Queso Blanco (Mexican Frying Cheese)

[MotherOfGizmo]

Re: Queso Blanco (Mexican Frying Cheese)

Well, all this time I was looking for something that said "Mexican Frying Cheese" LOL. I just started looking at every cheese that had something Mexican looking on it. (This was after asking people at various stores for "mexican frying cheese" and they would look at me like this Then they would ask "what color is it"? I don't know! Along with various other questions I had no answer to LOL) When I came across this cheese yesterday I read the label and it said serving suggestion :slice and fry to a golden brown. So I bought it!
Hopefully Megs or MOG will be by to answer you guys questions cuz I have been looking for this for months myself!

That's how I found the mexican version the first time Barb, I just noticed on the label the serving suggestion. I had had the Arabian version many times before with some Palestinian friends and didn't even know that Mexico had a version! They do sell one that actually says "Frying Cheese" on the label though, next time I see it I'll write down the brand name or better yet buy it and take a picture.

[jimmie 48]

Re: Queso Blanco (Mexican Frying Cheese)

Fresco and Blanco are different - Fresco is more of a melting cheese and Blanco is not so melty...here's a description

Queso Blanco: Mild, meltable cheese similar to Monterey Jack.Monterrey Jack(similiar to)

Queso Fresco: Translates to "fresh cheese". The U.S. version is soft, moist, mild and crumbly cheese for sprinkling over enchiladas or black bean soup or crumbling onto a salad. Sadly, most the versions in the U.S. do not melt very well. In Mexico the cheese is used to stuff chiles or for quesadillas. Feta(similar to)

is it just me or does that look backwards?

blanco = meltable
fresco = do not melt very well

but mog, you said blanco is the one that doesn't melt.

maybe i am confused. i think we need the blanco.

[Seshena36]

Re: Queso Blanco (Mexican Frying Cheese)

is it just me or does that look backwards?

blanco = meltable
fresco = do not melt very well

but mog, you said blanco is the one that doesn't melt.

maybe i am confused. i think we need the blanco.

I sort of followed it until I read your post then I had to reread it a few times...LOL....now I'm just as confused but I get that we need blanco and not fresco.....ah well...it was worth a shot eh?

[Barbde]

Re: Queso Blanco (Mexican Frying Cheese)

Thanks Mog!!!
Think this way guys. If you put a slice of American or Cheddar cheese in your frying pan, what is it going to do? Melt all over the place! (Melting cheese)
If you look at the pics, you will see that the Queso Blanco holds it's shape. The inside melts, but the outside doesn't. It's AMAZING!!!

[MotherOfGizmo]

Re: Queso Blanco (Mexican Frying Cheese)

is it just me or does that look backwards?

blanco = meltable
fresco = do not melt very well

but mog, you said blanco is the one that doesn't melt.

maybe i am confused. i think we need the blanco.

Hmmm, now I'm confused too LOL! It does look backwards! Sorry guys, now I gotta look for another site..I took that from a cheese site. I'll be back when I can clarify that --it definatley seems backwards to me....I"m sooo confused! LOL

[MotherOfGizmo]

Re: Queso Blanco (Mexican Frying Cheese)

OK, I fixed that post with some better information girls, here's the edited version...I got this information from here

http://www.specialcheese.com/queso.htm

You might want to check out the website, it seems that both types of cheeses do not melt like cheddar or american would, but that the Queso Blanco or Queso Para Freir are the best choices for frying. Queso Fresco will not melt like american or cheddar either so it will not run out of whatever you stuff it into, but it is not the best choice for frying. I hope that fixes the confusion I created when I copied and pasted from that other "mexican cheese" site.

Barbe, your cheese looks perfect, that's exactly how I do mine, the pics made my mouth water!

Fresco and Blanco are different - Fresco is more of a melting cheese and Blanco is not so melty...here's a description

Queso Blanco
This mild tasting cheese is the most popular cheese South of the Border--both for snacking and cooking. It is wonderful to cook with because unlike American-type cheeses, it will become soft and creamy when heated, but will not melt! With this cheese you can make cheesier stuffed chicken breasts, stuffed peppers, enchiladas and burritos! For a delicious, simple treat, cube the cheese and fry it on a hot skillet (recipe on package).


Queso Fresco
Very popular among many people of Mexican descent due to its fine-grained texture. It is often used to crumble over salads or put in refried beans.

OK< but it also says this:



The key to understanding "fresh" Hispanic cheeses is understanding that they do not melt. When heated these fresh cheeses become warm and soft but do not lose their shape or run. This characteristic is essential in many Hispanic dishes--and a requirement that no common cheese can meet. For instance many Hispanic dishes use cheese as a stuffing ingredient--Enchiladas and Chile Rellenos are popular examples. In such dishes the use of common cheese as an ingredient results in the cheese melting during cooking and running out. However, use of Queso Blanco for example, would allow the chef to present the diner with the cheese soft, warm and in the food, not running all over the plate. Thus, the chef is able to offer a truly superior end-dish by using Queso Blanco--an end-dish that looks and tastes better!

As another example, true Mexican refried beans have fresh cheese mixed into the dish during cooking--not merely shredded onto the surface as a garnish. The fresh, white cheese usually used (Panela) will not melt in the dish. Instead, the authentic refried beans dish offers the diner a delightful mixture of savory bean and refreshing cheese morsels. Another example of the importance of using authentic cheese in Hispanic cooking is in Caribbean Fried Cheese recipes. These dishes, essentially require that the cheese be cut into large 1/2" to 1" cubes and thrown directly onto a hot frying pan. The cheese should get warm but not lose its shape. The cheese is usually served after it has browned on all sides--but has not melted. Clearly no common cheese can be used in such a recipe. Only a "fresh" Hispanic cheese such as Queso Para Freir will suffice for demanding preparation situations such as this. Increasing numbers of "American" restaurants are using this cheese as a replacement for breaded mozzarella sticks because of consumer comments and the fact that since it will not melt, it will not gum-up the operation of their deep fat frier if it is left unattended for too long. It is often served both plain as an appetizer and dipped in powdered sugar as a dessert.

[MotherOfGizmo]

Re: Queso Blanco (Mexican Frying Cheese)

How about this, if you can't find it at the store, you can make your own! Also, it seems that a lot of the websites consider Queso Blanco to be a fresh cheese or Queso Fresco---it is very confusing! I may just buy a block of the one labeled "Fresco" and try to fry it to see what happens. However, it looks very easy to make! I've never made a homemade cheese, have you?

Quesco Blanco is a South American cheese that is similar to the Indian cheese, Panir. It makes a great cooking cheese because it does not melt.

gallon Straus Milk (any variety)
1/3 cup vinegar (cider, grain or herb vinegar)

Warm the milk to 195 degrees F. You should have a cooking thermometer. Stir the milk to keep it from scorching. When the milk is at 195 degrees F., stir in the vinegar. Turn the heat off and let the hot milk set for 10 minutes. The milk will quickly coagulate into solid white curd particles and a clear greenish liquid whey.

Line a colander with fine cheesecloth and pour the curds and whey into the colander. Hang the bag of curd to drain for one hour or until the curd has stopped dripping whey. Remove the cheese from the cloth. It will be a solid mass of curd and may be wrapped in plastic wrap and stored in the refrigerator until ready for us.

Queso Blanco can be cut into half-inch cubes and used in a variety of dishes. Because it doesn't melt, it works wonderfully in all types of recipes. Supposedly, it is the only cheese which can be deep-fried without melting. You can add it to soups, stir-fried vegetables or pastas. The cheese will take on the flavor of the surrounding food and spices. By itself, the cheese has a very milk and distinctly sweet taste.

http://www.strausmilk.com/index.php?...pe_detail&id=4

[jimmie 48]

Re: Queso Blanco (Mexican Frying Cheese)

making our own cheese!?! holy smokes, this just keeps getting deeper each day!

i have never made my own cheese. now i have to look to see what "straus" milk is.

btw, i am happy that i was not the only one confused on the whole matter.

[Barbde]

Re: Queso Blanco (Mexican Frying Cheese)

Hey Mog! Thanks for all that research!!

[jimmie 48]

Re: Queso Blanco (Mexican Frying Cheese)

straus milk: family brand of milk as i figured it was

http://www.strausmilk.com/

[MotherOfGizmo]

Re: Queso Blanco (Mexican Frying Cheese)

No problem Barb, I love doing google searches..just wish the boss would leave so I had more time. Jimmie, any kind of milk is fine.

[jimmie 48]

Re: Queso Blanco (Mexican Frying Cheese)

yeah, understood the milk issue once i saw it was indeed a name brand of milk. wondering now if the low carb hoos's brand would work?

[MotherOfGizmo]

Re: Queso Blanco (Mexican Frying Cheese)

yeah, understood the milk issue once i saw it was indeed a name brand of milk. wondering now if the low carb hoos's brand would work?

That I do not know. I have never purchased the hood's stuff, the ingredient list looks too scary to me!

[Seshena36]

Re: Queso Blanco (Mexican Frying Cheese)

HA thanks for all the research on the cheese.......but ummm I'm not going so far as to make my own....nuh uh...not in this lifetime...LOL.

Guess I'll just keep my eye open for it and who knows maybe one day I'll come across it...or perhaps the end of july when my B/F takes me and my daughter to San Antonio TX for my birthday..maybe I can get him to stop at a little hispanic grocery store and I can check for it there....

[MotherOfGizmo]

Re: Queso Blanco (Mexican Frying Cheese)

HA thanks for all the research on the cheese.......but ummm I'm not going so far as to make my own....nuh uh...not in this lifetime...LOL.

Guess I'll just keep my eye open for it and who knows maybe one day I'll come across it...or perhaps the end of july when my B/F takes me and my daughter to San Antonio TX for my birthday..maybe I can get him to stop at a little hispanic grocery store and I can check for it there....

Ah come on, be adventerous! Did you see how easy the recipe was? Its like 2 ingredients and 2 or 3 steps! Almost as easy as fixing a cup of coffee!