Grand Recipes
This month Chef Guido showcases a classic dish from the Yucatán kitchen. Queso Relleno, Dutch cheese stuffed with a tasty meat filling and served with two sauces, a dish with links to the Caribbean island of Curaçao where a similar recipe is known as Keshi yena. During the Colonial period, Spanish merchants traded with Dutch settlers on the island and imported Edam cheese to the Yucatan where it became a prized delicacy.
Queso relleno
Ingredients
- 1 Edam cheese
- Salt and pepper
- 2 sprigs of mint
- 1 head of garlic
- ½ onion
- 50g green destoned olives
- 50g almonds
- 2 xcatic chilies
- 50g flour
For the meat filling
- 100g raisins
- 2 xcatic chilies
- 100 ml chicken stock
- 4 eggs
- 100g almonds
- 2 kilos of chopped pork
- 2 tbsp capers
- 100g green olives
- 2 cups of hot water
- Salt
- 2 tbsp recado or spice mix seasoning (Recado para todo)
Tomato sauce
- Salt
- 4 habanero chilies
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 8 tbsp lard
- 3 onions
16 beef tomatoes, remove the seeds
Preparing the cheese
Remove the red wax covering and cut a square out of the center of the cheese to create a hollow. Keep the cheese you remove.
Cover the cheese in water and leave to soak for two hours. Drain
Tomato sauce
Dice the onion and fry in lard, Blend the tomatoes and divide the sauce in half. Place half in a pan with the habanero chilis. Cook for 10 minutes-
Set aside the remaining tomato for the meat filling
Preparing the meat filling
Place the pork in a casserole with hot water, salt and recado seasoning, stir to ensure that it cooks evenly. Add the tomato sauce you had set aside, salt and chicken stock. Sear the xcatic chilies and add to the mixture to cook. Add the remaining ingredients. The egg whites and yolks should be separated and added to the meat with care. When the pork is cooked thoroughly remove from heat until ready to use.
Filling the cheese
Fill the hollow with the meat mixture and close the hole. Wrap the cheese in tin foil and place in a bain marie filled with hot water and bring to the boil. Cover the pan and leave for 20 minutes until the cheese is softer and loses its form.
Making the K’ool sauce
Add two xcatic chilies, whole almonds, mint and olives to the strained broth. Reserve a little, add flour to thicken and blend the mixture. Add the hot broth and stir. Season to taste.
Instead of flour you can also use three tablespoons of corn flour.
To serve
Place a little of the k’ool sauce and the tomato sauce in a deep bowl with a slice of the stuffed cheese, extra pork filling and garnish with habanero chili. Serve with corn tortillas and sliced avocado.
