Requesón is a salty, spreadable Mexican cheese that tastes like a creamier, more acidic version of ricotta. Making it from scratch is easy: You curdle milk with vinegar or another acid such as lime juice, and then warm it and watch the curds form. Most street vendors use it as a tlacoyo filling, but you can use requesón for all sorts of things—stirred into scrambled eggs and tomatoes, smeared into a corn tortilla with salsa, or spread onto a piece of toast with honey or mixed in a dip of fresh herbs and olive oil.
Homogenized, pasteurized milk works fine here, but make sure the milk is not ultra-homogenized, or else the curds may not come together. This recipe also divides and multiplies easily. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Stir together the milk and vinegar in a large heavy-bottomed pot. Cook over medium-high heat until large, thick curds form on the milk's surface and the curds have clearly separated from the thinner, clearer whey, 35 to 40 minutes if using cold milk directly from the fridge, or slightly less if using room-temperature milk. The curds won't necessarily look big and lumpy—think more of a layer of algae on a lake. Try not to disturb the milk too much while it cooks, in order to give the curds more time to come together.
Step 2
Remove the pan from the heat and let sit, uncovered, for 10 minutes, to allow the curds to continue to thicken.
Step 3
Line a fine-mesh strainer with a layer of cheesecloth and set over a bowl. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the curds to the cheesecloth and let sit for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until room temperature. (This gives the cheese time to set and cool off.)
Step 4
Transfer the cheese to a bowl of airtight container. Stir in the salt, mixing until thoroughly combined. Use immediately, or chill first in the refrigerator.
