Strung Along by Oaxaca Cheese

The longer you live in Mexico, the more things become a part of your life that you’d never heard of before, or that previously had been relegated to the category of “exotic specialties.”

Such is the case with Oaxaca cheese. It’s good to have a ball of it in the fridge, for healthy, high-protein snacking, for cooking, for adding to sandwiches and salads. It’s kind of a mainstay.

Queso Oaxaca (waa-haa-kah ) is a simple, unaged cheese, made by double-cooking and curdling milk and then stretching the cheese curds, resulting in the trademark stringiness.

You can find Oaxaca cheese worth buying in grocery stores — you just have to read the labels and do your own taste tests till you find one that suits your fancy. Avoid any with too many ingredients; that list should be short and leche de vaca (cow’s milk) should be the first one.

Sometimes I’ve found that it can be too salty. Here’s a tip: Pull or cut the ball apart into smaller pieces and let sit, refrigerated, in a bowl of water overnight. The excess salt will leach into the water, and your cheese will be more fresh-tasting.

What to use it for? Anything where you want melty, gooey cheese. It’s a good substitute for mozzarella or Monterey Jack, and, of course, can be eaten for fun just like string cheese (except it tastes better!) Enchiladas, quesadillas, chiles rellenos, nachos, migas, molletes, grilled cheese sandwiches, lasagna, pizza  — the list goes on and on.

Because Oaxaca cheese is a fresh cheese, you need to eat it quickly. Store in the refrigerator in a covered container of water. It should last seven to 10 days. If need be, you can also freeze it. Just put the unopened package in the freezer and thaw in refrigerator before using.

Choriqueso (“Hangover Helper”)

• ½ lb. ground pork shoulder
• 2 tsp. red wine vinegar
• ¼ tsp. cinnamon
•  1   tsp. paprika
• ½ tsp. dried oregano
• 1/8 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/8 tsp. cayenne
• 1 tsp. grated garlic
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1½-2 c, grated Oaxaca cheese (or pulled into strings)
• Tortilla chips for serving

Preheat broiler to high. Using your hands, mix pork, vinegar, cinnamon, paprika, oregano, cumin, cayenne, garlic, and salt in medium bowl. Heat oil in 10-inch broiler-safe skillet over medium-high heat; add chorizo mixture and cook, stirring and breaking up the meat until no longer pink. Season to taste with salt. Remove from heat. Top with cheese.

Place under broiler until melted. Serve immediately with tortilla chips for scooping.

— by Janet Blaser    https://mexiconewsdaily.com/lifestyle/strung-along-by-oaxaca-cheese/?utm_source=mnd_mktg&utm_campaign=whats_cooking&utm_medium=email