Equipment
Ingredients
Citrus-Spiced Pork
- 1200 g boneless pork shoulder, cut into large 5cm chunks
- 10 g ground cumin
- 8 g ground coriander
- 15 g kosher salt
- 5 g black pepper
- 30 ml olive oil
- 60 ml lime juice, freshly squeezed
- 250 ml chicken broth, low sodium
Lime Crema
- 200 g sour cream
- 15 ml lime juice
- 5 g lime zest, finely grated
- 2 g kosher salt
Nacho Assembly
- 400 g corn tortilla chips, thick-cut, restaurant style
- 350 g cheddar cheese, freshly grated
Garnishes
- 100 g radishes, sliced paper-thin
- 40 g scallions, thinly sliced, green and white parts
- 15 g fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 843 kcal
- Protein
- 48 g
- Carbohydrates
- 45 g
- Fat
- 65 g
- Fiber
- 4 g
- Sugar
- 1 g
- Sodium
- 1688 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 8 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 14 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 6 g
- Cholesterol
- 37 mg
- Potassium
- 1270 mg
- Calcium
- 149 mg
- Iron
- 4.3 mg
- Magnesium
- 63 mg
- Phosphorus
- 799 mg
- Zinc
- 10.2 mg
- Vitamin A
- 36 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 7 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.2 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 2.3 mg
- Vitamin K
- 19 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.2 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.9 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.21 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.16 mg
- Niacin
- 2.3 mg
- Folate
- 24 mcg
- Water
- 102 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat the oven to 160C/320F for braising the pork. In a small bowl, combine the cumin, coriander, kosher salt, and black pepper. Toss the pork shoulder chunks in the spice blend until thoroughly coated.
Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the spiced pork chunks in batches to avoid crowding, searing until deeply browned on all sides.
Return all pork to the Dutch oven. Pour in the chicken broth and the first measure of lime juice, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Cover with a heavy lid, transfer to the 160C/320F oven, and braise until the pork yields entirely to a fork.
Remove the pot from the oven and carefully transfer the pork to a cutting board. Shred the meat using two forks. Skim excess fat from the braising liquid, then return the shredded pork to the juices to keep it moist. Increase the oven temperature to 200C/400F.
While the oven preheats, whisk together the sour cream, the second measure of lime juice, lime zest, and salt in a small mixing bowl. Set aside in the refrigerator to allow flavors to meld.
Arrange half of the tortilla chips in a slightly overlapping layer on a large baking sheet. Top evenly with half of the drained shredded pork and half of the grated cheddar cheese. Repeat with a second layer of chips, the remaining pork, and the remaining cheese.
Bake the assembled nachos in the 200C/400F oven until the cheese is completely melted, bubbling, and just starting to brown at the edges.
Remove the nachos from the oven. Immediately scatter the sliced radishes, scallions, and chopped cilantro over the hot cheese. Generously drizzle or dollop the chilled lime crema across the entire platter. Serve immediately.
Chef's Notes
- Always grate block cheddar yourself. Pre-shredded cheese is coated in cellulose to prevent clumping in the bag, which acts as a barrier to smooth, creamy melting.
- For a truly remarkable texture contrast, spread the shredded pork on a bare baking sheet and broil it for 3-5 minutes before adding it to the nachos. This mimics traditional crispy carnitas.
- Shock the sliced radishes in a bowl of ice water for 10 minutes while the nachos bake. This maximizes their crisp, refreshing crunch against the rich, fatty pork.
- Layering is crucial. A double-layer approach ensures that every chip receives topping, preventing the dreaded dry chip phenomenon found at the bottom of poorly structured nacho mountains.
Storage
Refrigerator: 5 days — Assembled nachos do not keep. Store the braised pork and crema in separate airtight containers.
Freezer: 3 months — Freeze the braised pork only. Crema and fresh garnishes will not survive freezing.
Troubleshooting
Soggy tortilla chips at the bottom of the platter
Cause: Pork was not drained sufficiently before layering, or chips were too thin to support the heavy toppings.
Fix: Cannot be fixed once fully saturated, but baking an extra 3 minutes can crisp the exposed edges.
Prevention: Use only thick, restaurant-style corn tortilla chips and use tongs to slightly drain the pork as you transfer it to the chips.
Cheese is clumpy and sweating oil rather than melting smoothly
Cause: Using pre-shredded bagged cheese which contains anti-caking starches.
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Always grate cheddar cheese from a solid block for melting applications.
Cultural Context
Nachos originated in Piedras Negras, Mexico, in 1943, created out of necessity by maitre d' Ignacio 'Nacho' Anaya for a group of hungry visitors. This robust winter iteration builds upon that classic foundation by integrating flavor profiles reminiscent of carnitas, celebrating the rich Mexican tradition of slow-cooked, heavily spiced pork shoulder. The careful balance of rich, fatty meat cut by bright citrus, sharp radishes, and cooling dairy is a hallmark of traditional Mexican culinary architecture.
