Last weekend, I cooked a brisket as family came over to celebrate a birthday. Brisket is one of those foods I’m still trying to get the hang of, but this was definitely one of the better attempts (seen above). Everyone loved it, and we sent some home with my sister, who is both a year older and also pregnant.
However, briskets are not tiny foods. Even in sending home like two pounds of leftover meat, we still had a hunk in our own fridge to eat through this past week. And while sliced leftover brisket on hamburger buns is an awesome meal, I was feeling something different.
So… nachos.
Slice the meat into thick slices and then roughly dice in large chunks. Gently heat in a little oil in a skillet and set aside until your bed of chips and whatever else is ready.
If you are a shredded cheese on nachos kind of person, go with a mild or sharp cheddar over your chips and brisket, and add jalapenos along with anything else you add. If you are a cheese sauce on nachos kind of person, there is the sauce I came up with.
Brisket Nacho Cheese Sauce
2 tbsp. rendered brisket fat from the initial cook
1 cup (or more) heavy cream
1 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 poblano pepper, diced
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp. minced garlic
If you are doing this as leftovers and not forward-thinking enough to save some of the rendered fat from the cooking of your brisket, you’re fine. Use olive oil or butter. But, that rendered beef fat is amazing for this. Use it to saute your onion and poblano in a skillet. When the onion is translucent and starting to get that good brown color, add the garlic and one teaspoon of the salt. Set aside when cooked.
In a saucepan, slowly heat the heavy cream and add the remaining salt, pepper, and paprika.
When the cream is heated, add the cheese a half cup at a time, stirring until melted. If you want a thinner sauce, add more cream or even water.
When the base sauce is made, adjust with more salt, pepper, and paprika as needed. Mix in the sauteed vegetables directly into the sauce, then serve over your chips and brisket.