U.S. restaurant equipment and supply sources
Taco Fresco and Fuego Loco aren't considered high-end, gourmet Mexican restaurants. yet many dishes at the nine quick-serve "Frescos" and the two casual, sit-down "Fuegos" — all in Chicago and its suburbs — feature Hispanic cheeses.
We use a four-cheese blend made of 50 percent Chihuahua at Fresco and a straight Chihuahua at Fuego. And we've used queso fresco, ranchero and añejo at Fuego," founder and owner Anthon Gambino says from his company's headquarters in Melrose Park, Ill.
"There is a little bit of a cost consideration since most domestic cheeses fall into the $1 per pound range or below and the authentic Mexican cheeses will usually be well above $2 a pound," he admits. "But we usually use them sparingly and to complement our dishes."
Gambino is just one of myriad restaurateurs, driven by demographics and customer demand, who are upgrading Mexican food's image by cooking with authentic quesos.
Try to picture 8.8 billion pounds of cheese. That's how much Americans consumed in 2003, according to the United States Department of Agriculture. Per capita consumption of cheese in the United States has grown 260 percent over the last 30 years to 29.8 pounds per person — a figure projected to grow to 37.5 pounds by 2009, the USDA says.
An impressive 383 million pounds of Hispanic quesos were produced in Wisconsin alone in 2004 — twice the amount that came out of "America's Dairyland" in 1997.
In California — another leading Hispanic cheese site — production has increased 100 percent since 1996. The Golden State produced 89.1 million pounds of Hispanic-style cheeses in 2004, and now has 13 cheesemaking companies that make more than 25 varieties of Hispanic-style cheese, information from the California Milk Advisory Board says.
"Its not just that Americans are eating more cheese, but that our tastes are changing," CMAB spokesperson Nancy Fletcher notes. "Americans want high-quality, flavorful cheese of all types."
Today, the types they want are increasingly Hispanic thanks to a growing ethnic population longing for flavors of their homeland, and to non-Latino consumers who are starting to appreciate the subtleties of regional Mexican cuisine.
"The awareness of these cheeses in the broader population has ignited a desire for their versatility, unique flavors and convenience far beyond the traditional His-panic niche," Marilyn Wilkinson, spokesperson for the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, says.
Esther Marin of Cilantro restaurant in Salem, Mass., decided to use Hispanic cheeses based on input from her patrons. She asked customers to serve on a "tasting board" so they could sample dishes made with Hispanic and non-Hispanic quesos before she added the dishes to her menus. "We all agreed that the non-Hispanic-style cheeses just didn't work; they weren't a match for the other flavors," she recalls.
The best "matches" made their way to Cilantro's menu. Among them: the Camarones Rellenos — fresh, jumbo shrimp stuffed with Chihuahua cheese, wrapped with bacon, and serviced with a spicy salsa on the side.
Chihuahua and queso fresco are the two most-used quesos on Cilantro's bill of fare. (V&V Supremo in Chicago holds the trademark for the term "Chihuahua Cheese" in the United States.) The Chihuahua appears in the Chuletas de Puerco con Chile Pasilla — boneless pork chops filled with fresh pineapple, topped with melted Chihuahua cheese, and covered with a smoked pasilla pepper sauce. A cheesy side dish is the Rajas Poblanas — cooked, mild poblano pepper strips with onions, sour cream and queso fresco.
Another Hispanic cheese afficionado is Michael Marx of the popular Blue Agave in Baltimore, Md. His Quesadillas de Nopales y Maiz appetizer marries squash blossom flowers, roasted corn, and roasted poblanos with Chihuahua and asadero cheeses.
His Burrito de Pollo is stuffed with shredded chicken that's been cooked with onions, garlic, poblano, cilantro and Mexican oregano, then filled with queso Cotija.
And his new Pechuga de Pollo con Huitlacoche is a pan-seared chicken breast stuffed with huitlacoche (the Mexican truffle) and queso asadero.
"For authentic flavor, there are few recipe items you can substitute, and cheese is not one of them," Marx says. "The Hispanic cheeses give the quality and flavor and deliver the perfect balance needed for authenticity."
Hispanic cheeses are even showcased in the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board's Chef Ambassador program this year. Top chefs like Ben Berryhill of Café Annie in Houston and Dean Fearing, the "Father of Southwestern Cuisine" and the chef at Dallas' Mansion on Turtle Creek have developed recipes featuring a variety of quesos.
Examples include Berryhill's Romaine with Creamy Poblano Chile Dressing and Wisconsin Manchego Cheese and his Wood-Grilled Filet of Beef with Frijoles Borrachos and Wisconsin Jalapeño Jack and Cotija Cheese; and Fearing's Artichoke and Spinach Quesadillas with Wisconsin Pepper Jack Cheese, Red Salsa and Guacamole.
Creative recipes made with authentic ingredients deliver more than great flavor; they can deliver higher menu prices and profits, too.
Blue Agave's customers so appreciate the flavor Cotija adds to the chicken burrito that they are willing to pay a premium: Marx lists the Burrito de Pollo at $11. A Cilantro entree is another example: the eatery's Camarones Rellenos commands $21.50. Room for cheddar and Jack?
While Marx favors Hispanic cheeses, he incorporates cheddar and Jack sparingly in some dishes. His Queso Fundido is a blend of smoked cheddar, Jack, Chihuahua and asadero. The Flautas de Pollo is a rolled taco appetizer with shredded chicken with Jack, serranos and mole. And Enchiladas de Mole Poblano features white corn tortillas stuffed with chicken, queso fresco and Jack cheese.
"It can be a cost issue — $1.99 versus $4.35 a pound," Marx explains. "I use a real smoked cheddar, not a flavor-added one, as the base for a smoked cheddar cream in the fundido. It helps stabilize the fundido so it doesn't separate."
The Jack is used "as a fortifier" since it is similar to asadero, Marx says.
More: A Hispanic Cheese Primer; Oaxaca's Temple Restaurant; Source Guide
Recipe Reference: Artichoke and Spinach Quesadillas; Lasaña Tortilla; Ensalada de Jitomates; Crema Frijolito
| About us Advertising Articles/Recipes Español Free subscription Posters/Books/Video Restaurant supply directory | |||
| ©2008 Maiden Name Press LLC |