Middle Eastern ‘Nachos’

I’m thrilled to be partnering with the Certified Angus Beef® brand today with these fun Middle Eastern ‘nachos’!  If you’re a beef lover you probably already know that this is the top of the line. But don’t be confused, ‘Angus’ is the breed of cattle, and Certified Angus Beef® brand represents the best of the breed ~ only 1 in 4 Angus cattle meet the 10 tough standards for quality in order to be sold under the Certified Angus Beef® brand name. When you see the Certified Angus Beef® brand label on your meat, you know it’s the best beef you can buy.

To the extent that I have a ‘food philosophy’ here in the Great Island kitchen, it could be summed up in a couple of words… quality matters.

The single most important thing I can do to eat well (in all senses of the word) is to be mindful of the food I bring into my kitchen. It’s not about cutting out any particular food or food group, it’s about enjoying food that is grown, farmed, caught, or processed in the healthiest, most responsible manner, and that goes for everything from a simple tomato all the way up to a herd of Black Angus cattle.

Is there anything better than a platter of fresh hot nachos? I don’t think so. In this case, I’ve just subbed in some of our favorite Middle Eastern ingredients like toasted pita, spiced beef, chick peas, and a creamy tahini sauce. Lots of roasted pine nuts, too. I chose a Certified Angus Beef® brand top sirloin steak for this dish because it’s a lean cut of meat that’s juicy and delicious. With no bones to deal with, it slices up into little chunks easily. I could have also used a tri-tip or even a London broil.

When you choose your meat for Middle Eastern ‘nachos’, look for marbling, the little white flecks within the meat, it’s what gives beef its flavor, tenderness and juiciness.

I have to admit I could have stopped at the point when those bits of tender steak hit the hot pan, the smell was intoxicating and I think I could have made a meal right then and there out of my cast iron skillet!

But one of the joys of exploring other cuisines is getting to experience completely different taste combinations. For these Middle Eastern style ‘nachos’ I season the beef with a combination of spices that is common in the Middle East, but not so much here. A 7+ spice mix called baharat is a heady blend of:

• pepper
• cinnamon
• cardamom
• cumin
• coriander
• clove
• nutmeg
• allspice
• paprika

You can buy baharat ready made, there are many variations, or grind it yourself from the whole roasted spices (highly recommended.)

The base of my ‘nachos’ are fresh baked pita chips, and I made them myself, it’s so easy. (I follow my husband’s instructions to a ‘t’, he’s the chief pita chip maker in our family.)

1. Cut pita rounds in half, then in quarters. Cut each quarter into 3 triangles.
2. brush the top side with olive oil, and sprinkle with onion salt.
3. bake at 350F for about 8-9 minutes, then flip and cook for another 4-5 minutes until golden.

While I call this an appetizer, it goes without saying that you can absolutely make a meal out of it. Add a nice fresh Greek salad and you’re set.

You can see all my Middle Eastern inspired recipes, HERE.

Middle Eastern ‘Nachos’

4.15 from 7 votes

Middle Eastern 'Nachos' are a creative take on everybody's favorite party appetizer, with juicy steak, chickpeas, and crispy pita bread!

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Prep Time:15 minutes minutes

Cook Time:20 minutes minutes

Total Time:35 minutes minutes

Servings: 6

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Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

• 4 round pita breads
• olive oil
• onion salt
• 1 lb top sirloin steak, Certified Angus Beef® brand
• 1 1/2 tsp baharat seasoning
• 1 cup canned chickpeas, drained and well rinsed
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 jalapeno, finely minced, seeds and all

tahini sauce

• 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup tahini, stir well before measuring
• 4 Tbsp lemon juice, about 1 lemon
• 1/4 tsp salt, more to taste
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced
• 1/3 cup cold water

Instructions

• set oven to 350°F.
• Cut each pita round into 4 quarters, and then cut each quarter into 3 triangles. Lay the bread out in a single layer on a baking sheet.

  Lightly brush the top of each triangle with olive oil, and then sprinkle with onion salt.

  Bake for about 8-9 minutes, or until golden. Flip, and bake for another 4-5 minutes. Let cool and then arrange the pita triangles in a single layer on a serving platter.
• Put the chickpeas in a small saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a simmer, then turn off the heat, cover, and set aside to keep warm.
• Whisk together the tahini sauce ingredients, adding the 1/3 cup water to loosen it up to make a thick but pourable sauce. Add more water if necessary. Taste to adjust the salt or lemon juice.
• Cut the steak into small 1/2 inch cubes. Season with the baharat spice. Heat a heavy skillet on medium high until quite hot. Add a small amount of olive oil to the pan and then, working in 2 batches, brown the meat, letting it sear on the first side, and then shaking it around to brown it all over.

  You're looking for some good color on the beef, so make sure you've got a pretty high heat. This will only take a few minutes.
• Drain the chickpeas well, and spoon them over the pita chips. Sprinkle them liberally with the cumin. Follow with a layer of the tahini sauce, and then add the meat. Top with the toasted pine nuts and another drizzle of the sauce. Scatter the jalapenos over all.
• Serve immediately.

Notes

*This recipe is adapted from The Palestinian Table

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Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: Middle Eastern/American

Author: Sue Moran

Keyword: beef, nachos, pita bread, steak

Nutrition

Serving: 1 · Calories: 358 kcal · Carbohydrates: 31 g · Protein: 27 g · Fat: 14 g · Saturated Fat: 3 g · Polyunsaturated Fat: 5 g · Monounsaturated Fat: 5 g · Trans Fat: 0.002 g · Cholesterol: 45 mg · Sodium: 430 mg · Potassium: 490 mg · Fiber: 3 g · Sugar: 1 g · Vitamin A: 46 IU · Vitamin C: 8 mg · Calcium: 109 mg · Iron: 3 mg

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although The View from Great Island attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.

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