Cheesy Recipeesy: Chile-Rubbed Sirloin and Green Chile Nachos

Who says you can't eat nachos with your pinkies up? Sara Moulton, the executive chef of Gourmet magazine, certainly sees no problems spicing up your usual cheesy treat with a chile rubbed steak. All together now, yummm.

As she tells it, "The inspiration for these ultra-macho nachos comes from a diner in Sante Fe, New Mexico, where I was served an enormous platter of charcoal grilled steak blanketed with fire-roasted green chiles and sharp cheese," Moulton says. "Now I make the same dish at home, cooking up enough steak for leftovers to enjoy as nachos the next day."

And if you aren't already drooling over the chile rubbed steak, check out the recipe for the avacado crema. In the words of Robin Young...er...Sissy Biggers, "Ready Set Cook!"


Prep Time: 5 min
Cook Time: 15 min
Yield: 1 tray

Green Chile Nachos:
4 to 5 ounces corn tortilla chips
8 ounces shredded Monterey jack (about 3 cups)
1/2 cup canned roasted green chilies,
or 2 roasted and peeled green chiles, diced
1 recipe Chile-Rubbed Sirloin, diced, recipe follows
3 ounces shredded 4 or 6 Italian blend cheese (about 1 cup)
Avocado Crema, recipe follows
Finely sliced lettuce and chopped onion, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F or preheat the broiler, with the rack positioned about 7 inches from the top of the oven or the heat source.

Assemble the nachos: Arrange the chips on a 12 by 18-inch baking sheet or ovenproof platter. Top each chip with a layer of Monterey Jack, followed in order by the chiles, sirloin, and cheese blend.

Bake the nachos for 5 to 7 minutes, or broil, until the cheese is soft and bubbly.

Before serving, squeeze streaks of Avocado Crema and Chipotle Mayonnaise, to taste, over the nachos, if using, and garnish with lettuce and onions.

Chile-Rubbed Sirloin:
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground red chile
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
3/4 pound sirloin steak
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon soy sauce (recommended: Kikkoman)

In a small bowl, combine the salt, chile, cumin, garlic, cinnamon, and pepper. Rub the steak all over with the mix. Set aside at room temperature for 15 minutes.

Heat a grill or the broiler until very hot. Rub the steak all over with the olive oil and soy sauce. Grill or broil the steak very close to the heat, about 3 minutes per side, until medium rare. Set aside for 10 minutes before slicing or dicing.

Yield: 1 steak
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes

Avocado Crema:
1 ripe avocado, peeled and pit removed
1/2 cup buttermilk
3 tablespoons lime juice (from about 1 1/2 limes)
1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon salt

Puree all the ingredients in a food processor or blender. Funnel into a squeeze bottle. The mixture should be thin enough to streak easily. If not, add a few drips more lime juice or buttermilk. Plug the top of the nozzle with a toothpick and chill until read to use. The mixture will keep for 2 days refrigerated.

Yield: 1 1/3 cup
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes