BBQ Brisket Nachos with a side of Bloody Mary's
This week I'm bringing you delicious bar food to your home!
brisket + dry rub + smoker
You'll need around 5 pounds of brisket (you'll have lots leftover, but trust me...you'll want them!
dry rub ingredients:
- 2 tbsp kosher salt
- 2 tbsp garlic powder,
- 2 tbsp onion powder
- 3 tbsp coconut sugar (can also use brown sugar)
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tbsp ground black pepper
mop sauce ingredients:
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar (ACV)
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
- 1/4 cup light beer
- 2 tbsp smoked paprika
- Fill the hopper of your smoker with your favorite wood pellets, then reheat your smoker to 225 degrees.
- In a bowl, combine the dry rub ingredients & mix thoroughly.
- In a separate bowl combine the mop sauce ingredients. Whisk it all up & set it to the side.
- Unwrap your brisket from the packaging & pat all sides dry with a paper towel. Don't worry about trimming the fat cap, you'll want to keep it on while the brisket is smoking so it stays nice & juicy!
- Rub the spice mix all over until everything is evenly coated.
- Place the brisket in the smoker with the fat side up & let it smoke for 6 hours. Every hour you'll want to brush the mop sauce mixture onto the brisket.
- After, 6 hours, turn the heat up to 275, flip the brisket so the fat side is down, brush on your mop sauce, & smoke for 1 more hour.
- Remove if from the smoker & let it rest on a chopping board fat side up for at least 10 minutes before carving.
- Using a knife, run the blade along the meat & the fat to remove the fat cap. I prefer not to eat this part & just toss it.
- Cut the brisket into 1/4 inch slices. Then cut the brisket into strips until you have about 1 cup of brisket strips.
crunchy, crispy, kettle chips
- 3 large russet potatoes, washed & dried
- 3-4 cups peanut oil (vegetable or canola oil works too!)
- 1/4 tbsp Old Bay or cajun seasoning
- Using a mandoline (this one works great & I've had it for over 7 years), run the potatoes across the blade to make chip slices.
- Fill a large bowl with ice & cold water. Add the potato slices & let it soak for 1 hour. This removes the extra starch so when you fry it up, it's extra crispy!
- Dry the potatoes very thoroughly! Water & hot oil do not mix well.
- Add the peanut oil to a dutch oven & heat until the oil is at least 300 degrees.
- Working slowly, & in batches, add a handful of the dried potatoes to the oil using a mesh or wire basket/strainer.
- Turn the chips often & cook until they are a golden brown.
- Removed the chips from the heat & place on a baking sheet lined with paper towels.
pico de gallo / fresh salsa
- 2 roma tomatoes, diced, or 1 1/2 cups grape tomatoes, quartered
- 1 large jalapeno, finely diced (remove all the seeds if you don't want it spicy, or leave some of them in for some heat)
- 1/4 red onion, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped
- 2 limes, juiced
- 1/4 tsp cumin
- 1 small pinch of salt
combine all the ingredients in a bowl, toss to coat, cover & set it in the fridge while the brisket cooks.
creamy, cheesy goodness
- 16 oz of Velveeta sharp cheddar
- 1/3 cup 2% milk
- 1/4 tsp cumin
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
In a nonstick saucepan, melt the cheddar with the milk. Once everything is melted, add the cumin and cayenne, & mix with a spatula until it's well incorporated.
assembly time!
- kettle chips
- brisket strips
- cheese sauce
- Traeger Sweet & Heat BBQ sauce (or use your favorite BBQ sauce)
- pico de gallo
- pickled jalapeno slices
- 2 scallions, finely chopped
I don't know if it's just me, but it's a total pet peeve when all the chips are at the bottom & the toppings aren't layered in.. So here's how I put the nachos together.
On a large platter, add a layer of chips (about 2-3 chips thick), then top with the cheese sauce, brisket, pico, BBQ sauce, and scallions.
Repeat this process until you use up all the chips!
Serve it up with a delicious Bloody Mary. Recipe below :)
the best bloody mary you'll ever drink
this makes a carafe that serves 6-8, maybe more depending on how much vodka you use ;)
- 4 cups low sodium tomato juice
- 4 tbsp prepared horseradish
- 4 tbsp clam juice
- 3 tbsp worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp Old Bay seasoning
- 1/2 tbsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp olive juice/brine
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 1/2-2 tbsp Cholula's hot sauce
- 2 tbsp finely chopped dill
- Tito's vodka
Combine all the ingredients in a carafe & shake it up. Chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes for the flavors to meld together.
Fill a drinking glass with a few ice cubes, start with 2 shots of Tito's vodka, & top with the Bloody Mary mix until the glass is 3/4 full. Garnish with lemon & lime wedges, skewered olives, a celery stalk, & crispy bacon. Stir & enjoy! Add more Tito's or mixer until you get it to how you like it.
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