Homemade Requesón Cheese Food

TLACOYOS DE FRIJOL Y REQUESON (BEAN AND CHEESE TLACOYOS)

Steps:

• 1 Heat the lard in a skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the onion wedge and garlic. Fry, turning occasionally, until blistered and deep golden brown.
• 2 Add the beans and mash roughly, using the bottom of a heatproof cup. You don't want them too pasty and smooth. In Spanish, they call the desired texture martajada. Add a little bean broth if they look too dry. Cook until the flavors combine, adding more broth as needed, about 5 minutes. Season with salt. Transfer to a bowl nearby.
• 3 If you're using masa harina, place in a deep bowl and pour 1 cup of the warm water on top. Knead together for about 5 minutes to form a thick, pliable dough. To check whether the dough is sufficiently moist, break off a small ball and flatten it. If the edges crack, you need more water-up to 1/2 cup. (The masa should be moister than the average tortilla masa, as it will cook longer than a tortilla and shouldn't dry out.) If using fresh tortilla masa, sprinkle with a few drops of water and knead firmly, adding the water a teaspoon at a time until the masa is very soft and creamy, about 5 minutes. (For fresh masa you will only need perhaps 1/4 cup water total.) Grab a piece of masa and cover the rest with a damp dish cloth to keep it hydrated.
• 4 Roll the masa into a ball just larger than a golf ball, and using your palm, flatten into a disk about 1/4 inch thick. (You can also place the ball on a tortilla press, but be careful not to press it too thin.) Fresh masa will be much easier to work with than masa harina, but if you're using the latter, keep working and patting, pressing firmly on the masa ball to form a circular shape.
• 5 Holding the disk in your palm, add 1 to 2 tablespoons beans or requeson to the center, spreading the filling into a longish rectangle, without hitting the top or bottom edges. The filling amount really depends on how big your disk is-if the filling spills out when you try to close the tlacoyo, you have too much.
• 6 Fold both sides of the tlacoyo toward the center to enclose the filling. Press the seams together, pinching them closed with your thumbs. Pinch the seams closed with your thumbs. Set aside on a baking sheet and repeat with the remaining masa and filling.
• 7 Warm a comal or nonstick skillet on medium heat. Place the tlacoyo in the pan, without oil, and let cook. Once the sides start to dry slightly, turn it over. If you don't start to see golden brown freckles, turn up the heat; if you see burned spots, lower the heat. Keep turning at intervals until both sides are freckled and crisp, and the edges have puffed a bit, 10 to 12 minutes in all.
• 8 Garnish with cactus, cilantro, cheese, salsa and onion. Serve warm.

TLACOYOS DE FRIJOL Y REQUESóN (BEAN AND CHEESE TLACOYOS)

Steps:

• Heat the lard in a skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the onion wedge and garlic. Fry, turning occasionally, until blistered and deep golden brown.
• Add the beans and mash roughly, using the bottom of a heatproof cup. You don't want them too pasty and smooth. In Spanish, they call the desired texture martajada. Add a little bean broth if they look too dry. Cook until the flavors combine, adding more broth as needed, about 5 minutes. Season with salt. Transfer to a bowl nearby.
• If you're using masa harina, place in a deep bowl and pour 1 cup of the warm water on top. Knead together for about 5 minutes to form a thick, pliable dough. To check whether the dough is sufficiently moist, break off a small ball and flatten it. If the edges crack, you need more water-up to ½ cup. (The masa should be moister than the average tortilla masa, as it will cook longer than a tortilla and shouldn't dry out.) If using fresh tortilla masa, sprinkle with a few drops of water and knead firmly, adding the water a teaspoon at a time until the masa is very soft and creamy, about 5 minutes. (For fresh masa you will only need perhaps ¼ cup water total.) Grab a piece of masa and cover the rest with a damp dish cloth to keep it hydrated.
• Roll the masa into a ball just larger than a golf ball, and using your palm, flatten into a disk about ¼ inch thick. (You can also place the ball on a tortilla press, but be careful not to press it too thin.) Fresh masa will be much easier to work with than masa harina, but if you're using the latter, keep working and patting, pressing firmly on the masa ball to form a circular shape.
• Holding the disk in your palm, add 1 to 2 tablespoons beans or requesón to the center, spreading the filling into a longish rectangle, without hitting the top or bottom edges. The filling amount really depends on how big your disk is-if the filling spills out when you try to close the tlacoyo, you have too much.
• Fold both sides of the tlacoyo toward the center to enclose the filling. Press the seams together, pinching them closed with your thumbs. Set aside on a baking sheet and repeat with the remaining masa and filling.
• Warm a comal or nonstick skillet on medium heat. Place the tlacoyo in the pan, without oil, and let cook. Once the sides start to dry slightly, turn it over. If you don't start to see golden-brown freckles, turn up the heat; if you see burned spots, lower the heat. Keep turning at intervals until both sides are freckled and crisp, and the edges have puffed a bit, 10 to 12 minutes in all.
• Garnish with cactus, cilantro, cheese, salsa and onion. Serve warm.

CUBILETES DE REQUESóN

Steps:

• Lightly grease a standard-size muffin tin. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll about two-thirds of the dough to 1/8 inch thickness. With a cookie cutter or large glass, cut out 12 circles about 3 3/4 inches in diameter and press into the bottom and up the sides of the muffin cups. The dough may crack or break, but just press it together with your fingers. Make sure they are about the same thickness all around. Reroll the scraps and the remaining one-third dough to the same thickness and cut out 12 circles that are the same size as the tops of the muffin cups. Place the cups and the tops on the prepared baking sheet and refrigerate while you prepare the filling (the dough can be made up to 3 days ahead of time but needs to be taken out and allowed to come to room temperature before unwrapping and using).
• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• TO MAKE THE FILLING, place the cheese in a cheesecloth-lined bowl and drain the excess liquid. Combine the drained cheese, the sugar, sour cream, flour, lime zest, vanilla, and eggs in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
• Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator. Spoon the cheese filling into the dough cups almost to the top. Lightly wet the edges of the dough cups with your fingers and place 1 dough circle on top of each cup. Press lightly to seal the edges. Brush the tops with the egg wash and sprinkle with the sugar. Bake until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes in the pan, then carefully flip the pan to unmold the pies and let cool on a wire rack.

REQUESON REVUELTO A LA MEXICANA

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the onion and fry gently without browning for about 2 minutes.
• Add the ricotta and salt and keep stirring turning over for bout 3 minutes.
• Add the tomato sauce and continue cooking over medium heat, stirring almost constantly, until most dry and when turned with a spoon the mixture comes way cleanly for the surface of the pan 4-5 minutes.
• Serve immediately with corn tortillas.

TAQUITOS NORTEñOS DE REQUESON (NORTHERN CHEESE TAQUITOS)

Steps:

• In a bowl, mix the cheese with the chiles, epazote, salt and pepper.
• Lightly heat the tortillas on a skillet (comal) to soften them up and so that they are easy to handle.
• Near the edge of each tortilla, place a bit of the cheese mixture. Be careful that it does not stick out so it doesn't burn while frying it.
• Roll each tortilla forming "taquitos" or "flautas" and hold with toothpicks (to secure it and avoiding it to open while frying).
• Heat the oil on a skillet and fry 3 tacos at the time and turn them to get an even golden color.
• When you have fried all taquitos, place them over a papel towel to absorb excess oil.
• Cut the "taquitos" in 2 or 3 parts and serve them warm.

HOMEMADE REQUESóN CHEESE

Steps:

• Stir together the milk and vinegar in a large heavy-bottomed pot. Cook over medium-high heat until large, thick curds form on the milk's surface and the curds have clearly separated from the thinner, clearer whey, 35 to 40 minutes if using cold milk directly from the fridge, or slightly less if using room-temperature milk. The curds won't necessarily look big and lumpy-think more of a layer of algae on a lake. Try not to disturb the milk too much while it cooks, in order to give the curds more time to come together.
• Remove the pan from the heat and let sit, uncovered, for 10 minutes, to allow the curds to continue to thicken.
• Line a fine-mesh strainer with a layer of cheesecloth and set over a bowl. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the curds to the cheesecloth and let sit for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until room temperature. (This gives the cheese time to set and cool off.)
• Transfer the cheese to a bowl of airtight container. Stir in the salt, mixing until thoroughly combined. Use immediately, or chill first in the refrigerator.