Queso Fundido con Chile

Melted Oaxaca cheese and a salsa verde make for a cream queso with the cheesepulls of your dreams.

The sauce starts off with charring peppers, onions, and tomatillos, with garlic and whole spices. I usually use the broiler, till they’re dark and about to burst. This mixture is then ground in a molcajete, or a food processor, unless you’re Hercules. The flavor truly is better when the paste is ground by hand, as the flavor is released much better, but it’s also time-consuming. A handful of fresh cilantro and salt snd pepper to taste, and then the salsa is seared in a smoking hot pan and a knot of Oaxaca cheese is melted in.

Veggies ready for the broiler

You can go even darker than this, and the salsa will be more flavorful. My tomatillos started to burst so I removed them.

Living in Texas, Oaxaca cheese is easy to find. It can be replaced with fresh mozzarella, although adding a small amount of smoked Gouda or Monterey Jack cheese could help up the flavor. Cheese bought pre-shredded at the store is very dry. Shredding it from the block is always the freshest in terms of flavor and texture.

Toasting coriander and cumin seeds in the same pan as the vegetables is an easy way to enhance the flavor of this dish. Ground spices are fine, but be sure to toast them in the oil during the pan searing step. Add them 10-15 seconds before

adding the salsa, the oil will be smoking so it’s important not to burn them. Hest them only until fragrant. Remove the salsa from heat, add the cheese, and cover to melt. Top with fresh cilantro, thinly sliced thin chilies, or finely diced white onion.

The Recipe:

• 3 large tomatillos

• 2 medium-large peppers. I use a poblano and 2 jalapeños here

• 1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds

• 1 teaspoon whole coriander seeds

• fresh cilantro

• 1 white onion, quartered

• 6 cloves garlic, whole

• 1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano, dried (optional)

• salt and pepper, to taste

• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil or lard

• 1 knot Oaxaca cheese. Can be replaced with fresh mozzarella, diced

Set the broiler on and move the rack as close to the broiler as possible. Remove the papery skins of the tomatillos and stems from the peppers. On sheet pan lined with foil, add tomatillos, peppers, quartered onion, peeled whole cloves of garlic, coriander snd cumin seeds, and broil evenly on both sides, 12-20 minutes. Propping the oven door slightly helps to maintain the heat of the broiler. Vegetables should be blackened, and tomatillos should be ready to burst.

Add broiled vegetables, oregano, cilantro, a large pinch of salt and pepper. Blend until smooth. Preheat saucepan with oil or lard, until smoking. Add the salsa and stir until no longer bubbling. Warning, it will splash. Add chunks of cheese snd cover, reheat slightly until liquid and serve. Top with thinly sliced chilies, fresh cilantro, or finely diced white onion. As it cools, the cheese will become stringy, so reheat it if you prefer . it’s delicious with chips, but also wrapped around beef tacos al carbon, vegetables, or in burritos. Basically it’s delicious on everything.