Yucatán Stuffed Cheese
Queso Relleno de YucatánManuel Arjona from Yucatán and now the chef of Maya, a Mexican restaurant in Sonoma, California contributed his recipe for this unusual cheese preparation that's very popular on the Yucatán peninsula. Imported cheese, especially whole rounds of Edam and Gouda, are less expensive there because of the free port status that exists in the state of Quintana Roo on the eastern part of the peninsula. Here, a hollowed round of Edam or Gouda is stuffed with a ground meat filling and melted cheese. This delectable filling is scooped out and eaten with tortillas or chips. It's a great party dish.
Ingrediënten
Makes 4 servings
- 1 2-pound round of Edam or Gouda cheese
- ½ pound lean ground pork
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano Mexican variety preferred, crumbled
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cayenne
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 jalapeño chile seeded, veins removed, and minced
- 2 hard-cooked large eggs peeled and chopped
- 1½ tablespoons drained capers
Sauce
- 1½ cups chicken stock canned or homemade
- 2 tablespoons masa harina flour for corn tortillas
- 2 small Roma tomatoes peeled, seeded, and finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons golden raisins
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground pepper or to taste
Instructies
- Peel the outside wax off the cheese.
- Cut a 1⁄2-inch thick slice off the top for a lid.
- Hollow out the inside of the cheese to within ½ inch of the edge.
- Chop the inside cheese, reserve ½ cup for the sauce and store the rest.
- Set the cheese shell aside.
- In a skillet, cook the pork, oregano, cayenne, and salt, stirring and breaking the pork into bits as it cooks until no longer pink, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Stir in the jalapeño, eggs, and capers.
- Spoon the mixture inside the cheese round.
- Replace the lid.
- Rub oil on the outside.
- Wrap the stuffed cheese in cheese cloth and with the opening at the top, put in the top of a steamer with water in the bottom.
- Steam over medium heat 12–15 minutes, or until the cheese softens, but does not collapse (test gently with a fork).
- Meanwhile, make the sauce.
- In a saucepan, stir together the chicken broth, masa harina, tomatoes, raisins, cloves, salt, and pepper.
- Bring to a boil, stirring, and cook until the sauce thickens slightly, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Add ½ cup of the reserved cheese and stir until melted, but do not boil.
- Remove from the heat.
- To serve, remove the cloth from the cheese ball and place the cheese on a serving plate.
- Remove the lid.
- Pour the sauce over the cheese.
- Some will run onto the plate.
- Serve at once.
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