Thai Nachos

Nachos are such a delicious culinary innovation, a snack so renowned, that it feels wrong to limit them to Mexican food! Thai Nachos embrace the crispy, crunchy, pile-it-high fun of nachos with the South Asian fragrance and flavors of Thai food; wonton wrapper chips, spicy Thai chiles, sweet and zesty Thai chili sauce, and savory fish sauce infuse the ground beef, the salsa, the crema, and even the melty cheese sauce! You can see how vibrant Thai Nachos are, and your tastebuds will be more than excited to experience them directly!

Ingredients

For the chips:

• 4 cups neutral-flavored oil (such as canola or peanut), for frying
• 1 (12-ounce) package wonton wrappers
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground Szechuan peppercorns
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/8 teaspoon ground coriander

For the meat:

• 1 pound ground beef
• 2 stalks lemongrass, outer layers peeled, bottom third finely minced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 1/2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 2 tablespoons Szechuan sauce
• 2-3 Thai chiles, minced
• 1 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste

For the salsa:

• 2 plum tomatoes, finely diced
• 1/2 small yellow onion, finely diced
• 1 tablespoon sweet Thai chili sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fish sauce
• 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
• 1 Thai chili, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

For the crema:

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 1/2 teaspoons lime juice, freshly squeezed
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

For the chili-cheese:

• 4 ounces Velveeta™ cheese, cut into 2-inch cubes
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 3-5 Thai chilis
• 1/4 cup cilantro leaves, packed
• 1/4 cup mint leaves, packed

Directions

Step 1 –Add the oil into a large heavy-bottomed pot and heat it over medium-high heat until it reaches 350 degrees F.

Step 2 –Cut the wonton wrappers in half into triangles.

Step 3 –In a small bowl, combine 1 teaspoon of the salt, the ground Szechuan peppercorns, the cumin, and the coriander.

Step 4 –Line a rimmed baking sheet with paper towels.

Step 5 –Add the wonton wrappers to the hot oil in batches and fry, pulling the wrappers apart if they’re sticking together, until they are golden-brown, about 2 minutes. Adjust the heat as needed to maintain an even oil temperature.

Step 6 –With a slotted spoon, transfer the chips to the prepared sheet pan. Repeat with the remaining wrappers, allowing the oil to return to temperature between batches.

Step 7 –When all of the wrappers have been fried, season them with the salt mixture.

Step 8 –Heat a large frying pan over medium‐high heat. When the pan is hot, add the beef and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until it is no longer pink, about 5-7 minutes.

Step 9 –Use a slotted spoon to transfer the beef to a bowl. Pour out all but about 2 tablespoons of the fat from the pan, then return the pan to the heat.

Step 10 –Add the lemongrass, the garlic, and the ginger to the pan with the beef drippings, and fry, while stirring, until it is very fragrant, about 3 minutes.

Step 11 –Add the hoisin sauce, the Szechuan sauce, 2-3 of the minced Thai chiles, and 1 teaspoon of the salt to the spice mixture, and cook, while stirring, for 2 minutes.

Step 12 –Return the beef to the pot and cook, while stirring, for 2 minutes. Season the meat to taste with additional salt, then set aside.

Step 13 –In a medium bowl, combine the tomatoes, the onion, the chili sauce, the fish sauce, the rice wine vinegar, 1 of the minced Thai chilies, and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and stir to combine.

Step 14 –Chill the salsa in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Step 15 –In another medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, the sour cream, the lime juice, and the remaining salt.

Step 16 –Chill the crema in the fridge until ready to serve.

Step 17 –In a slow cooker on low heat, combine the Velveeta, the sour cream, and the remaining Thai chilis and cook, stirring, until the cheese has melted. Keep the cheese warm over low heat.

Step 18 –Drain the salsa through a fine mesh strainer, retaining the solids and discarding the liquid.

Step 19 –Preheat the oven to 225 degrees F, and gently rewarm the beef over low heat.

Step 20 –Place the chips in the oven for 5 minutes, just long enough to warm them through, then transfer 1/2 of the warmed chips to a platter.

Step 21 –Top the chips with 1/2 of the beef, dollops of 1/2 of the crema, a drizzle of 1/2 of the chili‐cheese, and 1/2 of the salsa.

Step 22 –Add a second layer of chips and repeat the layering, using the remaining beef, the remaining chili‐cheese, the remaining crema, and the remaining salsa.

Step 23 –Top the nachos with the mint and the cilantro leaves and serve immediately.