Queso Fundido

Queso Fundido con Chorizo y Poblano

A molten, stretchy cheese bake from northern Mexico, finished under a hot broiler and topped with fried chorizo and roasted poblano strips. Serve immediately with warm tortillas for scooping.

Prep

20 min

Cook

15 min

Total

35 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •400 g (14 oz) Oaxaca cheese, or Chihuahua cheese (queso menonita); both melt well. Monterey Jack is the closest home-kitchen substitute.
• •150 g (5½ oz) Mexican chorizo, fresh (uncooked) pork chorizo, not the cured Spanish type
• •2 whole poblano chiles, fresh
• •1 whole white onion, half finely diced, half cut into thin rings for serving
• •1 clove garlic, minced
• •8 whole corn tortillas, or flour tortillas, warmed
• •120 ml (½ cup) salsa roja or salsa verde, for serving
• •1 pinch salt, to taste, go easy - the cheese and chorizo are salty

Steps

1. 1 Roast the poblanos directly over a gas flame or under a hot broiler, turning with tongs, until the skin is blistered and blackened on all sides, about 8–10 minutes.
2. 2 Transfer the roasted poblanos to a bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap or a plate, and let steam for 10 minutes. This loosens the skin.
3. 3 Peel off the blackened skin under a thin stream of running water, slit each chile open, scrape out the seeds and veins, and cut the flesh into strips about 1 cm (½ inch) wide. Set aside.
4. 4 Remove the casing from the chorizo. Cook it in a skillet over medium heat, breaking it up with a spoon, until it is no longer pink and the fat has rendered, about 6–8 minutes. The chorizo must reach an internal temperature of 71°C (160°F). Drain off all but about 1 tablespoon of the fat.
5. 5 Add the diced onion to the chorizo and cook until softened and translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds more. Remove from heat.
6. 6 Shred or pull the Oaxaca cheese into strands by hand (it pulls apart like string cheese). If using a block of Chihuahua or Monterey Jack, coarsely grate it.
7. 7 Heat your oven's broiler to high with a rack positioned about 15 cm (6 inches) from the element. Lightly oil a small, shallow, ovenproof dish (about 20 cm / 8 inches across) or a cast-iron skillet.
8. 8 Spread half the cheese in the dish, top with the chorizo-onion mixture and the poblano strips, then cover with the remaining cheese.
9. 9 Broil until the cheese is fully melted, bubbling and just beginning to brown in spots, 3–5 minutes. Watch constantly - it can go from molten to scorched in seconds.
10. 10 Remove from the oven (the dish will be extremely hot) and serve immediately while the cheese is stringy and molten, with warm tortillas, salsa, and raw onion rings alongside for scooping.