Author Topic: I Felt like a snack so I cracked a pepperoni Jack  (Read 2699 times)

Offline DeejayDebi

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I Felt like a snack so I cracked a pepperoni Jack
« on: June 27, 2009, 05:07:36 AM »
This is pretty new made 4-3-2009 but I felt like a snack so I peeled it open. This one was just shy of a full kadova mold so the wax was embedded pretty good in the uneveness of the top. A real PITA to remove all the wax. I decided (again) I dont like waxing my cheeses.

I made a few slices and added a bit of Smoked Artichoke, Mushroom Caper & Onion Tapenade I made for Christmas last year. Could have used a tad bit more salt I think the smoked pepperoni tasted saltier than the cheese. Not bad though.

I am thinking that when I used highly salted additives to the milder cheeses I need to increase the salt in the cheese somewhat to balance that saltiness. Cheedar doesn't seem to mater because it has a strong flavor on it's own and tends to me saltier but in the mild Jack cheese it seemed milder in comparison than the pepperoni.


This was one of this first cheeses I made with the kadova molds and I was afraid I'd press to hard and ruin the molds but it seems to have pressed well inspite of my caution.

Debra

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Re: I Felt like a snack so I cracked a pepperoni Jack
« Reply #1 on: June 28, 2009, 03:50:35 PM »
Debi,
That looks so tasty!  I'm going to make my first jack this weekend-any suggestions for a beginner?  I'm planning on starting simple but eventually I'd like to make an aged dry jack-any experiences/advice on that?

Offline DeejayDebi

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Re: I Felt like a snack so I cracked a pepperoni Jack
« Reply #2 on: June 29, 2009, 04:10:49 AM »
If you can I recommend raw milk. It makes such a creamy tasting cheese and the curds are awsome for cheese curds aka squeeky cheese.

I much rather wrap my cheese in cheese cloth and lard than wax. The wax looks pretty but I think it's a PITA and costly.

I don't see semi hard cheeses or hard cheeses any more difficult than say mastering a good mozzarella. Maybe because when I started there was nobody around to tell me it was supposed to be difficult?  ;D

Just watch your temperatures and use a water bath it's so much easier to adjust temps in a hurry. If you use a water bath and you produce really hot water from the sink you only need to mantain the temps.

Fancy equipment is not neccessary! Although I do love those kadova molds. Glengarry has a similar mold with a cloth liner that's only $15.

http://glengarrycheesemaking.on.ca/wax.htm

Biggest suggestion I have is don't let it intimidate you. It's your cheese have fun with it. If you like something different in your cheese try it on a small wheel and see how it works. Don't be afraid to be creative!

Debra

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Re: I Felt like a snack so I cracked a pepperoni Jack
« Reply #3 on: June 29, 2009, 03:48:54 PM »
Thanks-some great advice!  I'll let you know how it goes!

Offline DeejayDebi

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Re: I Felt like a snack so I cracked a pepperoni Jack
« Reply #4 on: June 30, 2009, 12:00:58 AM »
Your welcome!

LadyLiberty

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Re: I Felt like a snack so I cracked a pepperoni Jack
« Reply #5 on: July 03, 2009, 09:57:54 AM »
Wow, that looks really good!

wharris

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Re: I Felt like a snack so I cracked a pepperoni Jack
« Reply #6 on: July 03, 2009, 11:08:04 AM »
First of all, the cheese looks FANTASTIC.
Congrats.

Secondly,
As a fellow Kadova mould aficionado, I too used to share your hatred for waxing cheese in that shape.  It can be a real pain removing the wax from those rounded corners.

Next time, however, try using an old potato peeler.  Let me know how that works for you.

Cheese Head

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Re: I Felt like a snack so I cracked a pepperoni Jack
« Reply #7 on: July 03, 2009, 01:45:56 PM »
Debi, looks great and nice knife, Happy July 4th to all the Americans out there!

Sedona

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Re: I Felt like a snack so I cracked a pepperoni Jack
« Reply #8 on: July 03, 2009, 11:05:51 PM »
Debi this just looks sooooo tasty, yummy.  Nice looking cheese.

Sedona

Offline DeejayDebi

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Re: I Felt like a snack so I cracked a pepperoni Jack
« Reply #9 on: July 05, 2009, 05:58:06 AM »
Thanks all I will do this one again for sure.

Wayne are you saying shave the wax off with a potato peeler?

thejuiceness

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Re: I Felt like a snack so I cracked a pepperoni Jack
« Reply #10 on: July 07, 2009, 06:04:55 PM »
I just joined the forum  :) because I've been wanting to learn more about how to make my own gourmet cheeses.  And if this is the kind of stuff you guys can produce, I think I've come to the right place.  If I knew how to make that kind of Pepperoni Jack I suppose I'd feel like snacks more often, too!  Nice work!

Offline DeejayDebi

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Re: I Felt like a snack so I cracked a pepperoni Jack
« Reply #11 on: July 08, 2009, 04:03:50 AM »
Deejay’s Monterey Jack From Raw Milk
 
4.5 gallons whole raw milk 
3/4 teaspoon Mesophilic A Starter culture (MA11)
1/2 teaspoon liquid rennet
 
Warm milk to 88°F. 
 
Add Mesophilic A starter an stir in well. It can be purhased here:
MA Culture (MA 11) http://www.dairyconnection.com/cultures.htm
 
Allow the milk to ripen for 45 minutes.
 
Increase the temperature of the milk to 90°F. Add rennet to 4 ounces of cool distilled water. Add this mixture to the 90°F milk and stir gently. 
 
Allow the milk to set at 90°F for 30 to 60 minutes or until the milk has set into a firm curd with a clean break. Using a long bladed stainless steel knife cut the curd into l/2 inch cubes. Let the curds set for 10 minutes.
 
Place the cheese pot into a second pot of 90°F water. Indirectly heat the curds to 100°F by increasing the temperature no faster than two degrees every five minutes. It should take 35-45 minutes to reach 100°F. Stir the curds gently but frequently during this cooking period to keep the curd pieces from matting together.
 
Maintain the curds at 100°F for an additional 30 minutes stirring every few minutes to keep the curd from matting. Then allow the curd to settle for five minutes.
 
Pour off the whey down to the level of the curd. Maintain a temperature of 100°F by placing the pot of curd into a water bath which is at 100°F. Allow the curds to set for 30 minutes stirring every five minutes to prevent matting.
 
Line a colander with cheesecloth and place it in a sink. Pour the curds and whey into the colander and allow to drain. Sprinkle one tablespoon of cheese salt over the curd and gently mix it into the curd.
 
Place the curds into the plastic cheese mold which is lined with cheesecloth. Pull up on the sides of the cloth to avoid any bunching of the cloth. After pouring all the curds into the mold, lay the excess length of cheesecloth evenly over the top of the curds. Place a suitable sized plate or saucer on top of the curd and set a one pound weight on top of the plate. A plastic 1 pint jar of water works well. Press the cheese for 15 minutes.
 
 Remove the cheese from the press and take it out of the cheesecloth. Place the cheesecloth back in the mold and return the cheese to the mold upside down. Fold the excess cheesecloth over the cheese and again put the plate on top of the cheese. Now press the cheese with 4 pound pressure for 12 hours This can be done with 1/2 gallon plastic jug of water. 
 
   Air dry the cheese for 1-3 days. Wax the cheese and store for aging at 40 to 50°F for at least three months. Turn the cheese over daily for the first month and several times a week there after.
 
Tried adding red, and green dried bell peppers and chopped pepperocini and smoked pepperoni.

If you would like the pepperoni recipe let me know. It was fermented and lightly smoked.