Making Queso Fresco (and refried beans)

Another favorite around here?  Queso Fresco!  We use it on almost everything from tacos to enchiladas to sopes to gorditas to flautas to tortas to pasta to chilaquiles to quesadillas.  I love it!  Queso Fresco is a fresh Mexican cheese...that is soft and somewhat moist...but perfect for crumbling.  It doesn't really melt, but I LOOOOVE the way it tastes when it's warm.  It's sort of spongey and salty and milky. Mmmmm!  In all honesty, I usually buy it.  That's because I had yet to find a recipe that gave me what I was looking for.  Well folks, those times are through.  The MAN has come through...as if I ever had any doubt.  The longest part of the process is the culturing step...but it all hands-off, so don't let that scare you away.  I used citric acid (as opposed to the lime juice) when making the cheese since I already have it on hand for cheese making.  If that scares you or you don't have any readily available, then try the lime juice method!  Another thing...you may be tempted to dump the salted curds into a mold, but it really isn't necessary.  Simply gathering them together into the shape of a disk is perfectly sufficient.  Not to mention- gorgeously rustic!

Queso Fresco

from Fiesta at Rick's by Rick Bayless

makes ~1 lb.

1 gallon whole or 2% milk (remember, the richer the milk/flavor, the better the cheese)

2 c. buttermilk

1 tsp. Citric Acid (sometimes called sour salt)

OR

1 c. fresh lime juice

1 tsp. salt (pure, fine-ground sea salt works best)

 Culture the milk.  Pour milk into a very large pot over med-low heat.  Stir in buttermilk.  Bring milks to 75° F, turn off heat, cover pot and let sit for 3-4 hours.

 Set the curd.  If using citric acid, stir it into ¼ c. cold water, continuing to stir until dissolved.  With lid off pot, turn heat to medium and stir dissolved citric acid or lime juice into milk mixture.  You will immediately see small curds start to form.  Every couple of minutes, stir slowly, gently, & thoroughly over entire bottom of pot until milk reaches 195°F, ~20 minutes.  At this point the curds will be very obvious, floating in the milky-transparent whey.  Remove from heat, let stand five minutes without stirring so all the curd can rise to the top.

  Drain the curd from the whey.  Wet a large piece of cheesecloth and line a large colander with it.  Set colander in sink (or over bowl if saving the whey).  Carefully ladle all of the curd into the colander. Gather the cheesecloth around the curd and gently squeeze to expel a bit more whey.  

Unwrap curd onto a plate, break it up, and sprinkle w/ the salt...working it in with a spoon or your fingers.

Gather the cheese curds into a 1" thick disk, transfer to a plate, cover, and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.

After it's chilled in the refrigerator, it is ready to use! It should last about 5 days or so, covered and refrigerated.
My preferred method is just crumbling a bit off and onto my plate...or into my mouth.  And I must say...I like it while it's still warm, too...before it's even gone in the fridge and had time to set.

Simple Refried Beans

 ~1 Tbs. bacon grease, lard, or olive oil
~1-2 c. cooked pinto beans w/ some cooking liquid
garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, chili powder, salt, & pepper, all to taste

Heat fat in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add in beans w/ some cooking liquid.  Mash them up with a potato masher and continue to toss until they are a bit dried out.

Stir in spices to taste, cook for another few minutes, and then remove from heat.  Serve.

One of my favorite ways to put it all together is to make a Torta.  Slice a bolillo or telera bread in half and toast, cut side down on a hot skillet until browned.  Spread some hot refried beans on the bottom bun.  Scatter crumbled queso fresco over the beans. Layer on some sliced tomato.  Add some meat if you wish...I used Peperoncini Beef.  Scatter lettuce or cabbage over that along with some cilantro, avocado and some salsa.

*Also, check out my friend Mely's post over at Mexico in my Kitchen...she gives a great Queso Fresco tutorial using a different recipe!

I am sharing this post with:

Little Donkeys stuffed with Beans, Kale & Chorizo...otherwise known as Beans 'n Greens Burritos w/ Chorizo

Let's talk burritos today.  Little donkeys.  Delicious.  Little.  Donkeys.  There are countless versions of how the name burrito came to be.  Some say that a burrito resembles a donkey's ear.  Others say it resembles the rolled up packs or bedrolls that a donkey carries.  My personal favorite version* is the story of a man named Juan Mendez who, during the period of the Mexican Revolution (1910-1921), sold tacos at a roadside stand.  Now, I don't know the reason...perhaps he lost his stand or decided delivery would pay better...but when he needed to transport his tacos, he would wrap the food in large homemade flour tortillas to keep it safe; he would then wrap each one up in individual towels.  Then he would hop on his donkey and go around the city...his food safely wrapped inside of the flour tortillas.  People came from afar to find this food of the burrito (food of the little donkey) and the rest, as they say...is history.  Also called tacos de harina (wheat flour tacos), burritos are the ultimate street food- warm, deliciously spiced meats, beans, vegetables, and/or cheeses all contained in a hand-held cylinder.  So yes, "wrap" is basically just another name for a burrito, as well.

While perusing one of my favorite new cookbooks, Mark Bittman's Food Matters Cookbook, I stumbled upon this soul-quenching, mouth-watering recipe for a burrito that made my toes curl in delight!  The deep green of the kale combined with earthy black beans...both of which are flavored with gorgeous, chile-flecked chorizo...oh man. Put a bit of creamy queso fresco over the whole thing and wrap it up in a homemade whole wheat tortilla...aaahhhhhh...these burritos are fantastic!  Plus, you could leave out the chorizo to make a meatless version...just sauté in a bit more olive oil.  The double-awesome thing about them is that they freeze very well.  I made a bunch of extras, wrapped them individually in wax paper (alternately, use foil), and then froze them in a freezer bag.  Mexi and I just pulled one or two out when we wanted a meal and re-heated each in the microwave (unwrapped) for ~2½ minutes.  We plan on making a new batch every couple of weeks, so that we will never be without one of these tasty little donkeys when the craving strikes.

Beans 'n Greens Burritos w/ Chorizo
slightly adapted from the Food Matters Cookbook by Mark Bittman
yield: ~8-10 burritos (depending on size of tortilla)


8-10 homemade whole wheat tortillas *see recipe below, or store bought
2 Tbs. olive oil
½ lb. fresh, homemade chorizo, or store bought
~1 Tbs. minced garlic
~1 Tbs. chipotle chile powder
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
~1 lb. kale, roughly chopped
2 c. cooked or canned black beans, drained, liquid reserved
½ c. crumbled queso fresco
Pico de Gallo, for serving

Heat the oven to 350° F. Stack tortillas and roll them up in a sheet of foil.  Place them in the oven to warm while you cook the filling.

Place oil in a large, cast-iron skillet over medium heat.  When it's hot, add the chorizo and cook, stirring and breaking up the meat, until it is cooked through.  If the pan is very dry (which is more likely with homemade chorizo than storebought), add a bit more oil.  Add garlic and onion and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until they are soft.  Sprinkle in chile powder, a bit of salt and pepper, and then add kale.  Cook, stirring from time to time until it wilts and releases liquid, ~5 minutes.  Stir in the black beans, mashing a bit with a fork or potato masher, adding a bit of the reserved bean liquid if mixture seems too dry.

To roll each burrito, lay a tortilla on a flat surface and divide the filling mixture evenly among the tortillas (amount you get will depend on size of tortilla) on the third closest to you.  Sprinkle on cheese.  Fold tortilla over from bottom to cover filling, then fold in the sides to fully enclose them; finish rolling and put burrito seam side down on  a plate.  Serve with pico de gallo on side.

Mostly Whole Wheat Tortillas

also from the Food Matters Cookbook

makes ~8 tortillas (again, depends on size)

1 c. whole wheat flour, plus more as needed

½ c. ap flour or bread flour

¼ tsp. salt

2 Tbs. lard, softened butter, or olive oil

~½ c. boiling water, more as needed

In a bowl or food processor, mix together flours & salt.  Stir or pulse in the fat.  Add water slowly, a bit at a time, until dough holds together in a ball.  Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface and knead until it becomes smooth and elastic (~4-5 mins. by hand or 1 min. in food processor).  Wrap dough in plastic and let rest at room temperature for at least 30 mins. or up to a couple hours (or in fridge for a few days).  Working with room temperature dough, divide into ~8 pieces.  Flatten each into a disk on a lightly floured surface, cover, rest again for a few minutes.  When ready to cook, roll each disk as thin as possible into circles 8" or more in diameter, stacking between sheets of wax paper or plastic as you work.  Put a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat for ~5 mins.  Cook tortillas one at a time, until brown spots begin to appear on bottom, just under a minute; turn and cook on other side.  Each tortilla will only take a couple of minutes, total.  Wrap in a towel to keep warm...or let coo, wrap tightly and store in fridge for a few days (or freezer for up to a few months).

*source- Wikipedia

First you were sent Over The Edge...now you're getting some Homemade Tortillas and Breakfast Tacos! You're welcome ; )

A year ago I posted some food so good you were in danger of being sent "over the edge"....do you remember?  Man, time flies!  Well, one of my favorite writer/director/producer/actor/cook/gorgeousguy has more skillz than just what I showed you before.  I am, of course, referring to Robert Rodriguez...and this time I'm making his Breakfast Tacos...with homemade flour tortillas (his grandma's recipe).  This is from his 10-Minute Cooking School short on the Sin City dvd. 

Let's start with the homemade flour tortillas...

Flour Tortillas

a la Robert Rodriguez

yield: ~10 tortillas

2 c. flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 c. butter or lard (or combo)

Crumble fat into flour and mix until coarse crumbs form.  Add ~3/4 c. warm water and knead until smooth and elastic.  Form into ~10 golf ball sized balls.  Cover w/ damp cloth while you make filling.

Okay, I'm skipping ahead a bit to finish up the tortillas.  Heat a heavy skillet (I use a cast-iron comal) until pretty hot.  Flatten your dough into disks & roll out w/ rolling pin if necessary.  Lay one disc onto hot pan until bubbles form...it'll have those nice brown spots on under-side, ~1-2 minutes.  Flip and press; cook for another 30 seconds to a minute. 

Transfer finished tortillas to a tortilla warmer. Stuff with delicious breakfast taco (or other) fillings.  They're awesome just warm and plain, too.  Or with butter and cinnamon & sugar. MMMMMMM.

On to the fillings...two types.  Potato & egg and Migas. 

for the Migas: 

onion, chop

tomato, chop

jalapeño, chop

corn tortillas, cut up & fried until crisp

eggs, beaten

salt & pepper

for the potatoes & eggs:

potatoes and eggs...go figure.  Cut peel & dice the taters.  Beat the eggs.  Fry the tater cubes in some oil until golden and cooked through.  Remove from oil. Salt & Pepper.

Put some butter in a pan, add beaten eggs and potatoes and scramble until done.  Season with salt and pepper. Simple.

Put some butter in another pan...or the same, with potatoes & eggs transfered to a bowl...and add veggies.  Cook for a few minutes until they begin to get tender.  Add beaten eggs and fried tortilla pieces.  Season to taste and cook until done.  Again, simple.

Load up your warm tortillas and top as you wish...I used salsa, cilantro and queso fresco.

If Robert Rodriguez wasn't already married...and if I wasn't already married...I'd totally want to marry him ;)

Now that you've seen me cook it...watch him cook it...it's much more fun!

...and if you liked this...please say you did...head on over to my post from last year and watch him make Puerco Pibil...ah, dreamy and delicious.





*Linked to May BOM event!