Hook’s Rub Smoked Brisket Trash Can Nachos

Have a party coming up or you’re bringing the “chips and salsa” to your friend’s place, but want to wow everyone? Trash can nachos is the perfect finger food to light up the eyes of your friends, feed a starting lineup and make you the MVP of the party! (The finished product doesn’t travel well, so you can head over to the party place a little early and make this for game time.)

Fun Factor: 10/10

Cool Points: 100/100

Difficulty: EASY

Time: 30-45 Minutes (if the brisket is already smoked/cooked)

Feeds: 10-15 people multiple servings

Ingredients:

• 1-2 Bags of Tortilla Chips
• ½ lb per person Smoked Brisket Flat or Point Chopped or Shredded & Seasoned with Smokin’ Sweetness & Midnight (and MAD COW for a spicy kick!)
• 4 Cups - Shredded Cheese: The most ideal “authentic” are a blend of Mexican-style cheeses: Manchego, Oaxaca, Quesadilla and Asadero. If you don’t have those, a “Mexican cheese blend” from a brand at the store.
• 2-4 Cups of melted queso cheese dip (optional, but makes it super cheesy)
• 1-2 cans Black Beans (organic is our preference)
• 1 Cup Mexican Crema or Sour Cream
• 1 cup Pico De Gallo
• 1 Jar Salsa (Mrs. Renfro’s salsa is our fave)
• 1 bunch Chopped Cilantro
• Sliced fresh jalapenos to taste
• Sliced pickled jalapeno to taste
• Your favorite BBQ Sauce

Tools:

• Oven Set to 400 degrees F
• Spatula, tongs, large serving spoons
• Serving plate wider than a large stock pot
• A large coffee can, stock pot or clean and new charcoal chimney without a lower grate
• 1-2 Cookie sheets
• Parchment paper or Silicon Baking Mat

Method:

1. Smoke then chop/shred your Brisket and season with a 1:1 ratio blend of Hook’s Rubs Smokin’ Sweetness, Midnight (add the Mad Cow rub for a little kick). You can also slow cook your brisket in a crock pot, but it will lose the smokiness smoking/grilling provides)
2. Line your cookie sheets with parchment paper and start by spreading the chips over top in layers.
3. Sprinkle with brisket, shredded cheese, black beans and dollops of queso (saving some) and spread evenly. (You won’t get every chip with every topping and that’s ok because we are going to build this thing later and it’ll all get touched with toppings at some point!)
4. Bake the mixture in the oven for 10 minutes at 400 degrees F to melt the cheese onto everything.
5. While baking, set up your coffee can or charcoal chimney on your plate or extra cookie sheet or prep your stock pot to be layered.
6. Using potholders or a towel remove the nachos from the oven and begin to layer in chunks in the coffee can or chimney, making sure to touch the sides.
   Pro Tip: The nachos & pan will be hot coming fresh out of the oven so make sure to secure the parchment against the pan with the potholders and use a spatula or tongs to break up the nachos and slide them into the cylinder.
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   Pro Tip: If using a stock pot, you can layer the nachos upside down (YES UPSIDE DOWN) as you’ll be flipping them right side up and adding toppings in the next steps.
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7. SHOW TIME: Slowly lift the coffee can/chimney with a slight shimmy/shake so the chips don’t hang onto the sides to reveal the tower of nachos.
   7a. If using the stock pot, place the plate or cookie sheet over the top of the pot and carefully flip it over then slowly lift the pot off the nachos.
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   REMEMBER: This nacho tower can be a cylinder or can topple a little in this step so it if isn’t a perfect tower, it’ll still taste great!
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8. Start to cover the nachos with a few dollops of pico de gallo, crema/sour cream, guacamole, melted queso dip & salsa.
9. Finally, sprinkle shredded cheese, chopped cilantro jalapenos and drizzle with BBQ sauce if preferred.
10. Finish with a final sprinkle of Hook’s Rubs seasonings for a shot of flavor in every bite & that perfect #foodie pic!
11. TIME TO EAT! Set it down in front of your guests and enjoy the game!