Weekly Recipe: Chilaquiles by Chez Nick

There’s nothing quite like the satisfaction of a home-cooked meal, but we all want something that tastes as if it were from a world-class restaurant.

Chez Nick is a neighborhood restaurant inn the upper east side of New York City that's trying to blur that home-cooked, world-class line. The menu uses locally-sourced ingredients and fine-dining techniques to produce a combination of comforting dishes, and we've got one of those recipes below for you to try.

See also: Weekly Recipe: Baked Mostaccioli by Chef Greg Baxtrom

Anyone who's been to the southwest or ran to brunch with a hangover knows the wonders of chilaquiles. A traditional Mexican breakfast made with friend corn tortillas, it's a fan favorite recipe over at Chez Nick, though co-founders Bobby Little and Chad Urban have someone else to thank for its genius.

"This dish was inspired by one of our first employees, Janet," Little says. "She started out as a busser and runner during the pandemic and has since been promoted to a server at Chez Nick. Janet comes in from time to time early to help us out with family meals. Everything she makes is fantastic, and she was lucky enough to share how she makes chilaquiles with us. We put our spin on it, and it has become a Chez Nick brunch staple ever since!"

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Although there are a few different parts to this recipe, once you gather all your ingredients it’s much simpler than it seems. This recipe serves around six to eight people, so give it a try to enjoy with your family or friends.

Mrs. Janet’s Chilaquiles

Ingredients:

• crispy corn tortilla
• beef barbacoa
• tomatillo salsa verde
• cotija
• pico de gallo
• lime crema

Beef Barbacoa

• 1 lb tri-tip
• 1 can of chipotle in adobo sauce
• 1 tbsp of tomato paste
• 12 oz bottle of Mexican lager
• 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 1 tsp coriander
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 1 onion sliced
• half a head of garlic
• 1 qt chicken stock
• canola oil

Tomatillo Salsa Verde

• 1 lb tomatillos, cut in halves
• 4 whole garlic cloves
• 1 Spanish onion, thinly sliced
• 1 bunch cilantro
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp coriander
• 1 jalapeno, halved

Pico de Gallo

• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• ½ small red onion, finely chopped
• 1 jalapeno finely chopped
• ¼ cup of lime juice, to taste
• olive oil
• salt
• ½ cup cilantro (chiffonade)

Directions:

Beef Barbacoa

1. Season the beef with salt and pepper (as if you were covering your side walk with salt before a snow storm).
2. Grill or sear in a large pan or pot for color, then remove the beef from the pot.
3. In the same pan or pot, saute the onions and roast the half head of garlic in the pan with canola oil until translucent.
4. Add tomato paste and roast in the pan until a fond develops on the bottom.
5. Add spices and chipotle, and stir. Then deglaze with beer and apple cider vinegar. Reduce the mixtur until there is no more sharp smell coming from the pot.
6. Add the beef back to the pot with the chicken stock. Cover with a lid and put in the oven at 300 F, and cook until the meat is able to be pulled apart.
7. Fold the meat into the braising liquid and it’s ready to serve.

Tomatillo Salsa Verde

1. Pre-heat vent to 350 F.
2. Toss tomatillos, onion, jalapeno and garlic cloves with canola oil and salt. Roast on a sheet pan until tomatillos are soft and the onions/garlic are tender. Approximately 15 to 25 minutes.
3. Place in a blender with the cilantro and spices.
4. Ready to serve.

Pico de Gallo

1. Toss tomatoes, onion, jalapeño and cilantro together.
2. Season with olive oil, salt, lime juice for taste!

Lime Crema

1. Whip one cup of sour cream with the zest and juice of one lime.

Assembly:

1. Place the tortillas on the bottom of the plate and cover with the tomatillo salsa verde liberally.
2. Place the barbacoa on top of the salsa verde and cover with two sunny side up eggs.
3. Top with pico de gallo, lime crema, cotija and pickled cilantro for garnish!

Visit Little and Urban’s restaurants, Chez Nick and Leroy's, for more food like this.