Jack Black’s hit film “Nacho Libre” got us thinking. Not about masked Mexican wrestlers, but about nachos. Real nachos. Nachos made with the crispiest corn tortillas, the creamiest cheeses and the hottest jalapenos.
The movie, which opened Friday, suggests that pretty much anyone with gumption can don a scary wrestling mask and shiny cape and call themselves a wrestler. Which is exactly the plight of nachos these days: Anybody with a bag of chips, a vat of orange goo and some pickled peppers can call themselves a nacho maker and creator of a dish called nachos.
Woe is nachos. How could something so simple have grown into the gloppy monstrosities that now wear the nacho banner? The great American menu is writ large with all types of nacho creations, many of them abominations, all of them piled high with too many ingredients. Worse are the nachos served in sports stadiums and ballparks, movie theaters and convenience stores, a tortilla chip’s worst nightmare.
And yet all these forms of nachos are wildly popular. The Mexican nacho obviously has morphed, for good or better, into a catch-all for a haystack-like assemblage of crunchy and cheesy.
Nacho expert Kate Heyhoe, editor of the food and cooking e-zine globalgourmet.com, calls the chips covered with meat, beans, cheese, sour cream, guacamole, onions and a half-dozen other ingredients Yankee Nachos. As author of the recipe book “Macho Nachos,” Heyhoe may write about a more global approach to nachos, but her sense of nacho purity brings her back to the Mexican basic.
Is there a right way and a wrong way to construct nachos?
Seriously, the beauty of a great nacho lies in its simplicity–use a few choice ingredients, of good quality, and let their flavors sing in harmony.
The very first nacho was exactly that: pure and simple. Just three ingredients: a corn chip topped with real aged cheddar cheese and wheels of fresh jalapeno. Some legends say beans were included, but most agree the beans came later.
Also, when I was kid, we always topped nachos as individual chips, not as a “layer.” The original nachos were meant to be eaten this way, as separate chips. Even rich oil tycoons would serve nachos as individual bites, passed on fancy trays. I think the restaurant business, in its need for haste, probably turned them into the sloppy helter-skelter nacho platters we now see.
Are good nachos about a balance of textures?
Balance and contrast of textures and tastes. You’ve got the crunch of the chip, the soft, rich cheese and the spike of the green chile. In “Macho Nachos,” the recipes keep this contrast of elements in play, even though the actual ingredients range from fiery Chinese pork to roasted salmon to artichoke hearts and a variety of cheeses and fresh toppings.
You advocate for individual nachos as opposed to hills of chips and cheese. Why is this?
Individual nachos are authentic and civilized. They’re easy to eat. You don’t need a fork or a boatload of napkins, and most importantly, you really taste the magic of the combined ingredients. When you order sushi, do you expect a mountain of rice, fishes, nori and sauces?
What are the pitfalls of nacho making?
Broilers tend to burn the chips before the cheese melts. I found that this is the most foolproof method of cooking nachos: Bake them in a preheated 475 degree F oven, with the oven rack in the top third of the oven. Time varies, but usually 5 to 7 minutes will do.
What are you looking for in nacho heaven?
I would love to see the resurrection of authentic nachos, and a move away from nachos as junk food. “Macho Nachos” has all sorts of variations, but I stick to the essence of the nacho, as an appetizer made with just a few quality ingredients, one that enjoys a place in casual settings or fancy fests, but it’s definitely not junk food. Cooks should play around with ingredients and variations, but when you lose the integrity of the original inspiration, it’s time to call it something else.
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Crunch time
Nacho expert Kate Heyhoe says the beauty of a great nacho lies in its simplicity, with just a few quality ingredients put on top of individual chips. Here are some recipes that can be found in Heyhoe’s book, “Macho Nachos”
Fiery Fajita-Cotija Nachos
Top chips with shredded asadero and crumbled cotija cheeses. Broil until cheeses start to melt. Top with pickled jalapenos and cooked fajita meat. Broil until cheeses completely melt.
Spicy Thai Beef Nachos with Peanut Sauce
Mix 1/ 2 teaspoon Thai curry paste and 4 ounces goat cheese. Mix 2 tablespoons Thai satay sauce and 2 teaspoons lime juice. Sprinkle 4 ounces shredded mozzarella over 4-5 ounces corn tortilla chips. Shred 6 ounces roast beef. Distribute over cheese. Top with bits of the goat cheese mixture. Broil 4-6 minutes. Drizzle with satay mixture.
Chinese Firecracker Nachos
Stir-fry 1 pound ground pork with 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil, 1 tablespoon minced ginger, 2 tablespoons Chinese chili garlic sauce, 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce, 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds. Sprinkle chips with shredded muenster and then pork mixture. Bake at 475 F 4-6 minutes. Toss 3 ounces shredded cabbage with 3-4 teaspoons rice vinegar. Serve with chopped green onions and cabbage mix.
Smoked Chicken, Roasted Peppers and Asiago Nachos
In this order, layer chips with shredded asiago, diced smoked chicken, more asiago and slivered, roasted red peppers. Broil 5-7 minutes.
Italian BLT Nachos
Top corn chips with shredded provolone and crumbled bacon. Bake at 475 F 4-6 minutes or broil until cheese is melted. Sprinkle shredded lettuce on top and spoon on chopped Roma tomatoes. Splatter with mayonnaise.
Hawaiian Pineapple and Canadian Bacon Nachos
Mix 4 ounces crumbled goat cheese and 4 ounces shredded mozzarella. Smear sun-dried tomato pesto on corn chips. Top with cheese mixture. Add a chip-size piece of Canadian bacon and a smaller piece of pineapple. Top with red pepper flakes. Broil 4-6 minutes.
SOURCE: “MACHO NACHOS;” PHOTOS COURTESY OF KATE HEYHOE, THOMAS WAY
— Orlando Sentinel
