Authentic Mexican Quesadilla is a traditional Mexican recipe (from Tex-Mex cuisine) for a classic dish of folded tortillas filled with cheese, vegetables, beans and meat and pico de gallo that are fried in a pan before serving. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Mexican version of: Authentic Mexican Quesadilla.
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A quesadilla (the Spanish diminutive of quesada) is a Mexican dish made from a tortilla folded in half or two tortillas that are filled with cheese (queso), and sometimes meats, spices, and other fillings, and then cooked on a griddle or in a frying pan. Traditionally, corn tortillas are used, but the dish can also be made with flour tortillas.
Though most people view the cheese component of quesadilla as essentially compulsory (the word is in the name after all),it should be noted that two early Mexican cookbooks Nuevo Cocinero Mexicano (1888) and La Cocinera Poblano from 1907, both describe quesadillas as possibly, but not always, containing cheese. And of course, the debate continues to this day: if you order a quesadilla in Mexico City, where they are a common street food, you need to specify if you want it with cheese. What’s presented here though is the cheese-based version. In short, there is more than one way to make an authentic Mexican quesadilla and there is no reason not to try them all. Because we have decided that, for our purposes, quesadillas contain cheese, let’s start with that. Seek out a Mexican cheese, such as Oaxaca or chihuahua. Oaxaca is a stringy, semi-firm, cow’s milk cheese with a mellow, buttery flavour that often comes in a rope or knotted shape. Chihuahua cheese is closer to cheddar with a mild, salty, slightly sour flavour.
Ingredients:
500g Oaxaca or Chihuahua cheese, grated or chopped
300–450g of diced, cooked, vegetables, beans, meat or a combination thereof
4 flour tortillas (25cm diameter)
2 tbsp vegetable oil (plus more as needed) Hot sauce, pico do gallo, chopped coriander or sour cream for serving
Method:
Pre-heat your oven to 120°C (to keep the cooked tortillas warm prior to serving).
Mix together the cheese and your choice of toppings in a large bowl, tossing until combined.
Divide the cheese mixture evenly between the flour tortillas, but spreading it only over half of each tortilla and leaving a small border around the edges. Fold the tortillas in half, ensuring that the tortilla completely covers the filling.
Set a 25cm diameter heavy-based frying pan over medium heat. Add the oil and when it's shimmering carefully place one of the folded tortillas in the pan and cook until the base is browned (about 2 minutes). During this time move the tortilla around to promote even cooking and pressing down on the top with your spatula to seal the edges. Flip the tortilla and cook until the second side is browned and the cheese has completely melted.
Remove the cooked quesadilla to a baking tray and place in the warm oven while you continue cooking the remaining quesadillas, adding more oil to the pan, as needed.
When all of the quesadilla have been cooked, cut each one in half and serve immediately with your preferred toppings.
