Oh-so-worth-it though. I'm actually salivating, as I sit here and digest my healthy dinner, looking at this picture and remembering how good it was. AMAZING. Maybe one of the best things I've ever made.
The barbacoa beef made was one of the most tender, flavorful crockpot dishes I've made yet. I'll definitely be cooking this regularly now (but usually trying to eat it in a somewhat healthy fashion, i.e., not covered in cheese dip).
Combine that barbacoa with restaurant-style white queso.... OMG. Match made in heaven.
Pile it all on top of tortilla chips with tomatoes, fresh jalapeños, and grated monterey jack (yes, more cheese)? To die for.
Have I convinced you yet that it is so worth the 23957276 calories? It was the perfect Super Bowl treat, but you don't need a football game as an excuse to make this. Everyone deserves to eat this good sometimes.
Here's the step-by-step instructions to make it for yourself (and someone else if they're lucky):
In the morning, gather your ingredients for the beef. It takes 8-9 hours to cook, so be sure to account for the wait. You'll need a 3 lb (or so) beef chuck roast, bone-in if you can find it. Cooking it with the bone makes it super, super flavorful. You'll also need a can of beef broth, some apple cider vinegar, a white onion, some jalapeños, diced green chiles, a can of Rotel (diced tomatoes with green chiles; plain diced tomatoes would work fine too), and some chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. I'm sure this recipe is forgiving, so don't fret about changing things up a bit.... but seriously, this combo freaking WORKS. I am so proud of myself for creating this recipe. Yes, I'm bragging.
Chop your onion into slices. Toss the beef into the crockpot, cutting it in half if necessary to make it fit. Toss in the rest of the ingredients. Cover. Turn heat to low. So easy!
Walk away for 7-8 hours or so. At that point, check on the beef and give it a stir to mix all the ingredients together, then let cook a bit longer. In total, it will take 8 or 9 hours on low to become fall-off-the-bone tender. When it's done, remove it from the crockpot and lay on a flat surface. It will probably fall apart as you take it out... totally fine. You're pulling it all apart anyway! Just make sure you get allll of the meat out of the crockpot. Using 2 forks, shred the meat, discarding fatty pieces and bone.
Shred it all. This meat is seriously delicious... In the future, I'll be having it over brown rice, in tacos, on salad...
Then, pour most of the liquid out of the crockpot, saving the onions/jalapeños/tomatoes and reserving about 1 cup of liquid. Return the meat to the crockpot with the heat on low as you prepare the rest of the nachos.
Heat oven to 450 degrees. Lay out your tortilla chips on a baking pan. I like to use Scoops so they can catch all the cheese...mmm. Grate about 4 ounces of monterey jack cheese over the chips (by hand with a cheese grater, not from a bag...trust me). This way, we make sure that allll of the chips are covered in cheesy goodness. They'll also be getting a white queso bath in a few minutes, so don't worry if the 4 ounces doesn't look like much.
Chop your tomatoes and fresh jalapeños. Take the seeds out if you don't like too much spice, leave them in if you do.
Now, time to prepare the queso. I know I'm not the only one who's obsessed with the white cheese dip they serve at Mexican restaurants. It's the best! When I found out how to make it at home (recipe adapted from here), I was so so happy. It's unbelievably simple... it's made with white american cheese in the microwave! Yep, we've discovered their secret. Combine 1/2 pound of white american cheese, in either slices or cubes, with diced green chiles, chopped jarred jalapeños and some jalapeño juice, cold water, half and half, and a pinch of cumin.
Microwave it for 6-7 minutes on high, stopping every minute to stir. Ta-da! Queso!
Pop the chips with the grated monterey jack in the 450 degree oven for 3-4 minutes, allowing the cheese to melt. Remove. Top with a mound of the barbacoa beef, your diced tomatoes and chopped jalapeños, and all of that glorious queso. Return to the oven for 1-2 more minutes, just enough to let everything set. Remove.
You're officially in nacho heaven.
Crockpot Barbacoa Beef Nachos with White Queso
For beef
Ingredients:
-3 lb bone-in beef chuck roast
-14 oz beef broth*
-1 white onion, sliced
-2 tbsp diced green chiles*
-1 can Rotel (diced tomatoes with chopped green chiles)*
-1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
-1/4 cup jalapeños (jarred)*
-1 tbsp garlic powder
-1 tbsp chile powder
-1 tsp cumin
-1 tsp salt
-1 tsp pepper
*If you want to avoid using canned/jarred ingredients, any of these could be substituted with homemade/fresh.
Directions:
-Add beef roast to crockpot, cutting in half if necessary to fit. Top with remaining ingredients. Cook on low for 8-9 hours, opening to stir when about 1 hour is remaining. When done, remove the meat from crockpot and shred into pieces with 2 forks, discarding fatty pieces and bone. Pour most of the liquid out of the crockpot, saving the onions, jalapeños, and tomatoes, and reserving about 1 cup of liquid. Return the meat to the crockpot with the heat on low as your prepare the rest of the meal.
For queso
Adapted from Pennies on a Platter
Ingredients:
-1/2 lb white american cheese, cubed
-2 tbsp canned diced green chiles
-2 tbsp chopped jalapeños (jarred)
-1 tbsp jalapeño juice from the jar
-1/3 cup half and half (or whole milk)
-1/4 cup cold water
-pinch cumin
Directions:
-Put all ingredients in a bowl. Microwave on high for 6-7 minutes, stopping to stir after every minute.
For nachos
Ingredients:
-3 lb shredded beef barbacoa (see above)
-1 bowl of queso cheese dip (see above)
-1 bag tortilla chips
-4 ounces monterey jack cheese, grated
-1 tomato, diced
-2 fresh jalapeños, sliced
Directions:
-Preheat oven to 450.
-Lay tortilla chips out on a large baking pan. Grate monterey jack cheese over chips. Put in oven for 3-4 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Remove.
-Top with beef, tomatoes, jalapenos, and queso.
-Return to oven for 1-2 more minutes.
Enjoy!
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Glad you love the queso dip. Can't wait to try your meat recipe! We use the Scoops, too! :)
ReplyDeletethat queso dip sounds awesome!!!
ReplyDeleteummmm DELISH. I'm obsessed with Mexican food as you know, and shredded beef barbacoa is my FAV. I can't wait to try your recipe. I'm also a huge fan of that queso. It's amazing!
ReplyDelete