Birria Nachos

Cut chuck roast into 5-6" pieces. Season all sides with plenty of salt. Heat large skillet with a little olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Then sear pieces of meat on all sides. (Sear a few pieces at a time so you don't overcrowd the pan.) Place meat in crockpot and set it to low. Then add a little more olive oil to the same skillet and place the chile pods, onion and garlic cloves in it. Let it fry long enough to develop char marks, flipping over as necessary. Pour in enough hot water so that the chile pods can soak in it and rehydrate, and immediately lower the temperature to low or turn it off if the pan is too hot. Let ingredients soak approximately 10 minutes so that they soften. Then transfer everything in the skillet to a blender or food processor, including the liquid. Add the oregano, cumin, kosher salt and thyme to those ingredients. Add in a little more water, just enough to almost cover those ingredients, and blend until you have a smooth sauce. Pour the sauce over the meat in the crockpot, cover with the lid, and let it cook on low for six hours, until fork tender. Remove pieces and shred with a fork or cut with a knife.

Place oil in large pan about an inch deep and heat on medium high. Use knife to cut tortillas into sixths, like a pizza so that you're left with triangles. (I first cut into eighths in this video, but switched to sixths for a larger size chip.) Deep fry tortilla triangles on both sides, leaving them in the oil long enough for them to get crispy. Remove and place on rack lined with paper towels to remove excess oil. Immediately season with salt.

Place layer of crispy tortilla chips on large baking sheet, cover with shredded cheese of your choice. (I used both mild cheddar and Oaxaca cheese.) Top with birria and other toppings of your choice. (I added pickled jalapeños & black olives.) Then add a second layer of tortilla chips, followed by more cheese, birria and other toppings. Sprinkle a little more cheese on top and broil until all the cheese is melted. Top with fresh guacamole, salsa, and sour cream or Mexican crema, and enjoy while hot!