Mennonite Queso Chihuahua Advice

[MEXICOWANDERER]

I learned the expensive way to not squander ten dollars (180 today pesos) on an unsampled brand of block Chihuahua cheese. More than a few brands I have tried has a distinctly bitter snap to them. Mennonites vacationing at a hot springs spa gave me a small round of unbranded cheese that was as good as any cheddar-like cheese I have ever tasted. The elder in the group said there were a lot of knockoff competitors that were not even from the Ciudad Cuauhtemoc area of Chihuahua.

Like anything else (for instance, butter) quality varies wildly. Try before you buy. Butter? For years Lala brand butter in a plastic tub came from Belgium, and it was as good as Anchor butter from New Zealand. Then Lala switched sources to Uruguay but eventually Lala tub butter fizzled out in the taste department.

After comparing nutrition labels and deciding Primarvera to be the least offensive tasting margarine, when a Wal-Mart is nearby I settle for their house brand butter. Luckily I have mild HDL and LDL levels and can tolerate occasional bouts of butter patties on "hot kakes" the undisputed favorite of the grand kids. When I find real maple syrup I dilute it with "Jarabe Madrilena" Mexican sugar syrup. It's amazing that 15% maple syrup and 85% Madrilena is almost indistinguishable in taste. If maple syrup molds in the refrigerator, simply heat it and skim off the mold. If it's good enough for producers in Vermont and Montreal to skim syrup it's good enough for me. The taste is unaffected.

[Ralph_Cramden]

Chihuahua cheese?

For some reason I can not fathom fermenting this poor guy into a block of cheese LOL. :S



Or am I getting it all wrong and you're milking the Chihuahua's? That must take awhile.

[MEXICOWANDERER]

Comment about using super sterilized (box) milk

I am not a milk drinker but I use a lot of it in cooking -- Cold and hot cereal -- Cole slaw, mashed potatoes. Etc.

Not only does it last to the expiration date (Fecha de Caducidad) but treated correctly after opening, it seems to sour much less then regular refrigerated milk. I have kept opened box milk ten days at 36F and the taste was indistinguishable from newly opened. For some reason I have selected Lala as my brand of choice. I do not know what the USA limits are on bringing super sterilized milk across the border but I have read where Canada is very strict about allowed milk.

CHICKEN EGGS

Supposedly chicken eggs that come from unvaccinated hens must be kept refrigerated. Does this mean USA eggs come from unvaccinated hens and eggs in Mexico are not refrigerated because the hens received antibiotics or some from of disease inoculation? I raise my own hens and keep them under supervision. But eggs go "right into" the refrigerator. "red" eggs from red hens and white eggs from white hens" Dalia uses a marker and X's or O's nest eggs because hens do not like to have a nest cleaned out. Eggs stay one day before they are gathered. Some of Jesus' oyster shells get ground to grit and the hens love it. Huevos de Rancho are worth seeking out as is the whole prepared hen. It is twice as expensive as Bachocho (the Foster Farms of Mexico) but the taste difference is startling. When I capture scorpions the hens go crazy for them in the morning. They fight over them. And insects seem to be the prime reason for the egg and meat taste improvement. Go figure...
Anyway FOGHORN LEGHORN the rooster makes darned sure everywhere rises (shining is optional) a half hour before sunrise.

BEEF is something else I'll try and cover later. And for folks who live near sheep country (Patzcuaro), mutton and carnero (lamb) could be a subject. I love regional products because they taste far better than commercial market stuff.

[Linda_Z]

Agree 100% about the avocado oil. Best price we have found for it is City Club. And we've tried different price points and they all taste the same.

[MEXICOWANDERER]

Walmart has their own brand of house butter and it is as tasty as Challenge, Anchor butter is now quite pricey and hard to find. Zip lock your butter and freeze it. And forget Costco butter if you are a thrifty shopper. It too is "The High Priced Spread" and absolutely no better than the Wal-Mart (Or Sam's) brand.

Try out pure AVOCADO OIL made in Michoacan. It is light years healthier than even Canola oil it tastes great and its smoking temp is higher than even peanut or grape seed oil. I smear a dab around in my egg poacher and it releases the egg from the cup far easier. The stuff I use comes in a green glass bottle.

Lazaro is also limited to a Sam's club and Wal Mart.

Not long ago in the USA folks did an analysis of a few dozen brands of Olive Oil and found 90% of them fraudulently adulterated with regular oil. The standout was Costco's Extra Virgin. And since it needs no refrigeration, hauling a gallon jug on a long trip is no sweat. Better than settling for 30% olive oil and 70% Valvoline.

[Talleyho69]

We don't have a Costco in Zihuatanejo, and I don't think Lazaro has one either.

Our loss.

We do have Sam's, it is our source for quality dog food.

[moisheh]

There is a reason why Wealthy Mexican women go to Costco and buy Us butter. Any brand we tried was the worst tasting stuff I have ever tasted. The margarine is not much better. Ido see New Zealand butter and it is great.

Moisheh

[Talleyho69]

Especially bacon!

Everything in moderation-including moderation!

[rexlion]

DW and I think that saturated fats are good for the body. Butter, coconut oil, lard, bacon, etc. Olive oil is the best unsaturated fat but it goes downhill from there. Margarine is too close in composition to plastic. And shortening was meant for making candles long ago, but when electric lights came out the mfr needed a new market for their product so they portrayed it as good for baking. Butter, yum, good food.

[Talleyho69]

To say nothing of the trans fats found in most margarines.

[Linda_Z]

Is there a reason you don't just use real butter? None of the brands mentioned are real. They are all blends with chemicals and other **** added. Read the ingredients. Real butter has only leche sin sal or leche con sal.

[K_Charles]

My mom (to see if it was still good) just opened a jar of Light Amber (or fancy as it was called) that was but up in the 60s. I think many people can tell the difference between good maple syrup and your "sugar syrup". It was/is still very good.

[Talleyho69]

We have several little lecherias here in town, and our favorite is La Vacita.

Their cheeses are spectacular, and they sell a huge volume, so it's always very fresh. Oaxaca is 77p per kilo, manchego, 80 and Chihuahua has just jumped to 90. Samples? Of course!

Butter? We keep a block in each refrigerator, unsalted, and it lasts almost a year. We don't add fat to our food-cheese and meat don't count!