Nachos Especiales

It’s not as if more proof is needed that our county has gone to hell in a hand basket, but another example of the current sorry state of affairs is the nacho.

In fact, nacho, as in the singular piece, is nearly extinct. What passes for ‘nachos’ in restaurants bear are, well let’s face it, a hot mess.  You know what I mean.

The nacho I feel in love with in Mexico (yes, this Tex-Mex border invention has traveled to Mexico City very nicely, thank you) is an individual crunchy piece of corn chip neatly topped with refried beans, jalapeno and bubbling hot cheese.  small bits of meat or chorizo sausage are also right at home on the nacho, perhaps a sprig of cilantro or chopped green onion. but no much more.  A dab of sour cream makes for a lovely finish.

Nachos, like sandwiches, generally don’t need a precise recipe. Here’s the general technique. It’s transformative.

1. Start with round tortilla chips, which are less likely to break when spread with room-temperature canned refried beans. Triangle chips snap too easily.

2. Use a small spatula to spread 1 teaspoon of refried beans onto each chip, place them side by side on a baking sheet. Top with a tablespoon or so of small pieces of cooked meat: chicken, beef, crumbled chorizo.

3. Place 1 – 2 sliced jalapeno pepper (fresh or pickled) on top of the meat.

4. Cover each chip with sharp yellow or white cheese.  I like to use slices of cheese, broken up to best cover the chip without too much overhang.  Freshly grated cheese works well too, if a bit messier. (Avoid pre-shredded cheese because it never seems to keep its flavor. )

5. Repeat until you run out of chips or space on the baking sheet.

6. Place the baking sheet under the broiler 5 – 6 ” away from the heat.  Broil until bubbling, about three or four minutes.

Serve with a sour cream.

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5. Put the baking