Super Smooth Queso Fundido

This queso fundido recipe has a few tricks that’ll keep the melted cheese ooey, gooey, and dippable from first chip to last. Dave Rizo, chef and co-owner of Yellow Rose in New York City, says he prefers aqueso dipthat’s slightly runnier than the standard, so he developed a version that’s pourable even when completely cooled (though you can easily reheat it). It starts with Lone Star, a light Texas lager that imparts a subtle beer flavor perfectly paired to the pickled chile garnish.

The real secret to this cheese dip’s super smooth and homogenous texture, though, issodium citrate, a powerful emulsifier derived from citric acid. (To make this dip recipe without it, replace the sharp white cheddar with a cheese product made with sodium citrate, like Velveeta.) As for the other cheeses, you can be a little bit flexible. Rizo tops his queso with Oaxaca cheese (also known as Asadero), but you could opt for Monterey Jack cheese or low-moisture mozzarella if you prefer. For the mild cheddar, you could swap in Chihuahua cheese or another melty semi-firm cheese. And if your local market doesn’t carry fresh Mexican chorizo, you canDIY it, or sub in another fresh sausage.

We like to serve queso fundido in an oven-proof baking dish, which will keep the dip warm longer than a bowl ever could, but acast-iron skilletwill work equally well. Lastly, don’t just limit this dish to appetizer status. Spread it on flour tortillas for a quick quesadilla snack, repurpose it as a cheese sauce for nachos, use it as a condiment for ground beeftacos, pair it with baked potatoes and all the fix-ins, mix it into scrambled eggs…you get the picture.