Mild and white, here come Mexico's rancho-style cheeses

Sunset, June, 1985

Country-style cheeses, or quesos, with the character of those traditionally made on Mexican ranchos are making their way into Western supermarkets, alongside jack, cheddar, and other favorites. Produced primarily in California and long available in areas with large Hispanic populations, the nine kinds of white cheese described here are growing in popularity because their mild flavor makes them easy to like. The makers of Mexican cheeses also often produce two kinds of cultured creams, sweet or lightly tart. The labels don't always tell you all you want to know, so here we introduce you to Mexican-style cheeses and creams, and tell how to identify and use them.

Two basic types: fresh and cooked Both start when pasteurized cow's milk (whole, part-skim, or all skim) is clotted with a coagulant to form curds, then stirred. (Often in Mexico, but rarely here, goat's milk is used, producing a sharper-flavored cheese.)

Fresh cheeses. The simplest kind is made of drained curds and is much like pressed cottage cheese. To make other fresh cheeses, the drained curds are ground and molded, and sometimes aged. The amount of salt used varies with the cheese and the taste of the manufacturer. These high-moisture cheeses have a clean, fresh taste and smell much like cottage or farmer's cheese; they spoil just as quickly. They feel squeaky when you bite into them.

These cheeses usually aren't aged more than a few days; they must be refrigerated. (Main exception is cotija, but it also keeps best if refrigerated.) Spoilage is indicated by sour odor and flavor, accumulation of liquid or gas in packaged cheeses, and yellow to orange discoloration.

When heated, fresh cheeses hold their shape and retain their texture; overcooked, they get rubbery.

Cooked cheeses. In making these, the drained, salted curd is heated and stirred. According to how the melted curd is handled and shaped and how long the cheese is aged, each kind acquires its particular appearance, texture, and taste.

Cooked cheeses last longer than fresh ones by at least two weeks; they are most similar in flavor and texture to jack, mozzarella, or string cheeses. They should smell and taste fresh, and should always be stored in the refrigerator. A sour odor or taste is an indication of spoilage. If surface mold develops on opened cheeses, you can trim it off. Cooked cheeses soften and melt when heated in cooking.

Generally, Mexican-style cheeses, fresh or cooked, come packed in plastic wrap. Some are whole cheeses; others are pieces cut from larger wheels or bricks.

The fresh cheeses and how they behave Several are known by more than one name; we give the commonest one first. Keep in mind that these cheeses are less standardized in look and taste than domesetic and European-style cheeses. We list them from simplest to most complex.

Panela. Clotted curds are scooped into baskets and drained briefly. The cheese has a slightly coarse texture and cottage cheese flavor.

Cut into cubes, crumble, or shred coarsely and add to salads, tacos, or tostadas. When broiled, panela weeps water.

Queso fresco or fresh cheese (also called ranchero, estilo casero, and quesito) is the most widely distributed Mexican-style cheese. Like panela, it starts with drained curds. The curds are ground, kneaded, and pressed into round molds. Texture is a bit like farmer's cheese.

Slice and eat like panela. Crumble to use in burritos, enchiladas, tacos, or chilies rellenos; sprinkle onto hot beans or salads.

Queso fresco gets rubbery when broiled.

Cuajada means curd. Like queso fresco, the curds are ground, but more finely. The resulting cheese has a finer, more tender texture and is moister.

Slice to eat, or sprinkle with grated orange peel or an herb mix such as Mexican seasonings or an Italian blend.

Crumble and use as suggested for queso fresco. Cuajada toughens and gets dry when broiled.

Queso crema (not pictured) means cream cheese but it is made like cuajada with more cream added. It's sold by the piece from a block.

Use it as you would cuajada.

Adobera takes its name from its shape--like an adobe brick: the curd is pressed and drained in a rectangular mold.

Slice and eat like jack cheese.

Broiled just until hot, adobera stays soft.

Enchilado. Shaped in round or rectangular molds, this cheese is similar to queso fresco, but is pressed firmer and dried more. The outside is often rubbed with annato, a neutral-tasting bright orange seasoning used in Yucatecan cookery. Some manufacturers age this cheese, and it becomes harder and more crumbly.

Use as suggested for queso fresco.

Cotija, also called queso seco (dry cheese) or queso anejo (aged cheese), dries as it ages at least three months, growing sharper in flavor and smell. The curd is firm and inclined to crumble. Because of its low moisture content, cotija lasts at least six months.

It's Mexico answer to parmesan; however, cotija's flavor is not as rounded or complex as its Italian counterpart. If the cheese is firm enough, grate it; otherwise, crumble and use like parmesan.