Ultimate Beef Nachos

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS: Nachos are a crave-worthy pleasure— warm tortilla chips mingling with melted cheese, piquant salsa, luxurious guacamole, and spicy beef. But despite their widespread appearance on restaurant menus, finding a good plate of nachos can be a challenge. Most versions are plagued by tasteless jarred salsa, packaged guacamole, and unnaturally fluid “cheese.” We wanted to eliminate the stale prefab ingredients for nachos that would actually be worth eating. First up for repair: the cheese. Four cups of shredded cheese proved to be just the right amount; any less left some chips neglected while more just about drowned them. We tested a wide variety of cheeses, including cheddar, Monterey Jack, pepper Jack, and even gouda and Muenster. In the end, tasters preferred the potent flavor of cheddar. Pre-shredded cheese turned out dry and dull; we opted to shred our own from a block. Layering the chips with the cheese guaranteed even distribution. Thinly sliced jalapeños, layered in with the cheese, were a welcome spicy addition. As for the beef, we seasoned it with garlic, onion, chili powder, and a host of other spices, and layered it into the chips with the cheese, first sautéing it quickly to ensure that it was cooked through. Salsa livened up our nachos, as did guacamole, and simply dolloping them along the edges made the nachos easy to pick up and eat. A last-minute sprinkle of fresh scallions and a squeeze of lime brightened up our nachos. Homemade Fresh Tomato Salsa and Chunky
Guacamole are key to making this recipe above average, but if you are short on time you can use your favorite store-bought varieties.

Serves 4 to 6

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 1 small onion, chopped fine
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh oregano or ¼ teaspoon dried
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon ground coriander
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• 8 ounces 90 percent lean ground beef
• 8 ounces tortilla chips
• 1 pound cheddar cheese, shredded (4 cups)
• 2 large jalapeño chiles, stemmed and sliced thin
• 2 scallions, sliced thin
• 1½ cups Chunky Guacamole
• 1 cup Fresh Tomato Salsa
• ½ cup sour cream
• Lime wedges

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Heat oil in 12-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in chili powder, garlic, oregano, cumin, coriander, cayenne, and salt and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add ground beef and cook, breaking up meat with wooden spoon, until beef is no longer pink, about 5 minutes.
2. Spread half of tortilla chips evenly into 13 by 9-inch baking dish. Sprinkle 2 cups cheddar evenly over chips, then top evenly with half of beef mixture, followed by half of jalapeño slices. Repeat layering with remaining chips, cheddar, beef mixture, and jalapeños. Bake until cheese is melted and just beginning to brown, 7 to 10 minutes.
3. Let nachos cool for 2 minutes, then sprinkle with scallions. Drop scoops of guacamole, salsa, and sour cream around edges of nachos. Serve immediately, passing lime wedges separately