what is the traditional recipe for preparing nachos?
Nachos are considered more “Tex Mex” than Mexican, being an invention of one Ignacio “Nacho” Anaya, a restaurateur serving American servicemen in the 1940s. At their essence, they are simply a layer of tortilla chips with melted cheddar cheese and jalapeño peppers. Unfortunately, the sports stadium concessionaires got a hold of the nachos idea and ruined it by using melted, processed Velveeta cheese, instead of real cheddar. So now, many people think that that’s what nachos are. How distressing! Nachos are all about the ingredients – the best tortilla chips, freshly made refried pinto beans, grated cheddar cheese, jalapeño peppers, salsa, guacamole, sour cream and fresh cilantro. Canned refried beans can be used for this recipe, of course. But you are truly missing out by not trying to make your beans fresh. It’s a whole other world. Regarding the salsa, there are two kinds of tomato salsa that we use often, one with fresh tomatoes and one with cooked. We used to make the cooked tomato
Traditional Tex-Mex Nachos by Kate Heyhoe Serves 2 as a light meal, 4 to 6 as a snack Don’t confuse these nachos with the gooey, gloppy orange stuff passed off as nachos in cheap restaurants. This is the authentic style of nacho that spread across Texas and the nation faster than wildfire back in the 1960’s and 70’s—it’s the real thing. Oil billionaires, Texas governors and now US presidents have all feasted on this authentic Tex-Mex snack, and to this day, it never goes out of style. Note: Store-bought chips are convenient and keep well in the cupboard, but if you can, make chips using fresh tortillas, cut into quarters, then fried in hot oil until crispy. Or, purchase a bag of freshly fried tortilla chips from a local Mexican restaurant or market. You’ll taste the difference immediately. Also, if you have a Mexican restaurant which makes awesome refried beans, or you make them from scratch yourself, use them instead of canned beans. When making nachos, remember that amounts are appro
