Mexican · Michoacán · side

Uchepos con Crema y Rajas

Uchepos con Crema y Rajas reads sweetness 5.7, sourness 4.0 and richness 3.8 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Mexican · Michoacán side, about 1 hr 49 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 4.2 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 6.6 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 4.6 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 1.7 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 3.9 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 3.9 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Sweetness 5.7 · Sourness 4.0 · Richness 3.8 · Salinity 3.7 · Heat 3.7 · Fruity 3.0 · Funk & Ferment 2.5 · Umami 2.3 · Citrus 2.2 · Herbaceous 2.0 · Earthy 1.6 · Floral 1.1 · Bitterness 0.8 · Nutty 0.6

What's in it (11)

• sweet corn — 2000 g
• unsalted butter — 60 g
• regular milk — 60 g
• sugar — 25 g
• salt — 5 g
• baking powder — 5 g
• sour cream — 200 g
• poblano chiles — 400 g
• queso fresco — 150 g
• tomatillo — 300 g
• serrano chiles — 300 g

Time & effort: about 1 hr 49 min · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 88.2 kcal, 3.7 g protein, 4.3 g fat, 14.1 g carbs

Dietary: Vegetarian · Contains dairy — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (7 steps)

1. An uchepo is a fresh-corn tamal, made with the milky kernels of young maize rather than with masa, and there is nothing to hide behind. If the corn is not sweet and juicy, the uchepo will be dull.
2. Strip the husks off whole and keep the widest ones; they are the wrappers. Cut the kernels off and blend them with no added water at all — they should give up enough of their own milk to move.
3. Beat the butter with the sugar, salt, baking powder and milk 5 minutes until light, then fold the corn purée in. The batter will be loose, like a thick pancake batter, and that is correct.
4. Spoon it into the husks, fold the sides over and the tail up, and stand them upright in a steamer.
5. Steam 70 minutes over gently boiling water. They are done when the husk peels away cleanly and the uchepo is set but still tender — if it sticks, give it 10 minutes more.
6. Char the poblanos over a flame 8 minutes until blistered black, sweat them covered, then peel and cut into rajas. Char the tomatillos and serranos alongside and blend into a rough salsa verde.
7. Serve the uchepos hot with crema spooned over, the rajas laid across, crumbled queso fresco and the salsa on the side.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Insalata Alla Bourguignonne (Salad W/Bourguignonne Dressing) — French
• Avial (Mixed Vegetables in Coconut and Sour Curd) — Indian · Kerala
• Baked Sweet Potatoes with Black Bean Salsa and Lime Crema — Tex-Mex · Southwestern
• Jalapeno Cornbread — Mexican
• Deviled Eggs — Southern

Keep reading: what sweetness, sourness, richness mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.