Recipe Archives->Mexican->Stuffed Cheese

Queso Relleno - Stuffed Cheese
Yield: 6 Servings
 
1 whole Gouda cheese, about 3 lbs

2 lb pork stew meat in large chunks
4 cups water
8 cloves garlic
4 sprigs oregano
salt
2 Tbsp oil
10 manzanilla olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
1 tbsp currants or raisins
black pepper, to taste
1/2 white onion, finely chopped
1 roma tomato, finely chopped
6 hard-boiled eggs, whites and yolks chopped separately

1 lb roma tomatoes
1/2 white onion
10 manzanilla olives
1 Tbsp currants or raisins

4 cup pork broth
1/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp saffron
2 fresh guero (xcatic) chiles, minced

Cut the top off the cheese in one piece about 1/2 inch thick.
Hollow out the inside with a knife or melon baller or whatever
works, leaving about a 1/2 inch thick shell.  Remove the wax from
the outside of the cheese with a potato peeler.

Put the pork, water, garlic, oregano, and salt to taste into a pot
and simmer covered until pork is tender when tested with a fork
(about 1 1/2 hours).

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large frying pan over med heat.  Add
the olives and cook until fragrant.  Add the currants and black
pepper and stir to combine with the olives.  Add the onion and cook
until golden.  Add tomato and cook until tomato "melts".  Set aside
until pork is ready. (Now is a good time to start the Salsa de
Jitomate) When pork is tender, remove from the broth and cut up
fine.  Add this to the pan with the tomato and onion mixture along
with the chopped egg whites.  Add salt to taste.

Put half the picadillo inside the cheese.  Add the chopped egg
yolks and spread them out evenly.  Top with the remaining picadillo.
Pack down the mixture if it is overflowing and top with the top of
the cheese that was cut off earlier.

Set the cheese on a plate and tie the whole thing up with cheese
cloth.

Coarsely chop the tomatoes and onion and blend until smooth in a
blender. Put all ingredients in a saucepan and cook on low heat
until the salsa's red color intensifies and the onion loses its
raw taste.  Set aside.

Strain the leftover broth from cooking the pork into a 4 c. measuring
cup. Add water if necessary to make 4 c. of liquid.  Heat the broth
in a pot big enough to hold the cheese.  Add the saffron and the
chiles.  Bring to a boil.  Add the flour (dissolve flour in some
cold water first) and whisk until it thickens to the consistency
of a thick white sauce.  You may need to add a little more flour.
Reduce the heat, and add the cheese.  Cover and cook carefully -
don't let the cheese melt, just soften.  Remove from the salsa.
Place on a serving platter and remove the cheese cloth.

To serve, cut the Queso Relleno into wedges and bathe in Salsa de
Harina, then top with Salsa de Jitomate.

Printable version: stuffed-cheese.txt.