Directions

• STEP ONE

  Unwrap the ball of cheese, being careful to keep the rope intact, then cut 4-inch sections, similar in size to mozzarella sticks. If some of the pieces seem too wide, cut them in half lengthwise.

• STEP TWO

  Season the flour with half of the salt, pepper, cayenne pepper and oregano.

• STEP THREE

  Grind the corn tortillas in a food processor until you have fine crumbs, then add the other half of the seasonings to it.

• STEP FOUR

  Beat the eggs, then place the flour, eggs and tortilla crumbs in three separate bowls, laid out in that order.

• STEP FIVE

  One at a time, dredge the cheese sticks in the flour, then dip them in the egg. Tap off the extra egg, then roll the stick in the tortilla crumbs and coat evenly.

• STEP SIX

  Repeat the egg and tortilla crumbs (but not the flour), then lay out on a tray lined with parchment. Once you’ve got all your sticks dredged, put them in the freezer for 1 hour.

• STEP SEVEN

  While those are in the freezer, roughly chop your onions, garlic and cilantro. Add those plus the tomatoes into a blender with lime juice and salt, and blend until smooth. Pour into a bowl, cover and set aside.

• STEP EIGHT

  Heat 2-3 inches of oil in a cast-iron or heavy-bottomed skillet to high heat, about 375°F. Remove the cheese sticks from the freezer while the oil is heating up.

• STEP NINE

  Drop the sticks into the pan 2-3 at a time, and fry for about 1-2 minutes total, flipping about halfway through, and basting a tiny bit if there are any odd ends sticking out that don’t look like they’re frying enough. Remove from the skillet once golden brown, and place on a rack or on paper towels.

• STEP TEN

  Blot the extra oil, sprinkle with salt while still hot and serve with your homemade salsa.