The Memphis Pulled Pork BBQ Nachos
Chapter 4 — The Sandwiches & Plates
Friday night at a Memphis minor league ballpark in the year 2000, a foil-lined tray comes out heavy, the chips shatter under low-and-slow, smoke-ringed pork shoulder, sweet molasses sauce floods the meat, and a dash of paprika-laced dry rib shake cuts through the stadium liquid cheese. We smoke the pig to 200°F, but we embrace the glorious trashiness of the vessel. The cheese melts into the bark, the bottom chips soak up the warm sauce, and the tray empties before the coals even burn down.
Before you start
Mix the Memphis BBQ Shake.
In a small bowl, thoroughly combine the 4 tablespoons of dark brown sugar, smoked paprika, kosher salt, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, chili powder, cayenne, black pepper, and white pepper. Reserve 2 tablespoons of this mix for the final nacho garnish.
Simmer the Sweet and Tangy BBQ Sauce.
Combine the ketchup, apple cider vinegar, 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, 1/4 cup yellow mustard, Worcestershire sauce, pickled jalapeño liquid, and hot sauce in a saucepan over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes until slightly thickened and glossy. Set aside to cool.
Ingredients
- bone-in pork shoulder1 large
- yellow mustard3 tbsp
- dark brown sugar4 tbsp
- smoked paprika3 tbsp
- kosher salt2 tbsp
- garlic powder1 tbsp
- onion powder1 tbsp
- ground cumin1 tbsp
- chili powder1 tbsp
- cayenne pepper1 tsp
- black pepper1 tsp
- white pepper1 tsp
- ketchup2 cup
- apple cider vinegar1/2 cup
- dark brown sugar1/2 cup
- yellow mustard1/4 cup
- Worcestershire sauce2 tbsp
- pickled jalapeño liquid1 tbsp
- hot sauce1 tsp
- round yellow corn tortilla chips16 oz
- liquid nacho cheese16 oz
- sharp cheddar cheese8 oz
- Monterey Jack cheese8 oz
- pickled jalapeños1 cup
- chicken broth2 cup
- liquid smoke2 tbsp
Method
- 01
Bind and rub the pork shoulder.
Smear the entire pork shoulder with 3 tablespoons of yellow mustard. Liberally apply the remaining Memphis BBQ Shake to all sides, pressing firmly to adhere, and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes while you prepare your heat source.
- 02
Fire up the smoker or rig your kettle.
Set your dedicated smoker to 225°F using pecan wood chunks. If using a standard charcoal kettle, build a 2x2 snake of unlit briquettes around the perimeter, place pecan chunks on the first half, add a water pan to the center, and ignite the start of the snake to maintain a steady 250°F.
- 03
Employ the oven workaround if winter has you trapped indoors.
Preheat the oven to 300°F. Hard sear the rubbed pork on the stovetop in a heavy Dutch oven, then deglaze with the chicken broth and liquid smoke. Cover tightly and braise for 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 hours.
- 04
Push through the stall naked.
If smoking outdoors, do not wrap the meat in foil or paper. Let the pork sweat through the 160°F stall naturally to build that dark, heavily caramelized Memphis bark. Pull it from the heat only when the internal temperature hits 190°F to 195°F and the bone wiggles freely.
- 05
Rest the meat in a faux Cambro.
Wrap the finished shoulder tightly in heavy-duty aluminum foil and place it inside a dry, insulated beverage cooler for at least one hour to let the viscous, broken-down collagen stabilize.
- 06
Pull the pork, never chop it.
Discard the bone and shred the meat by hand or with forks to preserve the long, smoke-permeated muscle fibers. Toss the pulled meat with a half-cup of your prepared BBQ sauce.
- 07
Architect the nachos.
Spread the round tortilla chips in a slightly overlapping layer across a heavy rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle half the warm liquid nacho cheese over the dry chips, then pile on the warm pulled pork, followed by the rest of the liquid cheese and a heavy drizzle of BBQ sauce.
- 08
Melt and garnish.
Blanket the platter with the shredded cheddar and Monterey Jack, tossing the pan under the broiler for two to three minutes just until bubbling. Top generously with the pickled jalapeños and dust the entire tray with the reserved 2 tablespoons of raw Memphis BBQ Shake.
Notes
The dual-cheese mandate is non-negotiable.
Purists might scoff at liquid stadium cheese, but its chemical stabilizers are entirely necessary here to keep the sauce from breaking or turning oily under the heavy, hot fats of the pulled pork. The shredded cheddar and jack provide the contrasting textural melt.
Manage your leftover bounty.
A whole shoulder yields 4 to 5 pounds of meat, meaning you will only need about half of it for a massive tray of nachos. Vacuum-seal and freeze the rest; barbecue nachos are historically the ultimate vessel for utilizing leftover pulled pork.
From Cook BBQ at Home.