Skillet Short Rib Nachos

I can't think of a more quintessential game day snack than nachos. If there's a football being tossed around on television, I fully expect there to be a piled-high stack of melted cheese and tortilla chips. But, these here my friends are not your ordinary nachos. These are short rib nachos served with freshly prepared cheese, pickled red onions and an avocado mash. Luckily for all of us, @peyton_pritikin supplied us with step-by-step instructions on how to make this dreamy dish a reality.

Follow @peyton_pritikin and @stargazercastiron on Instagram and check the recipes on stargazercastiron.com for more great cast iron skillet recipes.

Short Rib Ingredients

• 4-6 Short Ribs bone-in 4" long 
• 6 tomatoes cut in half 
• 1 large yellow onion peeled and quartered
• 1 serrano pepper 
• 8 garlic cloves unpeeled
• 1 cup orange juice 
• 1 tbsp vinegar

Steps

1. Preheat your oven to 250 degrees.
2. Add salt and pepper to short ribs then brown all sides in your Stargazer Cast Iron Skillet over medium/high heat. 
3. Broil tomatoes, yellow onion, pepper with seeds and unpeeled garlic until somewhat charred.
4. Peel the garlic once it has cooled then in a blender, purée the tomato, onion, pepper and peeled garlic and orange juice. 
5. Pour into the hot skillet with the short ribs then cover with foil and roast in the oven at 250 for 2 hours. 
6. Take off foil and then roast for an additional 1 hour uncovered. 
7. Take out short ribs, remove bone and shred. 
8. Skim fat off the sauce.
9. Add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar.

(This can be done ahead of time and the short ribs can be reheated in the oven before assembly)

Quick Pickled Red Onion Ingredients

• 1 small red onion sliced thin
• 1 tsp sugar 
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup white vinegar

Steps

1. In a small saucepan combine 1 cup of water with 1 teaspoon of sugar then bring to a boil.
2. Add the red onions into the boiling water until they soften. Once softened (about 30-45 seconds) take them out and add to a bowl with 1/4 cup of white vinegar and refrigerate until serving.

Nacho Cheese Sauce Ingredients

• 8 slices American cheese 
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp flour 
• 1 cup milk

Steps

1. In a small saucepan melt butter over medium heat.
2. When butter is melted and begins to bubble add the flour stirring constantly so that the flour cooks evenly.
3. After stirring for about 2-3 minutes whisk in the milk. Continue whisking so that there are no clumps- the sauce will begin to thicken.
4. When the sauce thickens turn heat to low and add in the cheese slices plus 1/2 teaspoon of salt. 

Additional Ingredients

• 1 cup drained black beans
• 1 bag unsalted tortilla chips
• 2-3 avocados
• 2 limes 
• Cilantro
• Pickled jalapenos (optional) 
• Salt & Pepper

Assembly: 

In a small bowl mash the avocados, lime and 1/4 teaspoon of salt - set aside.

In your 12-inch Stargazer Cast Iron Skillet, add chips in a single layer, add cheese sauce, short rib and drained black beans. Then add more chips in a second layer with cheese sauce, black beans and short rib- continue the same assembly until you run out of chips. Top with dollops of avocado, cilantro, pickled jalapenos and the pickled red onions. Serve right in your skillet!