Let’s be rebels.
I mean, a Friday meal on a Monday — why not? Treat yourself.
How was your weekend? Mine included spotting a gigantic floating rubber duck (I wanted to press my face against it and bounce like it was a trampoline), eating pizza twice, and smoking three organic chickens in Eddie’s new smoker for his birthday. Absolutely worth it — I may never cook chicken another way. I ate so much chicken that I was still snacking past my bedtime.
We enjoyed what might have been the nicest weather of the past few months: warm days and evenings that dropped into the low 60s. I live for that crisp chill. I wanted to buy every sweater I could find online.
Last night we debated what to watch since Homeland returned, but we avoided watching four hours of TV past midnight. Instead I lounged on the couch with a shrek-green face mask and fell down a Facebook-stalking rabbit hole. Will that ever end? Probably not, as long as exes and high-school bullies remain on social media.
I wanted donuts but resisted. I did drink some wine. At 30, these are the big life choices — and they were the right ones.
One thing I didn’t make this weekend: these nachos. I actually made them last week for a late lunch that was supposed to be dinner, but I couldn’t wait and ate immediately. Impatience is a feature of my personality.
I love the crockpot, and this beef doesn’t need the longest cooking time. You can leave it in longer if you want it to fall apart into a pulled pot roast — nothing wrong with that — but I wanted thinner slices similar to carne asada. While this isn’t traditional grilled carne asada, the flavor is there, and the meat becomes incredibly tender in the slow cooker. Ten times more tender than most carne asada I’ve had.
I’m completely in love with these nachos — and they have plenty of vegetables too.
Crockpot Carne Asada Nachos
4
appropriately, 2 obnoxiously
6 hours hrs
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Ingredients
- 1.5 pound flank steak
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 8 ounces of your favorite beer (I used a leftover summer ale)
- 1 ripe avocado
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, torn
- 1 bag of tortilla chips
- 8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, freshly grated
- 1/2 cup sweet corn, cooked or fresh
- 1/2 pint grape tomatoes, halved
- 1/4 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the salt, pepper, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder and cumin. Whisk to make a rub, then pat it evenly over both sides of the flank steak. Heat a large skillet over high heat with the olive oil. Sear the steak on both sides until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer the steak to the crockpot, pour the beer over it, cover, and cook on low for 6 hours.
- After 6 hours, remove the steak and let it rest on a cutting board for 15 minutes. Slice against the grain into thin strips; if it falls apart, that’s fine.
- Mash the avocado with the lime juice, half the cilantro and a pinch of salt. Set aside.
- Arrange tortilla chips on a baking sheet or oven-safe dish. Sprinkle with half the cheese, add the corn and the sliced steak, then top with the remaining cheese. Broil on high until the cheese melts and bubbles, about 2–3 minutes. Remove and immediately top with the tomatoes, guacamole, sour cream, and remaining cilantro. Serve right away.
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Monday wins.