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.
I present Sodium Citrate. The secret ingredient to cheese sauce:
https://www.cheeseprofessor.com/blog/sodium-citrate-cheese-sauce
Sometimes I’m served nachos that are covered with that slimy polyester “cheese” (not cheese). I can’t take it. Makes me gag.
I’m looking forward to reading this thread that might have good recipes for baked nachos. My friend used to make that, but he died so I can’t get it from him. :(
My mom’s town in NY makes extra sharp white cheddar. It’s the best!
Much like when my friend retired when we lived in Alaska. He said he was going to drive south until someone asked him why there was a plug hanging out the front of his car.
“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.”
Can’t argue with that logic!
Wisconsin invented Colby cheese!
“Colby cheese is a semi-hard cheese named after the small town in north-central Wisconsin where it was developed in 1874. Ironically, while Colby is widely available throughout Wisconsin, it is no longer produced in Colby. The best-known style of Colby is Longhorn; Colby Longhorn cheese is named for the long, cylindrical shape in which it is molded. Although it is considered a semi-hard cheese, it is softer and moister than Cheddar, with a milder flavor because it is produced through a washed-curd process.”
https://www.wisconsincheeseman.com/c/cheese/specialty/colby/
Easterners use velveeta from what I hear............
/s
pepper jack is going to add a little too much heat.
Then you ain’t Texan, friend.
I find that any pepper jack I find (especially the grated cheeses) have zero heat in them.
Yes, exactly that.
Jalapenos are way to mild. Ghost or Reapers only.
Agreed
(psst: Don’t tell Texans that. They think it’s from the U of Texas Austin ;-) )
Or make fresh ones at home. Fresh white corn tortillas quartered fried in 350°F oil till they float, drain on cookie/cake cooling rack, salt to taste.
(And New Yorker me just doublechecked that there are longhorn females so I don’t get made fun of for thinking you can milk a bull.)
My son got married in Texas. We got to host the rehearsal dinner in a TexMex restaurant of the bride’s family choosing. It was their favorite.
We live in New Mexico, so we are exposed to Mexican and New Mexican cuisine (I use that term loosely) constantly. Besides the fact that two-thirds of the restaurants around here are of that ilk, even those that aren’t spice up their menus with green and/or red chili. Italian restaurant? Expect the Fettuccini Alfredo to have green chili in it. Breakfast? Do you want red or green (chili) with those eggs?
Anyway, we go to this TexMex restaurant in Liberty Hill and it looks like a barn. Mexican wait staff and kitchen help. Lots of Mexican dishes on the menu. My older son (not the one getting married) orders a jumbo sized burrito of some sort and eats about two bites and just stops. He keeps drinking his beer and eating the nacho chips, but no more burrito. I had ordered a steak ranchero and it was weird. It was basically cube steak, not flank steak, and the cheese was...odd.
It wasn’t until dinner was over and we were out of earshot of the future in-laws that we were able to compare notes. My son stopped eating his burrito because the cheese inside was slices of American cheese and the beans were pureed to just about liquid. I realized that was what was weird about my cheese as well, it was just shredded American cheese. Basically all of the food was what you would expect Mexican food in a retirement home to taste like.
This was their favorite restaurant. Heavy sigh.
“Wit Wiz” is supposedly a standard call when ordering Philly cheese steaks. Should be spread, not sprayed!
Ghost, Reapers? More power to ya, if you can enjoy having your oral lining burned out. I prefer my spicy with a bit less pain!
No luggage for several weeks stay but brother Elwood does keep cans of Cheeze Whiz in his pockets.
The “Oh the stories we could tell” bump about TexMex verses Mexican vittles.
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