CHINESE FIRECRACKER NACHOS

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon minced peeled ginger
1 pound 95% lean ground pork
2 tablespoons Chinese chili-garlic sauce
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
4 to 5 ounces corn tortilla chips
5 ounces Muenster cheese, sliced and torn into small pieces (or about 2 cups shredded)
TO SERVE:
3 ounces Napa cabbage leaves, finely sliced
3 to 4 teaspoons rice vinegar
1 green onion, chopped (white and green parts)

In a large skillet, warm sesame oil over medium heat. Stir-fry ginger until it starts to soften, about 1 minute.

Raise heat to high. Add pork, breaking it up into crumbly bits. As the pork cooks, stir in chili-garlic sauce and hoisin sauce. Continue to cook, stirring and breaking up the pork. Add sesame seeds. The pork will give off juices as it cooks, then the juices will start to evaporate. Cook until the pork is fairly dry on the outer surface, so that the chips don't get soggy. (The pork mixture may be fried as much as a day in advance; refrigerate if not using within an hour.)

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F or preheat the broiler, placing the rack 7 inches from the heat source.

Arrange the tortilla chips on a 12-by-18-inch baking sheet or ovenproof platter. Sprinkle cheese over the chips. Sprinkle the pork mixture over the cheese.

Bake 4 to 6 minutes or broil until the cheese is bubbly.

While the nachos cook, toss the cabbage with the rice vinegar.

TO SERVE:
Sprinkle the nachos with green onion and the seasoned cabbage.

Makes 6 appetizer servings
Source: Macho Nachos by Kate Heyhoe