Bricklayer-Style Nachos

By Pati Jinich

Published Nov. 3, 2020

Bricklayer-Style Nachos
Christopher Simpson for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
1 hour
Rating
4(2,277)
Comments
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Bricklayer-style beef, or puntas al albañil, made with tender pieces of beef, salty bacon and sometimes chorizo in a chunky fire-roasted salsa, is a beloved taco filling in Mexico. Once a common snack available near construction sites in central Mexico, it became popular beyond street food stands, expanding into homes and restaurants over the years. Here it’s used as the foundation for nachos, topped with mounds of melted cheese, tangy queso fresco, creamy avocado and crunchy scallions for a hearty, delicious meal.

Featured in: The Original Nachos Were Crunchy, Cheesy and Truly Mexican

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Ingredients

Yield:6 to 8 servings
  • 2pounds ripe Roma tomatoes or 2 (15-ounce) cans fire-roasted tomatoes
  • 8ounces thick-cut bacon, thinly sliced
  • 8ounces fresh Mexican chorizo, casing removed, coarsely chopped
  • 1½pounds beef sirloin, excess fat removed, meat cut into ½-inch pieces
  • Kosher or sea salt and black pepper
  • 1medium white onion, halved and slivered (about 1½ cups)
  • 1 to 2jalapeños or serrano chiles, halved, deseeded if desired, and sliced
  • 2garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1 to 1½pounds store-bought or Homemade Tortilla Chips (see recipe)
  • 12ounces shredded Mexican melty cheese, like Oaxaca, Asadero or quesadilla, or even Monterey Jack or mozzarella (about 3 cups)
  • 1ripe avocado, halved, pitted and finely chopped
  • 1cup crumbled queso fresco
  • 8scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)

1015 calories; 66 grams fat; 24 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 26 grams monounsaturated fat; 11 grams polyunsaturated fat; 61 grams carbohydrates; 8 grams dietary fiber; 6 grams sugars; 45 grams protein; 1080 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    If using fresh tomatoes, place them on a small baking sheet covered with aluminum foil. Place them under the broiler for 8 to 10 minutes, turning halfway through, until charred, mushy and juices have begun to run. Remove from heat. Once cool enough to handle, chop them without discarding any of the juices, seeds or charred skin.

  2. Step 2

    Heat a large (12-inch) skillet over medium-high. Add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until it browns slightly and renders some of its fat, 3 to 4 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    Add the chorizo to the bacon, and cook, breaking the sausage into smaller pieces using a wooden spoon as it begins to brown and crisp, 3 to 4 minutes.

  4. Step 4

    Add the beef, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring a couple times, until it begins to brown, about 4 minutes. Incorporate the onion and jalapeño and cook until they begin to wilt, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and stir until fragrant but not browned, less than 1 minute.

  5. Step 5

    Stir in the fresh or canned chopped tomatoes with their juices and cook over high, stirring occasionally, until saucy, 2 to 3 minutes. Season to taste with salt.

  6. Step 6

    Set the rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 400 degrees. Place all the tortilla chips in a half sheet pan or large baking sheet in an even layer. Cover the chips with the bricklayer meat mixture and all of its chunky salsa. Cover with the shredded cheese. Bake until cheese has completely melted, 8 to 10 minutes.

  7. Step 7

    Garnish with the avocado, crumbled queso fresco and scallions. Dig in while hot!

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Ratings

4 out of 5
2,277 user ratings
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Comments

Michael

What does "thick-cut bacon, thinly sliced" mean?

L Allen

Make the meat mixture, divide into four portions and freeze three. Pull one portion out at night for the next night. Microwave thawed mixture briefly, use a glass pie pan of chips, top with meat, cheese, etc and bake. Work night dinner, hot and salty and indulgent.

Erin

Use thick cut bacon, cut it into thin pieces. Like a julienne or a match stick

Ruth

I thought the recipe was ok -- the meat combination of sirloin, bacon, and chorizo was interesting. It definitely was missing some acidity for us -- adding some pickled red onion or pickled jalapeno felt like it would take this up a notch. This is also a heavy and wet topping for nachos. I did NOT follow the baking instructions, because I hate soggy nachos. lnstead used broiler on high to toast chips, melted cheese on chips, and served meat mixture on top.

Ingrid Mazziotta

Absolutely delish! Definitely a 5 star recipe! I did make a few mods: I salted the fresh tomatoes and put those right into the recipe when it called for them, and I also put on the cheese before the meat mixture. So delicious!

bjm

Really good! Made sauce ahead, froze half and used the rest (halving everything else). Didn't get soggy as warned in some comments, and bacon and chorizo in bricklayer sauce really packed a punch. Made guacamole instead of plain avocado to serve with

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