Queso fresco, with a queso botanero variation

Heat the milk to 90 degrees.

Stir in a quarter teaspoon of animal rennet and let sit about an hour until set into one gelled mass.

Break up the curd with the fingers like a comb into pea-sized pieces.

Lift the curds from the whey with a skimmer into cheesecloth.

Gather the cloth and press gently until the curd is like farmer's cheese or dry cottage cheese.

Unwrap, break up the curd, sprinkle with flake salt and knead it in until evenly distributed.

Pack the salted curd into can molds and press gently; let sit about an hour as whey separates.

Variation: for queso botanero, chop red Fresno chilies, cilantro (or epazote) and a little habanero, line two can molds with Fresno slices and pack the flavored curds in.

Refrigerate about an hour to firm completely before serving.