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MAMA RITA’S RECIPE COLLECTION

Queso Asadero

Fresh northern Mexican melting cheese

A mild, supple cheese for warm tortillas and quesadillas. This cultured home version keeps the milk-and-rennet approach in the supplied notes, with measurable temperatures and a curd-stretching check. It is an intermediate cheesemaking project: read the entire method before starting.

From the family’s collected recipes · English home-kitchen adaptation

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Yield
About 500–700 g (1–1½ lb); milk and moisture affect yield
Preparation
About 1 hour active
Cooking / elapsed time
Allow 6–8 hours, plus chilling

Ingredients

  • 5 liters (about 5¼ US quarts) fresh pasteurized whole cow’s milk; not ultra-pasteurized/UHT
  • 4 tablespoons (about 60 g) plain whole-milk yogurt with live S. thermophilus and L. bulgaricus cultures, without starch or gums; use a fresh, reliable starter
  • Alternatively, use a thermophilic cheesemaking culture suitable for stretched-curd cheese at the supplier’s dose for 5 liters; use it instead of the yogurt
  • Liquid cheese rennet: the manufacturer’s dose for 5 liters of milk. Strengths differ, so do not substitute a fixed number of drops
  • ¼ cup (60 ml) cool nonchlorinated drinking water for diluting the rennet, plus 2–3 liters water for stretching and extra cold water for cooling
  • Noniodized cheese salt: 1½% of the drained curd weight (7.5 g per 500 g curd); measure with a scale

Equipment

  • An 8-liter stainless-steel pot; a water bath or larger pot to hold temperature
  • Thermometer, calibrated food/cheese pH meter, accurate scale, and small syringe or measure for rennet
  • Long knife, slotted spoon, clean muslin-lined colander, heatproof bowl, and two sturdy spoons
  • Food-safe heat-resistant gloves, shallow food-safe molds or containers, and dated labels

Method

  1. Warm and culture the milk.

    Clean and sanitize the equipment and work surface. Warm the milk gently to 37–38°C (99–100°F), stirring. Whisk the yogurt smooth with a little warm milk and stir it back in. Hold at that temperature in a water bath for about 30 minutes. With a direct-set thermophilic culture, use its instructions; a 60-minute ripening is common. This is controlled culturing, not a six-hour rest on the counter.

  2. Set the curd.

    Dilute the measured rennet immediately before use. Stir it into the warm milk with slow up-and-down movements for about 30 seconds, then stop the movement. Cover and hold the temperature without direct burner heat for about 45–60 minutes, until a knife lifts a firm curd with a clean split and whey fills the cut. If the set is still weak, give it a little longer; do not add more rennet blindly.

  3. Cut, rest, and drain.

    Cut through the curd into roughly 2–3 cm (1-inch) pieces, including angled cuts below the surface. Rest 10 minutes. Keeping the curds near 37–38°C, stir very gently at intervals for about 45–60 minutes, avoiding a boil. Ladle into the lined colander and let the whey drain. Set the colander above, not in, warm water in a covered pot to maintain the curd near 36–38°C (97–100°F).

  4. Let acidity develop, then test.

    Monitor the curd with the calibrated pH meter; a value near 5.2–5.3 is a useful stretch-testing point. This may take another 2–4 hours, depending on culture and milk. Acidity, not the clock alone, determines readiness. Put a small slice in 80–85°C (176–185°F) water and lift it with spoons: it should pull into a smooth ribbon rather than snap. If still too firm and the pH is above the target, recheck after 15–20 minutes. If acidity is not developing within the starter’s expected time, stop and consult the supplier; do not keep the batch warm indefinitely.

  5. Heat and work the cheese.

    Weigh the drained curd and calculate the salt. Cut the curd into small pieces and put half in a heatproof bowl. Cover with the hot stretching water. Use spoons and heat-resistant gloves—never bare hands in the hot water—to fold and draw the softening curd together. Aim for a smooth, pliable mass; its center should reach about 60–65°C (140–149°F) as it becomes workable. Add the calculated salt across both batches during the final folds. Stretch only enough to smooth it; excessive working makes it tough.

  6. Shape, cool, and refrigerate.

    Form two or three thin disks or small logs. Set them in clean molds or food-safe bags and chill promptly in an ice-water bath, keeping the cooling water out of any bag. Refrigerate at 4°C/40°F or below as soon as cooled. Label with the name and preparation date. It may be eaten once chilled, or rested overnight in the refrigerator for a firmer slice; room-temperature aging is not part of this method.

Kitchen notes

Storage

For this untested home adaptation, make a small batch and use within 2–3 days refrigerated. Freeze portions promptly if you need longer storage; thaw in the refrigerator and use for cooking. Do not sun-dry fresh cheese to rescue it. Discard cheese with mold, slime, or an unusual odor; absence of these signs does not establish safety.

About the culture and calcium

The original yogurt can work as a live starter, but brand activity varies. The pH meter helps you follow that fermentation; a stretching pH is not proof that a mishandled batch is safe. This version omits the unspecified ½ tablespoon calcium chloride, following a cultured stretched-curd method that does not require it. Other validated recipes may use a precisely dosed solution—do not combine methods or guess its concentration.

At the table

Melt thin slices in flour tortillas. Serve chile salsa alongside so the cheese keeps its mild dairy flavor.

For cooked dishes, cool promptly and follow the storage and reheating guide. Follow the shorter storage directions above where given.