Deer Lord! Party + Asian Style Nachos

I’m a firm believer that game nights should be unassuming get-together’s and only need three things: good friends, good food and of course a good game. You’ll need to take care of the first one yourself, but today I’ve got the other two covered.

Have I mentioned before that I come from a family of gamers? Maybe I have, but I might not have described to what extent. Now, I’m not talking video games, I’m talking board and card games. First of all, my brother owned a board game store for over a decade. And my sister? Instead of a library of books, she has a library of games. It’s an obsession, and I don’t hate it. Needless to say, we know games. And today I’m introducing you to a new favorite!

There is a wide spectrum of games in the world. Some of my siblings enjoy strategy games that take up to 5 hours long (!!!), whereas I prefer party games that are relatively short and exciting, with lots and lots of laughter involved. Which is why this is my new favorite game, I was sooo pleasantly surprised with how much fun it was! In Deer Lord! you dupe and duel each other until someone gets rid of all their cards and is crowned the “deer lord.” Dupes are secret missions you try to complete stealthily while the game is in play, either easy stuff like say something in a foreign language, or slightly more difficult like do a handstand. The trick is to make it natural enough that people won’t realize it’s a mission. The duels are my favorite. You challenge another player to the duel, things like who can fit the most items in their mouth, or who can tell the best joke. That’s where things get really rowdy and fun! If you saw my Instagram stories last week (@gina.chong) you’ll know I lost miserably at the fitting food in my mouth duel lol. And a duel for who can win a thumb war may or may not have ended in blood…like I said, we take our games seriously ha. The person who can get complete all of the dupes and duels in their hand first wins. At the end I didn’t win the crown, but my cheeks were raw from laughing and I had become a fan. Love this game.

Deer Lord! started out in Europe as an independent game, but it got super popular and now it’s available at Target! The one at Target is an updated core version that also includes the “Gangsta” and “Broadway” expansions. Highly recommend, guys. Whose checking it out on their next Target run?? While you’re there, also grab the ingredients for my party snack recipe: Asian Style Nachos! With Korean flavored pulled beef and some other secret ingredients, I’m pretty proud of these, and here’s a tip: they would be just as good over fries. So for your next game night, snag Deer Lord! at Target, grab these nacho ingredients, and get ready for a happy belly and sore cheeks from laughing. Happy gaming!

Asian Style Nachos

• 6 oz. tortilla chips 
• 1 lb chuck roast
• 1/2 cup apple juice
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp ginger, minced
• 2 Tbsp soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp sesame oil
• 1 cup kimchi, chopped
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 Tbsp gochujang (red pepper paste)
• 1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
• 2 Tbsp soy sauce
• green onions, chopped
• Kewpie mayo
• sriracha sauce
• 1-1/2 cups Mexican cheese
• guacamole

Directions:

Place chuck roast in pressure cooker or slow cooker. In a small bowl, whisk together the apple juice, onion powder, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, brown sugar and sesame oil. Poor over your roast. If cooking in a pressure cooker, use the red meat function to cook. If using a slow cooker, cook on high for 4 hours or until very tender. When done, use two forks to pull the beef into shreds, and return it to the pot to soak in the marinade until ready for use.

In a small bowl, combine the granulated sugar, gochujang, vinegar and soy sauce. Add the chopped kimchi and stir to coat. Heat a pan over med-high heat. Using tongs, add the kimchi to the pan, shaking off excess liquid. Cook kimchi for 5-6 minutes until the sauce is thick and the kimchi begins browning in spots. Remove from heat.

To Assemble:

Place your oven rack to the highest position. Set oven to a low broil. Place tortilla chips onto an oven-safe pan. Sprinkle with half your cheese, then half your kimchi and a generous amount of pulled beef. Sprinkle again with cheese, leaving just a Tablespoon or two, and follow with remaining kimchi and beef. Finish it off with the remaining cheese and broil until cheese is just melted. Once done, sprinkle with green onions, and drizzle with Kewpie mayo and sriracha. Serve guacamole on the side, and enjoy!

Caramelized kimchi recipe from HERE.