What is Loaded Fries?
Loaded fries are a popular American dish with salty savory and sometimes spicy flavors. Deep-fried potato sticks are cooked in hot oil until golden, crispy on the outside, and soft on the inside. The french fries are then topped with an assortment of ingredients which may include cooked ground beef, melted cheese, sour cream, jalapénos, green onions, and diced tomatoes. The toppings do vary. This super-rich dish is served hot.
Ingredients
French fries, have been in existence since at least the 1600's. Today, this potato item is cut into thin strips, roughly 2-3 inches and deep fried in hot oil until the outside is golden and crispy and the inside is soft and moist. Some fries have ridges, others are almost as thin as a match stick, some look like miniature waffles and others are curly. The most common type is the thin 2-3 inch strip, or ridged variety. French fries are best served hot and taste like salty and fried potatoes. They are commonly served with ketchup in the US and vinegar in some European countries.
Ground beef can be made from any cut of beef, though commonly the chuck steak and round steak are used. Chuck steak has a good meat to fat ratio, creating a savory and succulent burger or meatball. Ground beef is a reddish color and formed into thick "strands" from the meat grinder. When cooked the meat takes on a grey/brown color, though the inside of a burger will often remain pink. The flavor is robust and meaty. Ground beef can be used for many dishes and is found in cuisines across the world.
Botanically speaking the tomato is a fruit, but in the culinary world it is used almost strictly as a vegetable. Tomatoes are a nightshade plant that grow on tall, thick sturdy stalks. There are many varieties of tomato, but the most common type is round and red. It has a thin skin that covers its extremely juicy and soft flesh. The center contains seeds wrapped in a gelatinous film. The tomato is sour with a hint of sweetness. It can be sliced into rounds and wedges or diced into small chunks and is eaten raw or cooked.
The red onion is a type of onion and a bulb vegetable, meaning its bulb and not its leaves are eaten. Onions come in many varieties, including white, yellow and red. The onion is usually round and has a thin dry skin around its juicy layers. The skin is a purple/red tone as is the flesh. The body of the onion is made of multiple round layers, that get smaller towards the center. The flavor of onions are sharp and sweet when raw, with an astringent taste. When cooked, these flavors mellow and the sweetness emerges. Onion are a very common flavoring and ingredient for many savory dishes.
The onion is a bulb vegetable, meaning its bulb and not its leaves are eaten. Onions come in many varieties, including white, yellow and red. Shallots are small and mild onions. Vidalias are sweet, while red onions are strong and sharp. The onion is usually round and has a thin dry skin around its juicy layers. This skin depends in the color of the onion, as does the flesh. The flesh, or body of the onion is made of multiple round layers, that get smaller towards the center. The flavor of onions are sharp and sweet when raw, with an astringent taste. When cooked, these flavors mellow and the sweetness emerges. Onion are a very common flavoring and ingredient for many savory dishes.
Jalapeños are a popular hot pepper with a medium-width body that is short and tapered. These peppers have a shiny thin skin and are often picked while green, and not fully mature. When jalapeños mature they turn red, as do many hot peppers. The thin green flesh of the jalapeño is crispy, with a hint of juice and very hot. Jalapeños also have a mild green flavor and contain extremely spicy seeds in their centers. The uses vary widely and jalapeños can be found in hot sauce, salsa, guacamole, cornbread and more. They are almost always used fresh or pickled.
Sour cream is a dairy product made by fermenting cream with lactic acid bacteria. The healthy bacteria thickens the cream, resulting in a thick and creamy product with a white color. Sour cream is thicker than yogurt and has a tangy flavor that is milky and mild. It is used as a condiment and as an ingredient in dips, cakes and more.
Cheese sauce is a delicious addition for dipping chips, breads and vegetables. It can be drizzled on numerous savory dishes as well. The sauce starts with a roux of butter, flour, and milk. Then grated cheese is added to the hot mixture until everything is melted and homogenized. The sauce is goopy, melty, white, or golden and tastes salty and creamy.
Green onions, also called scallions are used in cooking and have a milder flavor than a round onion, though they pack a punch of their own with a mild zestiness and onion flavor that is bright and a bit green. Green onions are thin stalks with white dense bottoms two thin hollow green stalks, sprouting from the base. Scallions have a crunch to them and a hint of juice. They perk up any dish with their bright flavor.
Vegetable oil is obtained by extracting oil from seeds. Types of vegetable oil include canola, sunflower, corn, and safflower. Light and with a neutral taste, vegetable oils are used to fry foods, or can be used to lightly coat meats and vegetables before roasting. Vegetable oils are also used as ingredients in salad dressings and sauces.
There are a number of spices used in cooking and baking. Spices generally refer to a variety of seeds, barks, fruits and roots that are used to add specific flavors to food. Some spices are sweet, spicy, pungent or savory. The flavors range greatly and spices can be used whole or ground and are usually cooked, but generally cooking them is not required.
Garlic is used in cuisines around the world and is extremely popular for its depth of flavor. The garlic bulb forms underneath the soil and is harvested once it reaches maturity. The bulb typically has thin, dry, white and flaky skin, surrounding the individual cloves. Often there are 10-12 cloves to a bulb/head of garlic. The cloves are cream colored with a strong smell and flavor that is spicy and sharp. Garlic takes on a nutty flavor in addition, when cooked. It is used in countless dishes, sauces, breads and more.
