RECIPE ⬇️ Santiago Lastra's Oaxaca Cheese #mexicanfood #chef #london #oaxaca #cheese #mozzarella

In professional kitchens outside of Mexico, sourcing high-quality, authentic queso Oaxaca can be a significant challenge. Chef Santiago Lastra offers a highly practical solution by transforming standard, widely available mozzarella into this classic semi-soft Mexican string cheese. By actively re-working the moisture levels and physical structure of standard mozzarella, Lastra mimics the traditional pulled texture and melting characteristics of the Oaxacan original, providing a reliable kitchen workaround for busy prep sections.\n\n## Extracting WheyWheyThe liquid remaining after milk proteins coagulate during cheese-making. and Conditioning the Curd\nThe technical process begins by addressing the high water content inherent in standard fresh mozzarella. Lastra places the cheese balls in a dry pan, heating them gently to release and extract the excess whey. Once this liquid separates from the solids, it is discarded. This step is critical to the cheese's final texture; reducing the moisture content alters the protein structure, shifting the cheese from a wet, spongy Italian-style curd to a firmer, more pliable Mexican-style paste.\n\nAfter draining the whey, the cheese is heated a second time, this time with a splash of olive oil. The oil aids in lubrication during the high-tension stretching phase and helps emulsifyEmulsifyTo combine normally immiscible liquids, such as oil and water, into an emulsion. the fat back into the curd. This second cook must be controlled carefully with moderate heat to prevent the cheese from splitting or becoming overly greasy before stretching.\n\n## Stretching and Plaiting\nOnce the curd is heated to the correct temperature, it becomes incredibly elastic. The primary technique here is stretching the hot cheese out into a single, continuous, flat ribbon. This manual stretching aligns the milk proteins linearly, which creates the distinctive 'string cheese' pull characteristic of authentic queso Oaxaca.\n\nWhile still warm and pliable, the long ribbon is cooled slightly to set its shape, then wound and plaited tightly into a compact, spherical ball. The resulting cheese can be stored easily until service, ready to be shredded by hand rather than sliced.\n\n## Applications on the Line\nQueso Oaxaca is prized for its exceptional melting qualities and stringy pull. On the pass, this reworked cheese is highly versatile. Lastra recommends melting the cheese in traditional Mexican preparations like choriqueso—a rich, communal dip of melted cheese and chorizo—as well as inside folded quesadillas. It is also perfect for making costra tacos, where the cheese is melted directly onto a hot plancha until it forms a crisp, golden crust that wraps securely around the taco filling.