Nachos from Pati Jinich As She Explores Chihuahua in a New Season of 'Pati's Mexican Table'
Daniel Hautzinger
September 12, 2024
Season 13 of Pati's Mexican Table premieres Saturday, September 14 at 3:30 pm on WTTW and streaming.
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In the thirteenth season of Pati's Mexican Table, Pati Jinich explores Mexico's largest state, Chihuahua. Bordering Texas and New Mexico, it contains Ciudad Juárez, the city across the Rio Grande from El Paso, which Jinich has also visited in her special La Frontera. Juárez is where the first episode of the new season finds Jinich, visiting a bar that some say is the birthplace of the margarita – and what better accompaniment to that classic drink than nachos?
Try her recipe for nachos topped with skirt steak here, featuring Chihuahua cheese, which points to another fascinating aspect of Chihuahua: its large population of Mennonites. What Americans know as Chihuahua cheese originated with the Mennonites. If you can't find any, you can also substitute a variety of other cheeses, as listed in the recipe.
Skirt Steak Nachos (Nachos con Carne Asada)
Ingredients
2 pounds skirt steak
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon kosher or coarse sea salt
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
Vegetable oil, for the grill or pan
Tortilla chips
5 to 6 cups refried pinto beans
1 pound grated Mennonite, Chihuahua, asadero, quesadilla, or Monterey Jack cheese (about 4 cups)
10 to 20 pickled jalapeños, thinly sliced, or to taste
2 ripe avocados, halved, pitted, and diced
Directions
1. Cut the skirt steak into 4 to 6 pieces.
2. For the marinade, whisk together the soy sauce, lime juice, Worcestershire, Dijon, garlic, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Add the meat, toss well, and let marinate while you heat the oven and grill or grill pan.
3. Preheat the oven to 400°F with racks in the lower and upper third.
4. Preheat the grill, grill pan, or a large cast iron pan over high heat. (If using an outdoor grill, you can grease it with a halved onion – using a paper towel, rub the cut side of the onion with some oil and use it to grease the grill.) If using a grill pan or cast iron, lightly oil it. Once hot, add the steak pieces, working in batches if necessary; do not crowd. Grill or sear for 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove and cut into bite-size pieces and cover to keep warm.
5. Place the tortilla chips on two large baking sheets. Spoon refried beans over all of the chips, cover with the shredded cheese, and top each chip with 1 or 2 pickled jalapeño slices. Bake 5 to 6 minutes until the cheese completely melts and begins to lightly brown around the edges. Remove from the oven and scatter the steak over the top. Scatter the diced avocado on top as well. Serve immediately.
