Making “Memphis Style” Pulled Pork Nachos
These are going to be some delicious Memphis Style Pulled Pork Nachos. First, let me tell you what I mean by “Memphis Style”. Barbecue is split into four styles, which are Kansas City style, Texas style, Carolina style, and Memphis style. The rub makes Memphis style different from the rest. To cook barbecue Memphis style, you need a dry rub that includes different spices, but definitely has paprika and garlic. Once it’s rubbed, Memphis style barbecue is usually cooked over hickory wood.
Memphis style BBQ may be served “dry” with just the rub, or “wet”, with barbecue sauce on the meat along with the dry rub. And, of course, it’s always cooked low and slow.
I’m Getting My “Memphis” on with These Nachos
First I’ll cook up the pork butt on the Deep South Smokers Mailbox and then add the nachos ingredients. They have crunchy, spicy, full flavor in every bite. You won’t be able to resist a plateful of these, whether you’re watching your favorite team play or taking them to a big party. Let’s get after it!
The Ingredients
I kept this recipe pretty simple. I wanted all the spices to work with the mustard to give it that unique Memphis flavor that’s famous far and wide.
- Mustard. I used regular yellow mustard on my pork butt.
- Shredded Prairie Fresh Prime Butt. Every cut is hand-selected and all-natural. This high quality meat ensures the inviting flavor and texture will be there every time.
- Heath Riles BBQ Hot BBQ Rub. This is my #1 seller and it adds spice and flavor to every type of meat I like to eat. I use this one all the time.
- Heath Riles BBQ Sweet BBQ Rub. This rub is sweet and tangy. I love how it tastes on pulled pork nachos.
- Heath Riles BBQ Sweet BBQ Sauce. A few drizzles of this is all it takes to add a sweet taste to the spice and heat of my rubs. Finger-licking good!
- Heath Riles BBQ Tangy Vinegar BBQ Sauce. This barbecue sauce is a well rounded mix of flavors that gives food a spicy taste with a little bit of vinegar and sweet. It’ll make the pulled pork a little bit tangier when it’s mixed with the other spices I’m using.
- Tortilla chips. I used these as the base for my nachos. They add a crunch, plus, they’re the vehicle that gets the pulled pork to my mouth!
- Melted queso. I’m really good friends with cheese, ya’ll. I used lots of it on my nachos for creamy flavor with a little more spice.
- Sour cream. A dollop makes a good garnish for the nachos and tastes great with a big bite.
- Pickled Jalapenos. Several slices of these finish off the recipe and add one more bit of heat to my nachos.
The Equipment Setup
I cooked my pork butt on a Deep South Smokers Mailbox using Royal Oak Charcoal.
The Process for Making “Memphis Style” Pulled Pork Nachos
If you want to follow along as I’m making this recipe, I have a step-by-step video over on Youtube. The instructions are also on the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Here’s what you need to know to make this lip smacking good appetizer.
- Get the butt ready. I took my pork butt out of the pack and dried it off good. Then I cut the bigger chunks of fat off.
- Coat the pork butt. The mustard went on first. I made sure to coat the front, back, and sides of the butt. Then I shook my Hot BBQ Rub all over the meat, making sure I got all of it covered. This rub adds flavor and gives it a good color as it’s cooking. Don’t worry about getting your meat too spicy, because this rub is peppery and flavorful, but not too hot.
- Prep the Deep South Smokers Mailbox. Get it heated up to 275 F to 300 F.
- Start cooking the butt. Put the meat on the Mailbox and let it cook for about 2 hours. Since it’s over direct heat, I checked mine closely. I flipped it at the 2 hour mark. I get excited about my butts, ya’ll, and I love how the rich, deep color on this pork turned out at this point. It was 155 F when I took it off the heat.
- Wrap the pork butt. I laid the butt on a big piece of aluminum foil and covered it with my Tangy Vinegar BBQ Sauce. This sauce is thin and liquidy, which gives the meat a traditional barbecue flavor that’s juicy with a kick. I doubled my foil over top of the butt, wrapped up the ends good, and put it back on the Deep South Mailbox.
- Finish cooking the butt. 2 more hours is what the meat needs to finish off perfectly. I wanted it to get up to 203 F or so, which took right at 3 hours of cooking time. I used my Thermapen to check the internal temperature.
- Let the butt rest. I took the butt off the heat, put it in an aluminum pan, and set it in my YETI Tundra 65 Hard Cooler to rest. Leave it wrapped up for right now.
- Shred the pork. I unwrapped it and pulled out the bone. The meat was melt-in-your-mouth tender, and the fragrance was absolutely starving me to death. I had to have a bite as I was tearing up the pork with my hands. I picked through the butt and pulled any fat I saw out of it.
- Lay out the nachos. I took a fresh back of nachos and laid them out in a single layer on a pan.
- Add cheese. Cheese is a must-have for any nachos. I poured it all over the nachos. Once the pork was on the nachos, I drizzled another layer of cheese to make them even more irresistible.
- Add the pulled pork. Using tongs, I evenly layered the pork butt on top of the nachos and cheese.
- Top the nachos off. I sprinkled some of my Sweet BBQ Rub all over the nachos to add some sweet but kicky flavor. Then I spooned out a big dollop of sour cream in the middle and finished them off by tossing several pieces of sliced pickled jalapenos over the nachos. These fit-for-a-king “Memphis Style” nachos were ready to eat!
The Results
Wow. These pulled pork nachos were full of flavor with a kick. The spices and slow cooking time made the meat melt-in-your-mouth juicy, tender, and delicious. These are a perfect addition to a party or tailgate.
Serving Suggestions for “Memphis Style” Pulled Pork Nachos
There’s no set serving. My crew just eats them until they’re full, or until the pan’s empty.
Equipment and Tools
I used several kitchen tools as I was making these nachos. Here’s my list of equipment.
Deep South Smokers Mailbox, Royal Oak Charcoal, YETI Tundra 65 Hard Cooler, Metal Tongs, ChefAlarm, Thermapen, Victorinox Fibrox Pro 6-inch Curved Boning Knife, Aluminum Sheet Pan, Aluminum foil, Royal Oak Charcoal, Black Gloves
