Queso relleno – Yucatán Edam stuffed with spiced pork

Ingredients for 4 portions

• 350 gEdam cheese, thinly sliced
• 1 tbspLard, for the picadillo
• ½Yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 clovesGarlic, finely chopped
• ½Bell pepper, finely chopped
• 400 gPork mince
• 2Tomatoes, chopped, for the picadillo
• 2 tbspRaisins
• 10Green olives, pitted and sliced
• 1 tbspCapers in brine
• 2 tbspAlmonds, blanched and chopped
• 1 mlCinnamon
• 2Cloves, ground
• 3 mlMexican oregano
• to tasteSalt
• to tasteBlack pepper
• 3Eggs
• 3 tbspPlain flour
• ≈ 500 mlWater
• 1 cubeChicken stock
• 1Fresh güero chilli
• 1 sprigEpazote
• 3Tomatoes, for the sauce
• ½Yellow onion, for the sauce
• ½Bell pepper, in strips
• 1 tbspLard, for the sauce
• 1Habanero

On the side

• 8Corn tortillas

Method

1. Melt the lard for the picadillo in a frying pan over a medium heat and soften the onion, garlic and chopped pepper for 3 minutes. Add the pork mince and fry for 5 minutes, breaking it up, until browned.
2. Stir in the chopped tomatoes for the picadillo, the raisins, olives, capers, almonds, cinnamon, cloves and oregano. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Simmer over a low heat for 15 minutes, until the tomato has cooked down and the picadillo is juicy but not wet.
4. Meanwhile, boil the eggs for 10 minutes, cool them in cold water, then peel and chop.
5. Stir the eggs into the picadillo. Line a heatproof bowl of about 1.5 litres with overlapping cheese slices on the base and up the sides. Fill with the picadillo, press down and cover with the rest of the cheese.
6. Cover the bowl with foil and stand it on a rack in a large pan with 3 cm of simmering water. Put the lid on and steam for 25 minutes, until the cheese has melted.
7. Meanwhile, make the kol: char the güero chilli in a dry frying pan until blistered in spots. Whisk the flour into the cold water in a saucepan and crumble in the stock cube. Heat, stirring, for 6 minutes, until it thickens like a thin white sauce, then add the chilli and epazote.
8. Blend the tomatoes and onion for the sauce. Melt the lard for the sauce in a small pan, fry the pepper strips for 2 minutes, pour in the tomato and add the habanero whole. Simmer for 8 minutes, until thickened, and season with salt.
9. Warm the tortillas in a dry frying pan and wrap them in a tea towel.
10. Turn the cheese out onto a deep dish, pour the kol around and over it and top with the tomato sauce. Cut into wedges and serve with the tortillas.

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