Just going to say it: I love Chipotle. I'd eat there every day if it were reasonable and practical and it's a company that has some level of dedication to their product and service, one aspect of this using ingredients that are "natural." minimally processed and meet their high standards. (Forgiving a slip they had last year.) There was a time my favorite meat topping, carnitas, was unavailable because their pork supply wasn't able to meet their demands when the pork market was pretty high due to swine flu so Chipotle had to reduce the availability of the carnitas so they wouldn't have to compromise their standards by using a different pork supplier. So, it's for this reason Chipotle has never carried a "nacho cheese" sauce topping/side like many other Mexican grill and Mexican restaurants have since nacho sauce is made out of un-natural ingredients in order to produce the texture and taste. Well finally, Chipotle has found a way to provide queso sauce! And..... It's alright. Not what I would have expected given the quality of their food and what I expect from nacho sauce. Nacho sauce has an.... "artificial cheese" taste to it. It's like "American Cheese" in taste and this causes it to be very smooth. Chipotle is using a sharp cheddar likely melted and mixed with roux to create a smooth-sauce like substance but using a "real" cheese brings with it the result of the sauce having a slightly "grainy" texture to it. On the looks of it the sauce is smooth and fairly thick but, in your mouth, it very much has an unexpected "texture" to it. So when I tried it I got it as a side item with a bag of chips and, for me, it doesn't quite work like this. But, there's also the option to get the queso in your burrito. So, I opened my burrito up, poured in the sauce and gave it a try. Works much better this way, the taste blends better with the other ingredients and the texture is a bit less noticeable. Why am I posting all of this? I dunno. Bored. Anyway, I recommend at least giving a try, but the best way to go is to have it in your burrito rather than a side. Trekker,; Burrito with White Rice, Pinto Beans, Carnitas, Pico de Gallo and Cheese. Side of chips to scoop up fillings that fall out during eating.
"Queso cheese" is redundant. Any chili con queso not made from queso Chihuahua Menonita just doesn't taste right. I have yet to taste one that doesn't leave a that yucky American fatty lacquer after taste.
OK, I was just curious about availability of ingredients, etc. Well-crafted nachos are a far cry from packaged powder-flavored chips. I don't have time at the moment, but I'll write something more detailed later. Kor
Yep. Outbreaks of norovirus over multiple years, which means there's a systemic issue in their meat supply and also probably within their training / supervision. Edit: I know Chipotle's been trying to get out in front of the issue and claiming that random employees have been responsible because they didn't wash their hands or whatever, but having managed restaurants and hotels, I know that you don't get multiple outbreaks of the same bug at multiple locations unless there's a larger problem. Wanting some attention, are you?
Do you want a restaurant suggestion or you want to know how to make them? A basic nacho is just a fried corn tortilla *"chip" with a jalapeno and some lightly melted cheese. (Usually something from the soft cheddar family.) But then nachos are one of those things where you ask 100 people what the "best" is and you'll get a 100 different answers. *I say "chip" because a proper nacho isn't made with the things you buy in a bag from the store. A proper fried tortilla has a slightly different texture and taste, plus they're meant to be eating strait out of the fryer.
Right. Thanks. I'm just looking for suggestions to make and try, anything from snack to meal. I know the caveats with asking for "bests." I won't hold it against anyone. I'd just like a few recipe suggestions to start with, on my journey forward. But yeah restaurant suggests might be helpful to, as that could provide a reference.
Unfortunately I can't give any recommendations since I'm a New Mexico snob and no national chains fit the bill.
Well the thing about nachos is they can kind of become a "build your own" sort of thing. Like I said, start with chips cheese and jalapenos and go from there. And you can leave out the jalapenos if you're not into spicy. Or the thing about New Mexican nachos is most people substitute green chilies for the jalos. After that you can pick meat or no meat. Chicken, steak, pork. Beans no beans. Veggies. Lettuce (types of lettuce), tomatoes, onions, avocado. Types of cheeses. And on and on. It's also one of those things you can whip together in five minutes or literally spend all day on. So give some info, and I'll give you some ideas.
OK. So, I'm a total non-cook. I can follow a recipe, but the more specific the better. Like, you said, chips, jalapeno, and soft cheddar cheese. So, I interpret that as a bag of Tostitos, some jalapeno peppers from produce, and a block of soft cheddar from the expensive cheese section. At that point, I'm actually stuck. If I had to guess the next step, I might actually put chopped peppers on chips and cover that with grated cheese and shove it all into an oven or a toaster oven. But that's probably wrong, and I'm seriously lost at this point.
2 tablespoons of flour and two tablespoons of butter. Melt the butter in a pan, when it's melted add the flour and whisk it well and cook over medium-low heat until it's all integrated, smooth, and sort of a golden-brown color (should only take a couple of minutes.) Add in the cheese, shredded, (I'd say a cup's worth, maybe a cup and a half) a little bit at a time, whisking/stirring until melted before adding in more. Add the diced peppers/produce when the cheese is all melted. Best to use milder cheddar for smoother texture.
Nope. It's really that simple You can serve with any sides you want: sour cream, pico, guac, etc. Maybe some shredded lettuce and diced tomato. Heck, if you really want to go easy, you can skip the oven and just nuke it.
I was going to pontificate about proper nachos, but I've been spared the effort. It just goes to show that if you leave something alone long enough, it takes care of itself. In addition to jalapeños and real melted cheese (not liquid from a can or jar), I like mine with chicken, beans, guacamole, sour cream, and lots of chopped green onions. It's even better if the chips, cheese, peppers, beans and meat are baked together in a wood-fired oven, before putting on the cold toppings like guacamole and sour cream. Kor