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Best Mexican cheese for queso?

22,900 Views | 36 Replies | Last: 6 yr ago by Burn-It
The Fall Guy
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What cheese has the best consistency to melt in a crock pot that is not processed cheese? I am looking for a good cheese from Mexico.
FIDO*98*
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Use 1/2 Deluxe American, 1/4 Cheddar, 1/4 Jack
PseudonymK
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Asadero
manchego


& pepper jack- not Mexican, but has peppers
FIDO*98*
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Queso is a Tex-Mex dish. If you order queso at any Mexican restaurant in this state, it's going to be made with processed cheese specifically because of it's melting properties. Chances are it's going to be Land o Lakes Extra Melt. The closest substitute you can buy in a store is Kraft Deluxe American. It won't melt the same which is why you need a velout type base to incorporate the cheeses and get the right consistency
The Fall Guy
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Thanks! I hate velvetta.
PseudonymK
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FIDO*98*
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[You are both going to stop arguing or you are going to stop posting for a while -Staff]
PseudonymK
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FIDO*98*
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American cheese is all over the place in Mexico. It's what they use when they're making Tex-Mex queso for gringos.
PseudonymK
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Ok
The Fall Guy
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Drive-on. U am a gringo but asked about Mexican Cheese. My wife is from Mexico, but never ate queso. She was wondering what type of Mexican Cheese melts easily.

schmendeler
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tex-mex "queso" doesn't use mexican cheese. unless you are taking about something else and calling it queso, velveeta really is the best thing to use.
The Fall Guy
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Ok, let me rephrase all of this. Which Mexican cheese melts the best to be used as a substitute for velvetta?
schmendeler
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the closest you will get is something like how mozzerella melts and gets stringy. oaxaca is one i like, but you won't get anything close to queso.
FIDO*98*
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Fall guy the short answer is none of them. Land o Lakes extra melt has the melting properties of Velveeta with the flavor profile of a premium deli American cheese. You can get 6 5lb bricks from Sams if you can interest enough people for a group buy. Or do you know any people with Sysco, Ben E Keith, etc. ? My neighbor used to hook me up before I could get it from the restaurant.

I honestly don't know why LoL doesn't market this to consumers. It would kill Velveeta head to head.
HTownAg98
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quote:
the closest you will get is something like how mozzerella melts and gets stringy. oaxaca is one i like, but you won't get anything close to queso.

This. You won't find the queso we're used to seeing in Tex-Mex restaurants anywhere in Mexico. The closest variant would be a queso fundido made with either Chihuahua, quesadilla, asadero, or some other Mexican melting cheese.
bonfirewillburn
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No one is trying to be mean here, well maybe Keesha and Drive on, thats just a little sexual tension

What you need to realize:

a) Queso is not Mexican - its Tex Mex(like has already been said) and was developed not all that long ago. It was developed after the super processed cheeses hit the market had already been created. They are the original recipe. It easy with those cheeses as compared to using "fresh/normal" cheese

b) you can not just plop some shredded cheese in a pot and hope to have anything edible

you really have to either start with a veloute or bechamel (think like the base for my Mac and Cheese - but with more cheese) - or you gotta go with the velvetta and co.


Velveeta and the like are made by adding milk protein concentrate. MPC can make products more heat stable, and it can provide solubility and dispersibility when used (from wiki). This stuff is used to "mimic" the properties of a traditional veloute/bechamel(these sauces take some care once you add cheese)but make it more stable.



What cheeses to use to make it more "Mexican?" Any of the ones listed above (Oaxaca and asadero - is The direction I would lean - but thats preference). Look for soft cheeses think mozzarella feel - you would want to stay away from the dry and semi-dry cheeses they CAN be used but will result in a different texture.

You also want to stay away from the crumbly, fresco style cheeses that dont melt well. Now you can always top you queso with these and I recommend it for texture and flavor - mix it with some cilantro and small diced red onion and it would look great on top. But it will not add anything to the smooth queso texture.

[This message has been edited by bonfirewillburn (edited 2/6/2012 10:56a).]
fightintxaggie10
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drive on needs to get a life. Whacking it to no reservations isn't a hobby
FIDO*98*
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1) Everyone on Texags needs to get a life
2) I can't stand Anthony Bourdain. I don't watch any other food t.v. either.
3) I've been called everything but wrong on my food threads
Slicer97
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I don't always agree with all of drive on's opinions, but here, he is dead on correct

you would do well to listen to his advice

go ask the owner of any decent TexMex restaurant what kind of cheese he/she uses for his/her queso, enchiladas, etc., the answer is going to be LoL Extra Melt

[This message has been edited by Slicer97 (edited 2/6/2012 2:55p).]
Linz02Ag
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I don't understand the necessity of using Mexican cheese. There's a reason she never heard of queso in Mexico. I made this yesterday and it was a delicious queso blanco that could only be made better with LoL. IMO, of course.
1 1/4 lb white American cheese (I used Boar's Head) 
2 T. diced pickled jalapeños (reserve juice) 
1 oz jalapeño juice 
1/4 C. diced hatch green chiles 
2/3 C. whole milk 
1/3 C. cold water 
1 pinch cumin
B-1 83
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quote:
I don't understand the necessity of using Mexican cheese.

I don't think anybody is thinking Mexican cheese is a necessity as much as folks are trying to get the Velveeta smoothness/texture/melting property without that darned Velveeta TASTE.
Linz02Ag
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The OP specified several times that it must be a Mexican cheese with velveeta like properties.
HTownAg98
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That doesn't exist to the best of my knowledge.
FIDO*98*
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In that case try Land o Lakes Extrodinaria Funde
MW03
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man, you guys are relentless.

just buy a block of velvetta, a can of rotel, and a can of diced green chiles, brown and drain some spicy ground sausage, toss that mess in the microwave, and then tell your wife you used mexican cheese.
Quantum ace
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quote:
The OP specified several times that it must be a Mexican cheese with velveeta like properties.




[This message has been edited by Quantum ace (edited 2/6/2012 6:17p).]
Linz02Ag
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MW03
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So....lets do a group by for the extra melt.
Quantum ace
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In for one.
phatpat21
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MW03
Maybe add a little milk and cream of chicken or onion
It helps make it much smoother
And instead of microwave, I cook it stovetop
blumby
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MW03 and QA - straw and I said on a separate thread we'd each be good for one if there was a group buy. I may even get two.

From what I read, they come in six 5 lb blocks. If straw still wants one, I'll get two, one for each of you, then we'd just need one more. And potentially someone who has access to buy it.
sharkenleo
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Quesadilla, Asadero, or Oaxaca, in that order.

Add chorizo, a little oil, and that is all you need.

Edit: Eat with warm corn tortillas.

[This message has been edited by sharkenleo (edited 2/11/2012 12:35p).]
Agit8r
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+1 for chorizo!
Tailgate88
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Holy thread bumps, Padre!

Also, FIDO98 used to be Drive On, spreadsheet updated.
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