November 14, 2012
Nachos de la Casa
These delicious nachos are served at Tortilla Republic, located in West Hollywood, Calif. A homemade ranchera sauce is the key to unlocking the authentic flavors of this dish, and we provide the recipe below for you to try at home.
Ingredients
For the ranchera sauce
- 3 roma tomatoes
- 2 large cloves garlic
- 1/2 habanero pepper, stemmed
- 3/4 morita chile, stemmed
- 1 guajillo chile, stemmed
- 1/2 yellow onion, julienned
- 2 serrano chiles, stemmed and chopped
- 1/4 Cup pilloncillo (unrefined Mexican sugar)
- 2 Tablespoons salt
- Dash of Mexican cinnamon
For the nachos
- 3 Ounces ranchera sauce
- 8 Ounces flour tortilla chips
- 3 Ounces black beans
- 2 Ounces salsa
- 2 Ounces Monterey Jack cheese
- 2 Ounces crema, for garnish
- 3 Ounces guacamole, for garnish
- 2 Ounces pickled jalapeños, for garnish
- 1 Ounce queso fresco, for garnish
- 1 sprig cilantro, for garnish
Directions
For the ranchera sauce
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Place the roma tomatoes, garlic, habanero pepper, morita chile, guajillo chile, and yellow onion on a baking sheet and roast in the oven until the peppers are slightly charred and the tomatoes have broken down.
Remove from the oven and transfer to a blender. Add the remaining ingredients. Blend together to a purée, strain, and let cool. Keep the oven on.
For the nachos
Ladle the ranchera sauce onto a large, round, ovenproof plate. Put 3-4 ounces of the tortilla chips on top of the sauce, followed by the black beans, salsa, and a thin layer of the grated Monterey Jack cheese, and melt in the oven. Add 1 more layer of 3-4 ounces of chips and cheese, and melt again in the oven until slightly golden brown. Carefully remove from the oven and garnish with the remaining ingredients.