Pumpkin and Pulled Pork Nachos
Pumpkin and Pulled Pork Nachos is an appetizer filled with pumpkin, tender pulled pork, and pinto beans. It’s topped with homemade barbecue sauce and homemade cheese sauce, as well as, scallions, jalapenos, and cilantro,
The Equipment You’ll Need
- A Dutch Oven- This is the best vessel for oven braising your pork.
- Two 3 Quart Saucepans- You’ll need these for cooking the sauces.
- A Large Skillet- I use this to cook my pumpkin.
The Ingredients You’ll Need for Pumpkin and Pulled Pork Nachos
- Fresh Pumpkin- You need to purchase a sugar pumpkin for this recipe. If you can’t find one, you can substitute a butternut squash.
- Pinto Beans- I really like to buy dry pinto beans, and cook them myself. But, you can also use canned beans.
- Chicken Stock- Again, I use homemade stock. You can find my recipe on my post for Matzo Ball Soup.
- Barbecue Sauce- I have supplied my recipe for barbecue sauce, but feel free to purchase some instead.
- The Pork- My recipe makes far more pork than you’ll need for this recipe, but this pork freezes great and can be used for sandwiches, tacos, and quesadillas.
- Evaporated Milk- This comes in a can and can be found in the baking aisle of your market.
How I Made my Nachos
- I made my pork the evening before I wanted to serve my nachos.
- The next day, I cooked the pumpkin. I made sure to cook it until it was tender, but not mushy. I was also careful not to burn it.
- Next, I cooked the barbecue sauce. Again, you won’t need all the sauce, but it freezes great.
- Then, I made the cheese sauce, whisking until it thickened up.
- Finally, I heated up the chips and added all the toppings.
My family really loves these Pumpkin and Pulled Pork Nachos. I know there are a lot of components, but it is truly a restaurant quality appetizer. And, the pumpkin adds the wonderful fall flavor that we all crave this time of year.
Pumpkin and Pulled Pork Nachos
Tortilla chips topped with tender pulled pork, pinto beans, barbecue sauce, and cheddar cheese sauce.
Ingredients
For the Pulled Pork and the Pumpkin:
- 2 onions, cut in one inch pieces
- 3 lbs. boneless pork butt
- ½ tsp. each kosher salt and cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp. each black pepper and garlic powder
- 2 tsp. each chili powder and paprika
- 6 cloves peeled garlic
- 1 cup chicken stock
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 cups peeled pumpkin, cut in half inch pieces
For the Barbecue Sauce:
- 2 tbsp. butter
- 1 cup minced onions
- 2 tbsp. minced garlic
- 2 tbsp. honey
- 2 tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce
- ¾ cup ketchup
- 1 tsp. soy sauce
- 2 tbsp. rice wine vinegar
- ½ tsp. black pepper
For the Cheddar Cheese Sauce:
- 6 ounces shredded extra sharp cheddar
- 2 tsp. cornstarch
- 8 ounces evaporated milk
To assemble the Nachos:
- 4 cups corn tortilla chips
- 1 cup cooked pinto beans
- ½ cup each sliced jalapenos and sliced scallions
- ¼ cup cilantro leaves
- 1 cup sour cream
Instructions
- For the Pulled Pork and Pumpkin:
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
- Place the sliced onions and garlic in the bottom of a Dutch oven, and then add the pork with the fatty side facing up. Mix together all the spices ( but not the sugar) and spread them all over the pork. Pour the chicken stock into the bottom of the pot. Cover tightly and bake for four hours. You will only need a couple of cups of the pork, but the rest freezes great.
- While the pork is cooking, cook the pumpkin with a tablespoon of olive oil, in a large skillet on medium heat, until the pumpkin is tender. Season it with salt and pepper.
- When the pork is done, shred it with a fork and add in the sugar.
For the Barbecue Sauce:
- Melt the butter in a three quart saucepan, and cook the onion and garlic, on low heat until they're soft.
- Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer uncovered for twenty minutes.
- FOR THE CHEESE SAUCE:
- In a small bowl, mix together the cheese and cornstarch.
- In a three quart saucepan, heat the milk and bring it to a simmer. Turn the heat to low and stir in the cheese. Whisk until the sauce thickens.
To assemble the Nachos:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Place the tortilla chips on a sheet pan and heat them up for about five minutes. Also, warm up the pumpkin, two cups of the pork, beans, and both sauces.
- Arrange the chips on a serving platter and top with the pork, beans, and pumpkin. Drizzle on about a cup each of the barbecue and cheese sauces. Then, sprinkle with the jalapenos, cilantro, and scallions.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
