Chori Queso

Directions

• Before We Start

  Cheese Selection: White American cheese is used as the base because it contains emulsifiers that create an incredibly smooth, stable melted cheese. It’s also easy to find. Buy it as a block from the deli counter rather than pre-sliced — it grates more easily and melts more evenly. This is more of a Tex-Mex style queso. The Oaxaca cheese is usually found in along with other Mexican Cheeses like queso fresco.
  Chorizo: Use raw Mexican-style ground chorizo, not the stringy junk you find at Walmart nor cured Spanish chorizo. It is essentially seasoned ground pork.
  Oven vs. Crockpot: Both methods work. We recommend a crockpot to keep the cheese hot. The crockpot is great for party situations where you want to keep the queso warm for a long time, but it takes considerably longer to fully come together. The oven method in a pot is significantly faster at around 20-30 minutes. If you are in a pinch for time, you can start things off in the oven then transfer to a crockpot to hold the temp.
  Just add water: If you plan to keep your queso warm for a long time or reheat it, adding water every 30 minutes or so to reconstitute it and then stirring it while scraping the bottoms and sides will prevent the cheese from over concentrating and splitting. The occasional stirring also will ensure your cheese doesn’t scorch.

• Grate the Cheese

  Grate the block of American cheese on the large side of a box grater. Shred or tear the Oaxaca cheese into small pieces. Set both aside separately.

• Prep the Vegetables and Aromatics

  Tomato: Core and deseed the Roma tomato, then dice it.
  Peppers: Wearing gloves, remove the stem and seeds from the poblano and jalapeño and dice. The more of the white inner parts you remove, the less heat it will have.
  Garlic: Peel and mince the garlic.

• Start the Queso

  Add the grated cheeses and the cream to either a crockpot or an oven-safe pot. If going the oven route, it is best to wait to do this after the next step since it takes significantly less time.
  
  Crockpot method (recommended): Set to low and stir occasionally. This will take about 2 hours to fully melt down into a smooth base. Be patient and don’t crank the heat — scorched cheese is not recoverable. Stir every 15-20 minutes until done.
  
  Oven method: Bake at 300°F (150°C), stirring every 5–10 minutes, until the cheese is fully melted and smooth, about 15 minutes.

• Cook the Chorizo and Peppers

  In a 12 in stainless steel or cast iron skillet, break the chorizo into a skillet over medium-high heat and spread to maximize contact with the pan. Cook for a few minutes, then break up and stir trying to cool the raw portions of the meat.
  
  The meat will start to release water, at this point add the peppers and 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Spread the meat out and let cook for 3-4 minutes leaving the pan untouched until you start to see some dark crispy brown bits forming. Then stir again and cook another 2-3 minutes.
  
  Make a well in the center of the pan and add the minced garlic and stir lightly in the well for about 30-45 seconds until fragrant. Mix everything and cook another 1-2 minutes. Scrape the brown bits off the pan and remove from heat and set aside. Do not drain the fat — it goes into the queso.

• Combine

  Once the cheeses has started to melt into rough but gooey base, add the chorizo mixture including all the rendered fat, the diced tomato, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper. Stir everything together until evenly distributed. Continue cooking in the crock pot or oven until it is fully melted.

• Prep the Finishing Ingredients

  Cilantro: Rough chop the cilantro.
  Green Onion: Finely sliced the green onion.
  Lime: Halve then juice the lime.

• Finish and Serve

  Once the cheese is hot, smooth, and fully melted add in the lime juice, cilantro, and green onion and mix throughly.
  
  For crockpot: Leave your crockpot on low. Add about 1/4 cup of water every 30 minutes or so and mix to prevent the queso from over concentrating and splitting.
  For oven: Serve immediately and keep hot. Serve with tortilla chips, on top of chori pollo, or any other Mexican dish that calls for queso.