Good to Grill...
/Hello Cheese Enthusiast!
According to the National Day Calendar®, July is National Grilling Month. No argument here!!....I love grilling foods and need little or no excuse to fire up the barbeque.
While I am warming up the grill in preparation for tonight’s dinner, I thought I would take a few minutes to look at “Grilling Cheeses”. Americans may love their Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, but the rest of the world has been into grilling cheese for quite some time.
When I first started behind the cheese counter, there were only a few “grilling cheeses” – Halloumi Cheese from the Island of Cyprus (made from Goat, Sheep, and sometimes Cow’s milk) sprinkled (or wrapped) with fresh mint. So, just how old is Halloumi?...Well, there is a recipe for enhancing ḥālūm cheese by brining which is found in the 14th-century Egyptian cookbook Kanz al-Fawāʾid fī Tanwīʿ al-Mawāʾid.
Another was Paneer, a soft, unaged, and non-melting cheese that dates back to the 16th century in Southeast Asia where Persian and Afghani rulers first introduced the cheese. Paneer is made by curdling cow’s milk with a fruit or vegetable-derived acid, such as lemon juice, which creates acid-set cheese curds (known as chhena or sana), then are pressed. Because much of India’s population are vegetarians, Paneer became a popular food as part of the Indian culture, as it could be fried and cooked in place of meat. One of the ways I enjoy it best is this recipe for Grilled Paneer with Basmati Rice. For this recipe, I used whole milk Gopi® Paneer.
When I became a cheese broker and started traveling the country, I found many more variations of Grilling cheeses, such as Finnish Leipäjuusto (can also be called Juustoleipä or kaffeost or brödost in Sweden) – Also known as “Bread Cheese”, this rich milk cheese is made from cow’s that have recently calved. Once the curd is formed, the leipäjuusto is baked, grilled, or flambéed to give it its distinctive brown or charred marks.
Two U.S. producers have picked up on this and produced their own variations:
Brunkow Cheese in Darlington, Wisconsin produces Brun-uusto™which follows this Finnish/Swedish tradition.
They make a variety of flavors including: Original, Pizza, Jalapeno, Bacon, Garlic, and Cranberry.
These can be simply microwaved or placed in a skillet on the grill. They can be served with sweet or savory accompaniments.
Another is Goat Bread Cheese® from Carr Valley Cheese® in LaValle, Wisconsin.
This cheese is wonderful cubed up and warmed as a delicious appetizer or snack. Great with Fig Jam, Olives, or Cherries.
Well, my grilled lamb kabobs are just about to come off the grill (to be served with the grilled Paneer), so next time you think of firing up that grill, just remember….There is a cheese to go along with it.
What are you waiting for?...July is half over!...Let’s get grillin”!!
Until next week…
Trevor
