A Taste of Monterey | Dory Ford

Spicy Goat Meat Nachos

Goat. It’s not something you see often in these parts, yet it’s one of the most common meats eaten worldwide – often more pronounced than beef or lamb, only a little leaner. “And it is straight-up delicious,” Chef Dory Ford says.

A Taste of Monterey offers a great opportunity to sample the meat in the form of their spicy goat nachos – fitting munchie food after a couple of drinks yet versatile enough to present in a classy manner… well, classy enough.

While most plates here come dainty and elegant, the nachos aim for bigger appetites. A giant pan filled to the brim is one to impress. Fresh and crunchy chips provide the base for so many different yet complementary ingredients: pickled jalapeños and onions deliver surprising sweetness – gleaned from sugar to make the heat more accessible with wine; avocado, queso fresco and crema bring indulgence; and radish and carrot slices add even more crunch. Depth emerges from flavorful chopped tomatoes and cilantro, and substance from black beans and, of course, the goat meat – which isn’t actually all that spicy, just the right amount of peppery bite of guajillo in the kitchen’s adobo sauce.

A TASTE OF MONTEREY 700 Cannery Row, Suite KK, Monterey. 646-5446, aTasteofMonterey.com