WHEN I WAS YOUNG and growing up in Dallas, our favorite Mexican restaurant was a family-owned hole-in-the wall called Herrera's. It's now expanded to a much larger location, but in the 1970s it was in an old adobe building that had ten tables and to reach the dining room, you had to walk through the kitchen. Dallas went crazy for its soulful cooking, and the waits to get in were often long, but it was worth it.
We all had our favorite things to order: for my dad, it was the enchiladas, I loved the tamales, and my mom always went for the crazy nachos. Now, it always surprised me that my mom would order nachos since she ate them at home almost every single day for her lunch. However, she explained that while hers were good, Herrera's Crazy Nachos were the best.
In those days—before nachos became a sloppy stack of "chips and stuff"—nachos were a refined, simpler dish, with each individual tortilla chip topped with just cheese, beans, and jalapeños. So when Herrera's added taco meat, guacamole, and sour cream to their crazy nachos, it was considered quite daring and wild. That said, Herrera's crazy nachos were still elegant: each chip was a self-contained bite of all these fantastic flavors.
I admit that the name may seem a bit dated to some, as there's really nothing crazy about these nachos at all. But no matter what you call them, they're a fully loaded treat that is great to enjoy when watching games or sitting around and visiting with family and friends. And, if you're like my mom, they make a fine meal, too.
Recipe information
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
CHIPOTLE TACO MEAT
GUACAMOLE
CRAZY NACHOS
Preparation
Step 1
To make the chipotle taco meat, in a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-low heat. Add the beef and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the beef is lightly browned and the onion is translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds more. Add the tomato, chili powder, cumin, oregano, cayenne, and chipotle chile. Stir until the spices are well distributed, turn down the heat, and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the masa harina until well combined, then taste and adjust the seasonings. Add salt and black pepper to taste. Stir in the lime juice and remove from the heat.
Step 2
To make the guacamole, mash the avocado until smooth. Stir in the jalapeño, cilantro, cumin, and lime juice. Adjust seasonings and add salt to taste.
Step 3
To make the nachos, pour 1/2 of oil into a heavy skillet and heat to 350°F. If you don't have a candy thermometer, after 5 minutes of heating, you can stick a wooden spoon into the oil to see if it's ready. If the oil bubbles around the spoon it should be hot enough. In batches, fry the tortillas for 1 minute, until golden brown, turning once. Drain on a paper towel and sprinkle lightly with salt.
Step 4
Place the chips close together but not overlapping on a baking sheet or castiron skillet, and top each with 1 teaspoon refried beans, 2 tablespoons chipotle taco meat, and 2 tablespoons cheddar cheese.
Step 5
Bake for 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted. After removing the nachos from the oven, top each with 1 tablespoon guacamole, 1 tablespoon sour cream, and 1 pickled jalapeño slice. Serve warm, with salsa on the side.
