The day had finally come. I was so fed up with that smell in the cold room that Smythe and I set a date and committed to eating a Limburger sandwich. That date was yesterday, November 26, 2013.
It was a long (see: short) journey that I have traveled with this cheese and from it's birth to consumption there were many ups and downs as cataloged in this post.
I dug the ripening container out of the cellar and placed it in front of Smythe, who cocked his head back, surprised by the stench. "That's really ripe," he sighed. If only we had known what true evil lay beneath the rind. When I peeled... yes peeled off the rind, this nasty, sour foot smell permeated the air. Not a room clearing smell, but strong enough to make me queasy. My cheese wasn't fully ripened, the centre was still a bit 'curd-like' and not smooth through and through. The short aging time, along with the improper ripening techniques resulted in what I assume was a relatively mild Limburger (see: still quite potent).
The sandwiches were made on a slice of rye with some raw, sliced onions. It took us a good 15 minutes before we built up the courage to try the beasts that lay before us, but we had dark beer at the ready in any case. We took a bite. It was strong. I almost cried. Pure onions. Too many onions.
So we fried the onions up and tried again. This time was a much more complete experience, especially if you were lucky enough to get a big wad of cheese in your bite. Any time you breathed in, it felt like you were inhaling old running shoes. Strangely enough, with a few swigs of dark beer, the combo was actually...... good. The cheese was strong, but I didn't over do it, and the balance of the three flavours was perfect.
We each made a second sandwich and popped open another beer. That's saying something. I haven't worked up the nerve to try this baby plain yet, but I don't think I want to. 2/3 of the wheel is still sitting in my fridge. Fortunately, when I told my brother I have some Limburger cheese for him to try this weekend, he said it would be cool. I don't think he knows what Limburger is... so I should have some fun..