Queso fundido is the ultimate party food, though you may be tempted to scoop all the melty cheese into warm corn tortillas yourself. Oyamel chef Joe Raffa punches up the Mexican appetizer with smooth agave tequila, crumbles of chorizo, and freshly roasted poblano pepper.
If you have extra sausage or pepper on hand after the dish is assembled, Raffa suggests tossing them into scrambled eggs the next morning. As for the queso? Chances are, there won’t be any left.
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Oyamel’s Queso Fundido
Serves two
1 poblano chile
1 fresh Mexican chorizo sausage link (available at most grocery stores and Whole Foods)
¾ cup shredded Chihuahua cheese
1 tablespoon 100-percent blue agave blanco tequila, such as Siembra Azul
Roast the poblano chile over a gas burner or under the broiler until the skin is charred, about 3 or 4 minutes. Place it in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap.
After 30 minutes, remove the chile and peel off the skin. Remove the seeds and core. Cut the chile into ¼-inch strips. Set aside.
Remove the chorizo from the casing. Crumble into a skillet and sauté over medium-high heat. Once the chorizo is cooked—it should take 3 to 4 minutes—drain the excess fat and return to the pan.
Just before serving, heat your broiler to high. Add the Chihuahua cheese and tequila to the skillet with the chorizo, stirring briefly. Place under the broiler until the cheese melts and begins to brown slightly. Top with about ½ the poblano chile and serve with warm corn tortillas.
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Anna Spiegel covers the dining and drinking scene in her native DC. Prior to joining Washingtonian in 2010, she attended the French Culinary Institute and Columbia University’s MFA program in New York, and held various cooking and writing positions in NYC and in St. John, US Virgin Islands.
