heavy cream, plus extra if needed
• 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 12 slices white American cheese (about 6 ounces)

For the Nachos

• 1 romaine heart, shredded
• Half of a 13-ounce bag tortilla chips
• Half of an 8-ounce bag kettle-cooked potato chips
• One 8-ounce bag shredded Cheddar (2 cups)
• Chopped red onions, for garnish
• Sliced scallions, for garnish

Trisha's Pulled Pork

• 3 pounds boneless country-style pork spareribs
• Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 8 cloves garlic, crushed
• 3 carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks
• 1 large yellow onion, quartered
• One 6-ounce can tomato paste

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 450°F.
2. Make the barbecue pork sauce: In a medium saucepan, warm the oil over medium heat until it shimmers. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the butter and garlic and cook until the garlic is tender. Add the ketchup, molasses, vinegar, hot sauce, mustard, and brown sugar. Simmer until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is well combined, about 5 minutes. Carefully transfer to a blender and blend until smooth. Return the sauce to the pan, add the pulled pork, and keep warm over low heat.
3. Make the cheese sauce: In a small saucepan, heat the cream and white pepper over low heat until just steaming, about 3 minutes. Add the cheese gradually, stirring until fully melted. Keep warm, thinning with a splash more cream if the sauce thickens too much.
4. Assemble and bake the nachos: Spread the shredded romaine in a shallow casserole dish. Top with the tortilla and potato chips mixed together. Scatter the pork over the chips, then cover with the shredded Cheddar. Bake until the cheese melts, 8 to 10 minutes. Drizzle the cheese sauce over the top and garnish with the red onions and scallions.
5. For Trisha's Pulled Pork: Season the ribs generously on all sides with salt and pepper.
6. In a large Dutch oven, heat the oil over high heat until shimmering. Add the ribs and sear until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer the ribs to a plate. Add the garlic, carrots, and onion to the pot and cook until golden and caramelized, about 10 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes. Pour in 1 cup of water and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon. Add 2 more cups of water and stir to combine.
7. Return the ribs to the Dutch oven, cover, and reduce the heat to low. Cook until fork-tender, about 3 hours.
8. Transfer the ribs to a baking sheet to cool. Strain the cooking liquid and set aside. When cool enough to handle, shred the pork using two forks.