QUESO FUNDIDO
Norman & Janet Van Aken, © 2016
This dish is sometimes known as Queso Flameado also. But by any name it is a simple, satifying snack enjoyed by many ages. This recipe provides a fair amount of meat in it. If you like you can omit the meat or use less.
Yields: 3 Cups
Pre-Heat an oven to 350 degrees.
6 ounces raw crumbled chorizo (or other somewhat spicy sausage), casings discarded
1/2 cup sweet onion, diced small
1 1/2 Tablespoon jalapeño, stemmed, seeded and minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
3 Cups pepper jack cheese, grated
1 Cup asadero cheese (or other cheese like it i.e. Muenster or Fontina), grated
6 ounces of beer (a simple lager will work just fine)
1/4 Cup heavy cream (+ 1 pint more)
1/2 Tablespoon canned chipotles en adobo, pureed
Cook the chorizo in a medium sized heavy cast iron pan on medium heat until the sausage meat is cooked, stirring as you go along and breaking it up with a wooden flat edged spatula pretty fine. Note: You should add 1 T. canola oil if the fat of your selected sausage is not easily rendering.
Now lower the heat and add the onion, jalapeño and cumin and let it cook until soft. Add the beer and let reduce until almost all the liquid is gone.
Now add cheeses into the cooked chorizo sausage mixture and stir a bit.
Place the pan in the oven until the cheese is melted and gooey, about 10 minutes, stir and put back in the oven for 5 minutes. Stir in the 1/4 Cup of the heavy cream and place the pan back in the oven for 5 minutes.
Remove from the oven and stir in the chipotles en adobo mixing well. Set this thick and gooey mixture aside.
Now put the pint of cream in a large sauce pan. (Cream boils over easily so think big here). Bring the cream to a full boil and reduce for about one minute. Now whisk in the cheesey mixture.
Serve as desired with tortilla chips or warmed corn tortillas.
5.12.16