| 1 | For black bean pesto: rinse and drain beans thoroughly. |
| 2 | Place them in a large saucepan or soup kettle and add all remaining ingredients. |
| 3 | Bring to a boil, reduce heat, simmer, uncovered, for 1 ?hours. |
| 4 | Remove and discard ham hock and bay leaf. |
| 5 | Using slotted spoon, transfer bean mixture, in batches, to the bowl of a food processor. |
| 6 | Process, adding cooking liquid as necessary to form a smooth, thick paste. |
| 7 | You will use a total of about 1 cup liquid. |
| 8 | Transfer the pesto to a bowl and stir in the salt and pepper if needed. |
| 9 | Refrigerate, covered, until ready to use. |
| 10 | Will keep in fridge for 2-3 days. |
| 11 | Yield: 3 cups. |
| 12 | Nachos: preheat oven to 375°F. |
| 13 | Fill a heavy skillet with ? corn oil. |
| 14 | Heat it until oil just starts to move. |
| 15 | Then fry the tortillas, one at a time, until light golden brown, about 15 seconds on each side. |
| 16 | Drain on paper towels. |
| 17 | Slice chorizo into ? thick rounds and saute them in a small skillet until crisp, about 5 minutes. |
| 18 | Remove sausage from skillet and drain on paper towel. |
| 19 | Place tortillas on baking sheet, and spread pesto evenly over them. |
| 20 | Arrange sausage over pesto and sprinkle with cheese. |
| 21 | Top with chopped cilantro. |
| 22 | Bake until brown, 20 minutes. |
| 23 | Remove from oven and cut each tortilla into eight pieces. |
| 24 | Serve immediately. |
| 25 | Makes 4 servings or 16 appetizer |
