Recipe from Season 7, Mexico—One Plate at a Time
A few decades ago, most of my favorite Mexico City taquerias found a place on their menus for these great-big crispy curves of cheese. They were the golden color of pork chicharrones and just a crispy-crunchy, but made entirely of grated cheese on a big plancha, spread in a thin layer and left until the cheese thoroughly browned. A spatula lifts it from the plancha and fingertips form it into an arch before it cools and crisps. Finding the perfect cheese (one that has the right amount of fattiness) may take a couple of tries, but these delicious treats are considerably easier than you might think.
INGREDIENTS
- 8 ounces finely shredded cheese (Monterey Jack works well)
INSTRUCTIONS
Set a medium non-stick skillet (or a well-seasoned cast iron one) over medium-high heat. When hot, remove from the heat and sprinkle an even, light, slightly lacy-looking coating of cheese over the bottom of the pan. (Getting the exact quantity that’s right for your pan takes a little practice—my 10-inch All-Clad non-stick pan needs about 1/4 cup of finely-shredded cheese to cover the pan appropriately.) When the cheese has fully melted swirl the skillet to coat the bottom completely. As the cheese browns, the oil will separate and the cheese will adhere to the pan’s surface. Tip off the excess oil into a heatproof bowl. As the cheese turns an even deep golden (not all the white will have disappeared), use a small spatula or table knife to loosen the “chicharron” from the pan. Lift it up as you would a crepe and very carefully roll it into a big hollow 2-inch cylinder (or drape it over the side of a 2-inch diameter bottle). It will cool immediately and become crisp.
Continue making chicharrones de queso until all the cheese is used. Store them in a closed container away from humidity.
