Pour enough oil in an iron skillet to come up 1/2 inch up the sides and heat to 375° F.
In batches, fry the quartered tortillas for 1 to 2 minutes on each side (until golden brown) and then remove. Drain on a paper towel and sprinkle lightly with salt.
Once chips have been made, spread each with 1 teaspoon of refried beans (if you so desire), 1 tablespoon of cheddar cheese, and 1 pickled jalapeno.
Bake in oven for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve with guacamole, sour cream, and/or salsa.
Notes
You can also top these with beef, chicken, pork, vegetables, huitlacoche, shrimp, fish or anything else you can imagine. But use restraint and taste—nachos should be elegant and refined, not an exercise in excess. Also, if you don’t feel like making your own chips (though you should as they taste better) tortilla chips from a bag work, too.