Blue Corn Nachos with Mexican Chorizo
Now days Nochos are as much American as they are Mexican. The story of Nachos began in 1943 in the Mexican town of Pedros Negras across the border from Eagle Pass, Texas. There is where Ignasio “Nacho†Anaya invented Nachos, nacho being the diminutive of Ignasio. By the 1950’s Ignacio’s creation spread across the US and Mex-Tex food became as American as apple pie.
And who doesn’t love nachos! Well, even today nachos can be a bit baffling for the uninitiated living beyond the Americas. Visually nachos do look like a “mash up†and then there is the challenge of how to eat them. With your hands… of course! With that all inhibitions are off the table and the fun begins. I haven’t met a single person who doesn’t love nachos.
Nachos have many incarnations and can veer well beyond the Ignacio’s original idea. Fast food joints are notorious for drowning the whole affair with a lava flow of processed cheese and mountains of faux sour cream.
My advice is to choose your ingredients with consideration so that that each ingredient’s flavor is complimentary, identifiable, and does justice to Ignasio’s original concept. Less is more makes all the difference here.
The recipe that follows does require the gathering together of several preparations made in advance, but there are some shortcuts. Mexican chorizo is readily available where there are Mexican communities and canned beans can be used in lieu of cooking them yourself. I highly recommend splurging on the corn tortilla chips and cheese. For this recipe I have used Garden of Eatin’ organic blue corn chips and Spanish Queso Manchego cheese. Queso Manchego is a semi hard sheep milk cheese from the arid  plateau of La Mancha in central Spain with fruity, grassy, and tangy notes. It shaves beautifully and well worth a try.
Nachos can be served with drinks, as a snack, or even as a main course as I often do. I assure you nachos will become an all time favorite with friends and family and they will love you for all your efforts!
See sourcing tips in Chiang Mai below.
Blue Corn Nachos with Mexican Chorizo
Queso Manchego
- 1 teaspoon cold pressed peanut oil
- blue or yellow corn chips
- refried beans, warmed (see recipe here)
- Mexican chorizo warmed (see recipe here)
- Monchego cheese, thinly shaved (or other)
- sour cream or full fat Greek yogurt
- flame roasted tomato salsa (see recipe here)
Have ready a cast iron comal (grilling platter) or skillet.
preheat oven to 350f/180c
Lightly oil the cast iron platter or skillet. Arrange a layer of corn chips over the bottom of the platter and add a second layer of chips crisscrossing the first layer.
Spoon the refried beans here and there over the corn chips.
Queso Manchego
Generously spoon the chorizo over the chips and beans.
Distribute the shaved cheese over all.
Transfer the platter to the oven and heat for about 15 minutes or until the cheese is just melted.
Remove from the oven and add dollops of sour cream or Greek Yogurt over the nachos.
Serve with the flame roasted tomato salsa which pulls all the flavors together!
Buen provecho!
Sourcing tips for those of you who live in Chiang Mai
For those of you who don’t have a cast iron comal or skillet, Rimping at Promenada have stocked a rugged looking skillet that looks perfectly functional at just under 1000 Baht!
Top’s Market has a full selection of Garden of Eatin†organic corn chips and well worth the 115 Baht.
Rimping Markets carry El Charro Nacho Chips which are made with stone ground masa. They are the real thing and made in Thailand.
Canned beans are available at Top’s Markets and Rimping Markets. Rimping at Maya has recently added black beans to their selection!
For an an alternate cheese source check out Wine Connection’s retail cheeses and meats. They often have cheeses that are not available at other retailers and their prices are generally cheaper.
Paul’s Cold Pressed Peanut Oil is available at Rimping Markets. Wonderful peanut flavor and the perfect substitute for lard when cooking Mexican food
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