Posted on 04/20/2023 9:08:03 PM PDT by Responsibility2nd
If there were ever two foods more made for each other than tortilla chips and melted cheese, aka nachos, we'd like to eat them. Nachos are sublime and the only thing better is Texas nachos. Why? Because so much TLC is taken to ensure each corn chip has the proper amount of refried beans, cheese, and a pickled jalapeno or two.
Authentic Texas nachos are all about getting the details just right so every crispy, gooey bite has the same effect on your taste buds. And when it comes to the absolute type of cheese you use to sprinkle on top of these chips, there is only one you should be reaching for: Colby Longhorn cheese.
When it comes to the cheese for your nachos, it can be argued that it is a key, if not the most critical, ingredient when making your Texas version of this finger food. That warm melted dairy product is the creamy glue in this culinary equation that helps keep those jalapeños in place. But the cheese also imparts a savory, rich flavor to your nachos that keeps your hand coming back for more to shovel in your mouth. So, why should you pick Colby Longhorn cheese over a basic sharp cheddar or Monterey pepper jack?
Cheddar cheese is delicious, but its taste is distinctive and a pepper jack is going to add a little too much heat. Colby Longhorn cheese is going to give you a better taste than those other cheeses when you make your Texas nachos because it has more of a "mellow" vibe. Colby Longhorn cheese is dyed orange and gets its name thanks to its cylinder shape. The flavor is described as mild and sweet which is a perfect compliment to the heat of the jalapeño that sets on top of it.
Colby cheese melts well, too. Its high levels of fat and protein help it convert to the melted gold we know and love. Moreover, it is going to be easier to grate than cheddar cheese because Colby Longhorn is considered a semi-soft cheese. It has a softer texture that melts perfectly over those refried beans.
The end result is a creamy, smooth taste that doesn't overwhelm the salty goodness of the tortilla chip nor does it clash with the pickled jalapeño. A final note of advice: When picking your Colby Longhorn cheese, opt for a younger cheese as its buttery velvet texture will be even creamier on the tongue.
Or try this some time: Doritos Nacho Cheese tortilla chips using Swiss Cheese.
And always add jalapeño peppers!
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>> Colby Longhorn cheese is going to give you a better taste than those other cheeses when you make your Texas nachos because it has more of a “mellow” vibe.
Sharp cheddar for me as well. If I wanted a “mellow vibe” I wouldn’t put jalapenos on it! And no jalapenos would be just wrong. Probably illegal in Texas, actually.
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I ate a lot of Longhorn cheese as a kid in Texas. Didn’t know better. Admired the name.
I was taught to use two parts Colby to One Part Jack.
I’ll use cheddar in a pinch, but not sharp, as it doesn’t melt as well.
Something like that I’m only good for maybe two chips then I’m pushing it away. All that sounds cloying as hell.
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No other like it !!!!!
Colby is too oily when it melts if you ask me, I prefer cheddar jack. To each his own I guess.
Colby Longhorn is good choice but you always have to have good guac, diced tomato, serrano and jalapeno peppers. For the protein, always go with fajita or brisket.
For the base, don’t screw around with Doritos or any national brand and don’t use thin chips. Thin chips break and you are jut going to have a mess at the table. Go with a thicker chip that is only salted and no flavors added.
If you must go with beans, use black beans.
And don’t go cheap on the salsa. Go to a good grocery and get a high end salsa that is made in Texas. Better yet, go with two or three salsas, a red, a green and a pico.
Bake very hot and eat fast, don’t let them sit around.
Hey... That’s ‘not your cheese’... Get it? Noc ho cheeze?
I’m Nachoman and I approve of this thread.
The best cheese for nachos is someone else’s. Because it’s... nachocheez! :-D
more threads like this please :)
Colby is awesome! But pickled jalapeños instead of fresh or grilled? Please.
My younger brother married a Texas girl he met in Air Force Tech School. Very devout Southern Baptist, the daughter of a Chief Master Sergeant. I believe they have been married for 47 years because my wife and I are fast approaching our forty-ninth wedding Anniversary in a couple of months. She married up because my brother went to OTS and got a force reduction retirement as a Major after 17 years. My brother Bob is now a dyed in the wool Texan
I have to tell you about my youngest brother's experience in Texas. Years ago in the 1980's he was on a crew of contract installers putting in Central Office relay racks and patch fields for fiber optic gear.
After many long months they finally completed the contract, packed up their trucks stood in the parking lot of the long term motel to say goodbye, then head home to various parts of the country.
One of the crew asked the supervisor what he was going to do next? He told them that he was going to put a tortilla on the truck aerial and drive East. If he stopped to rest or get gas and heard anyone ask him why he had a tortilla on his truck aerial, he was going to keep driving until somebody asked, "what is the funny looking thing on your truck aerial" and then he would know he was home.
What about Nacho Hillary day?
C’mon man!!!
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