What if I told you that one of El Paso’s best-kept culinary secrets isn’t chile, isn’t avocado, and isn’t even queso fresco, it’s Muenster cheese? That’s right, the humble block of orange-rimmed dairy delight that most people associate with deli sandwiches has been fueling Borderland kitchens and my moms quesadillas for generations. Credit goes to Texas Monthly and its Taco Editor, José R. Ralat, a great friend of mine, for digging deep into this gooey story. You might remember Jose and his title as Taco Editor from last years list of Best Texas Tacos where 3 El Paso spots landed in the top 10!
Take Emilio Apodaca, for example. At 91 years old, he’s basically El Paso’s Muenster king. Every week, like clockwork, Emilio hauls home massive blocks of cheese, slices them into “smaller” portions (though still large enough to impress Costco shoppers), and hands them out to his family like golden bars of dairy treasure. His granddaughter, artist Christin Apodaca, keeps her own chunk on standby in a zip-top bag. Christin, who’s also a great friend and one of the most talented artists in our community, could probably smuggle whole blocks of Muenster in her beehive hairdo if she wanted. My mom? She keeps at least two bags, because apparently one “emergency cheese” stash isn’t enough.
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Muenster in Every Mexican Dish
For El Pasoans, Muenster isn’t just cheese, it’s tradition. Gabe Padilla of Café Piro grew up eating it in enchiladas, tacos, and even mac and cheese. His wife, Melissa, recalls her grandmother feeding hungry day laborers picadillo stuffed with potatoes and you guessed it, plenty of Muenster. Locals like Rodrigo Nuñez of El Pochcast say it was the only cheese their families kept stocked. Why? Affordability, availability, and the fact that it melts like a dream.
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Chefs have taken notice too. Rulis Gonzalez of Sazón worked it into his potato poblano soup, while the iconic Lucy’s Café made it a star in their famous “Toni’s Tacos.” Even Burritos Crisostomo leaned on Muenster for gooey, cheesy chorizo burritos that kids (and adults) devoured by the dozen. Meanwhile, my mom was over here making quesadillas so cheesy they could double as industrial glue. And fun fact, Chef Rulis’ restaurant Sazón is literally right next door to the KISS FM studio where I work, which means I’m one distracted lunchtime away from drowning in molten Muenster.
The People’s Cheese Makes a Comeback
Sure, trendy Oaxaca cheese videos might have stolen the spotlight online, but Muenster is staging a comeback in El Paso restaurants. It’s on burgers at Benny Franks, stuffed into Hamburguesas Lola’s monster tortas, and still melting beautifully over enchiladas at local institutions. Why? It’s delicious, versatile, and, most importantly, cheap…