One of the most important cheeses of Mexico is that which is made in Ocotzingo, Chiapas. This recipe is the result of many fusions that happened throughout the long history of our county. And that is how the Stuffed Chiapas Cheese Ball was born. The original recipe is from the book Las Senadoras suelen guisar (“Senators that Cook”), 1964.
INGREDIENTS for Stuffed Chiapas Cheese Ball
- 1 ball of fresh cheese, from Chiapas
- 5 boiled eggs
- 460 grams of ground pork leg
- 115 grams of cabbage
- 1 onion
- 2 sweet peppers
- 150 grams of tomatoes
- 50 grams of olives
- 50 grams of capers
- 50 grams of raisins
- 3 tablespoons of sherry
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 banana leaf
For the Sauce
- 75 grams of butter
- 2 onions
- 2 sweet peppers
- 300 grams of tomatoes
- 50 grams of olives
- 60 grams of flour
- Salt and pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
Soak the cheese in warm water; remove the red cover with the tip of a fine knife, wash very well. Cut a slice, about 1 1/2 centimeters thick. Stuff with the picadillo and the whole cooked yolks. Cover the part that was cut with a torilla, made by mixing flour with salt and enough water to form a dough. Spread butter on the cheese, wrap in a banana leaf and then cover with a thin napkin; Tie well and cook in a steamer. Once fully cooked remove steamer from the heat. Keep in steamer until ready to serve so that it does not harden. To serve, place on a platter, cover with hot sauce and sprinkle with pepper.
For the filling: grind the meat with an onion, roasted tomatoes, chili and salt. Everything is fried in a spoonful of butter over low heat, moving continuously so that it does not stick; Add the olives, capers, sherry, salt, pepper and cinnamon. Leave over heat until it thickens. Remove from heat, add cooked egg whites, finely chopped, and fill the cheese.
For the sauce: in a spoonful of lard, fry 2 chopped onions, the sweet peppers and the roasted and chopped tomatoes, the olives and the capers; add 3 cups of broth and let boil 20 minutes; Fry the flour in a spoonful of lard; before it is browned add the broth in which the meat was cooked, let it boil to thicken a little and empty it over the cheese.
