Taste of Tulalip: A smokin’ recipe for nachos

By Diane Lasswell / Quil Ceda Creek Casino

People the world over love nachos. At World Flavors in The Kitchen at Quil Ceda Creek Casino, we have created a match made in BBQ heaven with our popular Pulled Pork Nachos featuring our house-smoked shredded pork.

It’s darn good on its own, too, and it will be one of the featured menu items for our “Blues, Brews and BBQ” series, June 6 through August 29. Every Tuesday from 5-9 p.m. we will be serving up great BBQ and cold craft beers, with talented local blues artists setting the tone for summer fun at the Stage Bar.

For this recipe, we suggest using a smoker, with a pork butt seasoned and slow smoked over real wood for six hours to keep all those natural juices inside where they belong.

Our take on nachos is a tantalizing combination of shredded pulled pork, crispy tortilla chips, melted cheese and a colorful variety of tasty veggie toppings. Nachos can be a meal itself or a lead-in for a bigger meal. Nachos allow for creative freedom, and at The Q we offer house-smoked beef brisket and chicken versions as well. At home you can decide what kind of meat to select with a combination of toppings of your choice. This is a simplistic, highly customizable dish, so have fun with it!

In keeping with great traditions, we start out with a “Boston Butt.” It’s not really the rear end of a hog, as the name implies. It is the upper shoulder portion, sometimes called pork shoulder. During colonial days New England butchers tended to pack cuts like these into barrels, known as “butts,” for storage and transport. Hence, this cut became known as the “Boston Butt.” Who knew? This is a tasty cut and we use the bone in variety because it packs more flavor.

Hand mix with your favorite BBQ sauce and a bit of organic apple juice and a spritz of apple cider vinegar. Your pulled pork is the latest in a long line of true pork butt smokers

Boston Butt seasoning

1½ tablespoons salt

1 tablespoon ground black pepper

1½ tablespoons granulated garlic

1½ tablespoons paprika

¾ cup brown sugar

1½ teaspoons celery salt

1½ tablespoons garlic powder

1½ tablespoons granulated onion

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1½ tablespoons dry mustard

Measure and place the ingredients into a clean and dry mixing bowl

With a rubber spatula use the folding in method to completely mix

Pour into an air-tight food storage container; store at room temperature

‘Boston Butt preparation

Makes 18-24 portions

1 Bone-in pork shoulder (aka Boston Butt)

½ cup Boston Butt seasoning (see above)

3 cups your favorite BBQ sauce

As needed 50/50 apple juice and apple cider

3 cups chicken stock

Pat Boston Butt dry and allow reach room temperature for 30-45 minutes

Place the butt onto a cutting board

Evenly spread the seasoning over the entire butt and pat

To smoke

Place the seasoned butt(s) into a 6-inch-deep pan (there will be significant fat rendering)

Spray the butts with apple cider vinegar/apple juice blend and put the chicken stock to the pan. Do not pour it over the butts

Add the chips to the smoker chips draw

Set the temperature to 300 degrees and set the timer to 7 hours and the smoke time for 4 hours

Hit the start button. It will read pre-heating. When the indicator switches to ready, open door put butts in and close the door, hit the start key

When done (at a minimum temperature of at least 190 degrees) remove from the smoker and place on the counter

After about 10 minutes place the smoked butt into a large mixing bowl (remove from the Chicken stock prior shredding…the juices can be used to add flavor after pulled in lieu of BBQ sauce if you wish)

Pull the pork off the bone, discard the bone. Using tongs remove the top layer of fat from the butt and discard

Add the 3 cups of BBQ sauce to the bowl and one cup of cold pork drippings

Serve immediately or place in refrigerator to cool

Pulled pork nachos (final step)

(makes one portion; adjust quantities to the number of guests)

8 ounces tortilla chips

4 ounces warmed pulled pork

6 ounces hot nacho cheese sauce (make this or purchase your favorite)

2 ounces black beans

3 ounces shredded lettuce

14 sliced jalapeños

¼ cup diced tomatoes

2 scoops sour cream

3 ounces salsa

Place tortilla chips onto a lined half sheet pan. Spread out evenly

Spread warm pulled pork evenly over the tortilla chips

Evenly spread 6 ounces of hot nacho cheese sauce over the pulled pork

Sprinkle shredded lettuce liberally over the nacho cheese sauce

Evenly spread the diced tomatoes, black beans, and jalapeños around the melted cheese

Place two scoops of sour cream on the shredded lettuce

Serve with salsa

Diane Lasswell is the assistant director of kitchen operations at the Quil Ceda Creek Casino.