Chipotle Queso: Unraveling The Mystery Cheese Blend

Chipotle's Queso Blanco is made with a combination of aged Monterey Jack and white cheddar cheese. The recipe also includes chipotle, poblano, and serrano peppers, as well as garlic, cornstarch, tomatoes, yellow onion, water, salt, and cultured cream. The result is a smooth, spicy queso that has become a popular menu item.

Aged Monterey Jack

Queso Blanco, a Chipotle menu item, contains aged Monterey Jack cheese. This is one of 13 real ingredients that make up the smooth queso, which also has a spicy kick. The dairy for the cheese comes from small and mid-size family farms in Wisconsin, adhering to Chipotle's 'Food with Integrity' standards.

The queso recipe was tested in 52 locations across three markets, Dallas, Detroit, and San Diego, in 2019. The recipe includes white cheddar, serrano, poblano, and chipotle peppers, as well as cultured cream and cornstarch. The spice comes from the serrano peppers, and the smokiness from the chipotles in adobo. The recipe is gluten-free and can be made vegan by substituting the dairy products.

The aged Monterey Jack cheese is a key ingredient in the queso, and Chipotle supports local farmers who are committed to raising or growing ingredients with the welfare of animals and the environment in mind. The company provides grants to young farmers to help them start or grow their businesses.

White cheddar

The white cheddar used in Chipotle's Queso Blanco is a sharp variety, ensuring that the queso has a strong and distinct cheese flavour. The sharpness of the cheddar also helps to balance the spice from the various peppers and the tang from the cultured cream.

Chipotle's choice of white cheddar also aligns with their commitment to using real, responsibly sourced ingredients. The company supports local farmers who are dedicated to animal welfare and environmental sustainability. The dairy for the white cheddar, as well as the Monterey Jack, is supplied by small and mid-size family farms in Wisconsin, adhering to Chipotle's 'Food with Integrity' standards.

The use of white cheddar in the Queso Blanco contributes to its distinctive colour. As the name suggests, Queso Blanco is a white queso, and the white cheddar helps maintain this colour palette. This is in contrast to traditional orange cheddars, which would have altered the appearance of the final product.

The combination of white cheddar, Monterey Jack, and various peppers creates a unique flavour profile for Chipotle's Queso Blanco. The sharpness of the cheddar enhances the spice and tang from the other ingredients, resulting in a complex and flavourful dip that has become a popular menu item at Chipotle.

Chipotle peppers

The process of making chipotle peppers involves smoking and drying jalapenos, which dates back to early food preservation practices used in Mesoamerica. The name "chipotle" comes from the Aztec words "chilli" (hot pepper) and "poctli" (smoke). The smoking process can affect the structural, chemical, and nutritional properties of the jalapenos.

To make chipotle peppers, jalapenos are left on the vine to ripen until they turn red. They are then smoked and dried, which removes most of the moisture from the peppers, leaving them shrivelled and wrinkled. The smoking process can take several days, and the type of wood used can impact the flavour of the chipotle peppers.

There are two primary types of chipotle peppers:

• Chipotle Morita: This type is most commonly found in the United States. It has a brownish-burgundy colour and a smoky, medium-level spicy flavour with underlying sweetness and fruitiness. Chipotle Morita peppers still retain some moisture, giving them a leathery and pliable texture.
• Chipotle Meco: This variety is preferred in Mexico and is smoked for nearly twice as long as Chipotle Morita. It has a greyish-tan or ashy brown colour and a profoundly smoky and rich flavour.

In addition to these two main types, there is a third rare variety called capones, which are red jalapenos that have had their seeds removed before smoking, resulting in a milder heat level.

Poblano peppers

While poblanos are typically mild, occasionally they can be surprisingly hot. The ripe, red poblano is significantly hotter and more flavourful than the less ripe, green poblano. The pasilla pepper is sometimes called a "poblano" in the United States, but they are distinct from true poblano peppers. The mulato variety is closely related to the poblano, but is darker, sweeter, and softer.

Poblanos are popular in the United States and can be found in grocery stores, particularly in states bordering Mexico and in urban areas. Preparation methods include drying, stuffing, using in mole sauces, or coating in whipped egg and frying. They are especially popular during Mexican Independence festivities, when they are used in a dish called chiles en nogada, which incorporates the colours of the Mexican flag.

Poblano plants can grow to 25 inches (64 cm) in height, with fruits that are 3 to 6 inches (7.6 to 15 cm) long and 2 to 3 inches (5 to 8 cm) wide. The peppers take around 200 days to grow from seed to harvest and require soil temperatures of at least 64°F (18°C) to germinate. They are typically grown in full sunlight and prefer a soil pH between 7.0 and 8.5.

After harvesting, poblano peppers can be preserved by canning or freezing, and will keep for several months in airtight containers. When dried, the poblano becomes a broad, flat, heart-shaped pod called a chile ancho, which is Spanish for "wide chile". These dried ancho chiles are often ground into a powder and used as a flavouring.

Serrano peppers

The serrano pepper (Capsicum annuum) is a type of chilli pepper that originated in the mountainous regions of the Mexican states of Puebla and Hidalgo. It is commonly used to make hot sauces, and is the second most used chilli pepper in Mexican cuisine.

Frequently asked questions