Braised Sirloin Nachos
Season the steaks with salt and pepper.
Heat a large sauté pan on medium high heat and add oil. When hot add the steaks.
Sear for 2 to 3 minutes until you see a nice crust form on the steaks. Flip over and sear for another 2 minutes on the other side. Transfer to a casserole or oven-safe pan.
While the pan is still hot, add the diced onion and sauté on medium for 3 minutes. Add the mole paste. NOTE: If you are not using paste and can only find sauce, add twice the amount and let toast up in the pan for a minute. Deglaze with the beer and let simmer for 1 minute.
Transfer to the oven. Cook covered at 325°F for 2.5 to 3 hours. Check back each hour, checking the amount of liquid. If it is low, add ½ cup water and cover back up to continue cooking. The goal is to braise the beef and make a reduced sauce, so do not add too much water.
The meat is done when it tears with a fork and the sauce has tightened up. Remove from the oven. Take off foil and use a spoon or a small ladle and gently press into the sauce and meat and remove some of the bright orange fat that will float to the top. Don't remove all the fat, leave about a half or less to add richness to the nachos.
Pull the meat apart into large shreds with a couple of forks into large shreds. Taste for seasoning and adjust. Don’t season too much. Keep in mind the chips and cheese are salty accompaniments
Beer Cheese Fondue
Start this step after braised beef is finished or the next day after if you’re reheating the meat. The sauce comes together fast and needs to be served as soon as possible after it is finished.
Heat the beer in a small sauce pan. Let simmer for about 1 minute on high.
Toss cheese, flour, salt and pepper in a medium bowl.
Once beer has simmered 1 minute, whisk in the heavy cream and let heat back to a simmer. Turn the stove top to medium low heat and whisk in the cheese mixture until smooth- about 1 minute.
ASSEMBLY
Place a large bed of chips (about 8 cups) on a large serving platter.
Pour the cheese fondue over the chips. Stir gently to coat the chips.
Top with the braised beef and any of its sauce and liquid. Garnish with pickled onion, thin sliced raw onion and jalapeno slices. You can also add chopped green onion or cilantro. Don’t go overboard on the garnishes. You want to showcase the braised beef and fondue.
