Cowboy Nachos

This is a Pioneer Woman recipe. She called it Beef Fajita Nachos. It’s so good! The first time I made it, I didn’t have chipotle peppers, so I used what I had on hand. Jalapenos. It took some adjusting, but still good stuff!

• Flank Steak
• 1 whole Flank Steak
• 1/3 cup Olive Oil
• 2 whole Limes, Juiced
• 4 whole Canned Chipotle Peppers, With A Little Sauce
• 4 cloves Garlic, Peeled
• 1 whole Handful Of Cilantro
• NACHOS
• 2 whole Yellow Onion
• 2 whole Bell Peppers, Cored And Sliced (can Use Different Colors)
• Olive Oil (for Frying)
• Sturdy Tortilla Chips
• 8 ounces, weight Cheese, Grated (cheddar, Jack, Pepper Jack, Etc)
• Guacamole
• Salsa
• Sour Cream

Preparation Instructions

To prepare the steak: Combine olive oil, lime juice, garlic, chipotle peppers, and cilantro in the bowl of a food processor or a blender. Blend until totally combined. Place flank steak into a large plastic bag or baking dish. Pour in marinade and make sure it adequately coats the meat. Seal bag or cover tightly and refrigerate for 24 hours at least.

When ready to make the nachos, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat an outdoor grill or an indoor grill pan (or you can use a skillet). Drizzle a little olive oil on the grill and grill the meat over very high heat, about 4 minutes per side. (Turn 45 degrees halfway through on both sides to get nifty grill marks.) Remove steak from grill and set aside to rest.

In a large skillet, heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and peppers and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until vegetables are somewhat soft and starting to get black bits. Remove from heat and set aside.

Slice half of the flank steak into strips against the grain, then chop slices into smaller bites. Place sauteed veggies on a cutting board and roughly chop to get them into smaller pieces.

Arrange tortilla chips on a large ovenproof platter (or cookie sheet.) Sprinkle plenty of cheese all over the top. Place platter in oven for 3 minutes or so, just long enough to melt the cheese (but not burn the chips.) Remove from oven, then generously sprinkle peppers, onions, and chopped steak all over the top. Return to oven for no more than another minute—just long enough to heat up the meat and peppers (but not cook the meat all the way through.)

Remove from oven and plop guacamole all over the top. Serve immediately with salsa and sour cream.

Use the rest of the meat for more nachos…or make real fajitas!