In need of some perfect game day food?!

If so, we’ve got *just* the last minute, recipe for you!

Best part of all?  This week’s blog was written by our New York Chef, Matt Larkin, and the recipe comes straight from his kitchen.  

(not all nachos need the cheese... read on!)

Get Up, It’s Gameday.

Alabama White Sauce Nachos are landing in your kitchen.

For four years, all of my Saturdays from September through December would begin the same way. The first person awake in our apartment would kick off the festivities by blasting Lynyrd Skynyrd and Creedence Clearwater Revival at full volume to shake the rest of us out of our hungover (or possibly still drunken) slumbers. This was the signal that it was time for a shower, breakfast, and a beer in quick succession, or occasionally, all at the same time.

College football tailgating is serious business at the University of Alabama.

The ceremonies commence Friday night at 5pm when fans are permitted to stake claims on the Quad with canopy tents, folding tables and chairs, coolers, smokers, and charcoal grills. For the next 36 hours, what is typically a quiet college town becomes a full on carnival.

So many of my fondest memories as an undergraduate student at Bama took place on those weekends. 

Last weekend, my college roommates came to visit me in Harlem and we wanted to recreate some of that old magic as we watched the Tide face off against the University of Georgia in the Southeastern Conference championship game. Ask anyone who has spent time in Tuscaloosa what Gameday means to them and answers will vary.

But nothing tastes more like tailgating to me than the BBQ Nachos from Big Bad Wolves on the patio at The Houndstooth.

There are three main components to this dish: chips, meat, and sauce.

I am partial to Santitas yellow corn tortilla chips, but any chip strong enough to hold up under the heavy toppings will work. The meat is typically pulled pork; however, for the second year in a row, Big Bad Wolves won’t be setting up shop on the Strip, citing a prohibitive increase in the cost of key ingredients. In the spirit of supporting small businesses, I elected to swap pork shoulder for beef shank from Samascott Orchards’ herd of grass-fed cattle in Kinderhook, NY, that I picked up from the Columbia Greenmarket that takes place in Harlem every Thursday. For the sauce, I highly recommend seeking out Duke’s or Kewpie mayo.

Braising Basics

The BBQ beef shank recipe is adapted from Samin Nosrat’s Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat.

The basic steps for all braised dishes are quite simple: salt, brown, build, boil, simmer, and serve.

Every cuisine around the world has determined a way to take tough, boney, sinewy cuts and turn them into a delicious meal. Whether it’s Italian osso bucco, Ethiopian doro wat, Vietnamese thit kho, or a British Sunday pot roast - the method remains the same. The foundational ingredient across all cultures is time.

With a bit of patience and practice, you will be able to employ this technique in a myriad of flavorful dishes.

The first step is to salt, or more precisely, 1.5% of the weight of the shanks of kosher salt, two days prior to cooking. In this case, my 1244g of shank required 18g of kosher salt (1244 x .015 = 18). Applying salt at least 24 hours prior to cooking initiates many physical and chemical changes in the meat. Not only will your final product be more flavorful, it will also be more tender. 

The next step is browning. Over medium-high heat, add just enough fat of your choice and place the meat in the pan. I prefer to do this in a 4-quart dutch oven so that I can throw a lid on and place it in the oven. If there is more than one piece, make sure that they aren’t touching so that steam is able to escape.

The keys to beautiful, even coloring are steady heat and patience.

This step is critical in developing the complex flavors of the Maillard reaction that will be nearly impossible to achieve once moisture is added.

Resist the urge to constantly lift and move the cuts around and you will be handsomely rewarded. 

Now is the time to build your flavor base. Here is where the braise begins to take on its own identity as you remove the browned meat from the pot or pan and add vegetables, herbs, spices, and acids. A flavorful liquid like wine, beer, or stock will lift the tasty brown bits from the surface of the pan and add additional seasoning. For these nachos, I went with a classic American BBQ combination of cider vinegar, brown sugar, onion, and chiles. Place the meat back into the pan on top of the aromatics, and add more liquid to come up about one third to half of the way up the meat. Finally, the braising liquid needs to come up to a boil, before reducing the heat to a gentle simmer. At this point, the pan can be covered and left in a medium-low oven (275-350F) until the meat is tender enough to fall apart at the lightest touch. 

Does braising still seem tricky? We got you.

A Note On BBQ Sauce

The majority of my important life decisions have revolved around warm weather and good barbecue, which is exactly how I planned my college visits. As a child in Columbus, Ohio, BBQ sauce was the sticky, sweet, dark brown stuff that came in plastic containers for dipping chicken nuggets. As I made my way through the South on that collegiate/BBQ tour, I was opened up to a whole new world beyond the typical ketchup and corn syrup based sauces I was familiar with. I vividly remember how the tangy vinegar based sauces of Eastern North Carolina differed from the sweeter tomato based sauces of Western North Carolina, both entirely separate from mustard bases on the other side of the state line in South Carolina.

In Alabama I encountered something totally new. Alabama White Sauce. Invented by Big Bob Gibson BBQ in Decatur nearly 100 years ago - it goes best with chicken, but I find it also works harmoniously with the deeply flavored BBQ shank as a tangy crema substitute on these nachos.

This particular recipe is adapted from Meathead Goldwyn’s book, Meathead, with dijon mustard rather than horseradish, and a blended pear for sweetness - a trick I learned from a coworker who would add a blended can of fruit cocktail to his Japanese curry base.

Recipes

BBQ Beef Shank,

• shank, 3 lb
• salt, 18g
• oil, 2 Tbsp
• onion, 1 pc
• cab franc, a splash

blended together:

• water/stock, 1c
• chipotle in adobo, 2 pc
• shallot, 1 pc
• garlic, 2 clove
• brown sugar, 2 Tbsp
• fish sauce, 1 tsp
• cider vinegar, ¾ c

1.Salt the shank at least 24 hours in advance. If you can leave it uncovered in the fridge, or left on the counter on a baking rack to dry the surface, you’ll get a better sear.

2. Heat the oven to 325F.

3. Brown both sides of the shank over medium-high heat. Go in batches if necessary to make sure pieces don’t touch and there is even contact with the pan.

4. Remove the shanks from the pan and add the onions, along with more oil if necessary. When the onions have started to brown along the edges, add a splash of wine to remove the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Allow the wine to simmer for about 30 seconds and then add the blended sauce and stir everything together. 

5. Place the shanks back in the pan, it’s okay if they’re touching now. The liquid should come about halfway up the meat, add more water if necessary. 

6. Place a lid on the pan or cover it in foil and place it in the oven. Check on it after 2 hours to see if you need more water if it looks like the sauce is getting too dark when you stir it. Some moisture loss is okay, but the liquid shouldn’t dip too far below the bottom third of the meat - this is a braise, not a roast. After about 3 hours, the bone should be pulling away from the meat and falling apart when stirred - that’s a good sign that it's done. When I can pull on the bones and the meat begins to slide off, I remove it from the oven and allow it to cool for at least 30 minutes before pulling it apart. Taste for seasoning - add more salt, fish sauce, cider vinegar, or brown sugar to your heart’s desire. 

Alabama White Sauce

• mayo (preferably Duke’s or Kewpie), 1 c
• cider vinegar, ¼ c
• fish sauce, ½ tsp
• lemon juice, 1 Tbsp
• dijon mustard, 1 Tbsp
• garlic, 3 cloves peeled & cored
• pear, 1 pc
• black pepper, tt
• cayenne, tt
• kosher salt, tt

Blend these ingredients together. Begin with ¼ c cider vinegar. Add more if you like it very tangy.  Add more fish sauce for more salt. Add more mayo if you like it creamier. More mustard for punch. Add a grilled pineapple instead of a pear if you want it sweeter. Add some sauteed onions for more savory notes.

This recipe is very flexible. Taste as you go and follow your dreams.

Roll Tide. 

Nachos

• BBQ Beef Shank
• Alabama White Sauce
• Tortilla Chips
• Avocado (optional)
• Scallion (optional)
• Hot sauce (optional, our personal favorite for this recipe is Cholula)
• Mayo (preferably Duke’s or Kewpie), 1 c
• Cider vinegar, ¼ c
• Fish sauce, ½ tsp
• Lemon juice, 1 Tbsp
• Dijon mustard, 1 Tbsp
• Garlic, 3 cloves
• Peeled & cored pear, 1 pc
• Black pepper, tt
• Cayenne, tt
• Kosher salt, tt

Layer the meat over a plate of tortilla chips. If desired, top with avocado, thinly sliced scallion, Bama white sauce, and a few dashes of hot sauce.

Whether you’re hosting or attending a party in the coming weeks, or simply getting cozy on the couch at home, these nachos are sure to be a welcome addition. 

Don’t forget, we’re happy to come to your home or party to make them for you, too!