Cast-Iron Queso Fundido with Charred Poblano

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A small cast-iron skillet of molten, pull-apart cheese over sautéed poblano, onion and crumbled chorizo, broiled just until the top blisters. The trick is low-moisture melting cheese — Oaxaca and Monterey Jack — plus a spoonful of cornstarch-tossed grating so it stays stretchy instead of breaking into oil. Get it to the table the second it leaves the oven, with warm corn tortillas for scooping.

Ingredients

• 8 oz Oaxaca cheese, pulled into shreds (or low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella)
• 4 oz Monterey Jack, coarsely grated
• 1 tsp cornstarch

• 1 poblano pepper
• 4 oz fresh Mexican chorizo, casing removed (optional)
• 1 tsp neutral oil
• 1/2 small white onion, thinly sliced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano, preferably Mexican
• 1 pinch kosher salt

• 12 corn tortillas (or 8 small flour tortillas)
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 lime, cut into wedges
• pickled jalapeños, for topping (optional)
• salsa verde, for serving (optional)

Instructions

1. Char the poblano directly over a gas burner on high, turning with tongs, until blackened all over, 6 to 8 minutes. (No gas? Broil it 4 inches from the element, turning every 3 minutes, about 10 minutes total.) Seal in a bowl with a plate on top for 10 minutes, then rub off the skin, pull out the stem and seeds, and slice into thin strips.
2. Toss the shredded Oaxaca and grated Jack together in a bowl with the cornstarch until the cheese looks lightly dusted. The starch keeps the melt smooth and stretchy rather than greasy. Set aside at room temperature.
3. Set an oven rack 6 inches below the broiler and turn the broiler to high. Place an 8-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat.
4. If using chorizo, add it to the dry skillet and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until deeply browned and crisp at the edges, 5 to 6 minutes. Scoop it onto a paper towel-lined plate and pour off all but about 2 teaspoons of the rendered fat.
5. Add the oil if you skipped the chorizo. Add the sliced onion and a pinch of salt and cook over medium heat until softened and lightly golden, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, oregano and poblano strips and cook 1 minute more, until fragrant. Spread the mixture in an even layer and turn off the heat.
6. Wrap the tortillas in a damp kitchen towel and warm them in a 300°F oven for 8 minutes, or toast them one at a time in a dry skillet for 30 seconds per side and stack them in a covered dish. Do this now — the queso will not wait for you.
7. Pile the cheese mixture over the vegetables in the skillet, mounding it slightly in the center. Scatter half the crisped chorizo on top.
8. Broil 6 inches from the element until the cheese is fully molten and blistered brown in spots, 3 to 5 minutes. Watch it closely from the 2-minute mark; it goes from melted to oily fast.
9. Pull the skillet out, immediately scatter over the remaining chorizo, the cilantro and pickled jalapeños, and carry it to the table on a trivet with the warm tortillas, lime wedges and salsa verde. Serve within 2 minutes: scoop, stretch, wrap, eat.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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