Author Topic: Roncal Cheese Making Recipe  (Read 6400 times)

Offline DeejayDebi

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Roncal Cheese Making Recipe
« on: September 27, 2009, 07:20:12 PM »
I have been collecting information on theis cheese for several months and because Sailor asked for it to I got off my butt to interpret and compile all the collected data. Now I haven't tried this yet but this is my interpretation of all the data I have collected to date.

Roncal -  Spain - Deejays - adapted from cheese descriptions research papers

Ingredients:
1 gallon raw whole ewe’s milk. 45% fat
1/4 teaspoon  Mesophilic Aromatic Type B or Probat 222
(lactis subsp lactis, subsp cremoris, subsp lactis biova diacetylactis,   
Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. Cremoris)
1/4 teaspoon Lipase Powder
Lamb Rennet per manufactures instructions
Salt for brine


Procedure:
Heat milk to between 86 and 98°F.
Add calcium chloride if needed and stir well.
Add culture and mix well and leave for 45 minutes.
Mix the lipase powder in 1/4 cup water and let stand for 20 minutes.
Add lipase mixture to the milk and stir gently for 1 minute.
Mix Rennet per manufactures instruction in 1/4 cup of pure water and add to the milk and mix completely.  Coagulation should be completed not less than 30 minutes not more than 60 minutes.
Once a clean break is achieved cut curds slowly to the size of rice and rest for 5 minutes.
Whisk the curds into rice-size pieces. The curds are stirred rapidly and left to rest.
Heat the curds to 104°F at a rate of 2°F every five minutes. This will take about 45 minutes. Stir occasionally to keep curds from matting together.
Rest curds for 5 minutes.
Pour off excess whey.
Drain curds in cheese cloth line colander.
Place curds into a mold, and press with 15 pounds pressure for 15 minutes.
Flip the cheese and press again with 15 pounds pressure for 15 minutes
Flip the cheese and press again with 15 pounds pressure for 15 minutes
Flip the cheese and press again with 30 pounds pressure for 6 hours.
Unwrap cheese and soak medium brine not to exceed 48 hours at 50-55°F.
Remove cheese from mold and air dry at 50-55° F with a relative humidity of 80-85%.
Turn cheese every day for about a week.
Cheese should age for 4 months or longer.


Sailor Con Queso

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Re: Roncal - My interpretation
« Reply #1 on: September 27, 2009, 09:45:45 PM »
Deb This is GREAT, Thanks so much.

This will definitely be my next cheese for this week. Unfortunately I don't have access to sheep's milk (darn it), so I will substitute a little cream to get a higher fat content. And I will use the stronger version of Lipase to give it more flavor. I do have access to a little goat's milk. Would that be better??? Say 3-1/2 gallons raw cow's milk plus 1 quart of goat's milk???

In his book Cheese Primer, Steven Jenkins, who HATES Manchego, says "They've been making this fabulous cheese in Spain for nearly 3000 years - isn't it time you tasted it?"

He describes it as a "delicious, moist, smooth, olivey and nutty flavor" mmm.... Can't wait. :D

I'm thinking a floc multiplier of 3 -  a little moister than Asiago.

Alex

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Re: Roncal - My interpretation
« Reply #2 on: September 27, 2009, 09:58:02 PM »
Cows and goats raw milk are very similar in their characteristics, except that molecules of goats milk are much smaler. That makes it more digestible and in raw milk the fat almost doesn't separate when standing.

Sailor Con Queso

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Re: Roncal - My interpretation
« Reply #3 on: September 28, 2009, 12:18:58 AM »
So Alex. How do you suggest I substitute for sheep's milk?

Offline DeejayDebi

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Re: Roncal - My interpretation
« Reply #4 on: September 28, 2009, 03:19:02 AM »
Sailor Your welcome.

I have no idea about sheeps milk. Heck I just had my first goats milk a month ago. Maybe someone here raises sheep?

From what I read (in Spanish) this is made almost the same as Manchego just with sheeps milk.

I may have enough info for the Queso Castellano and Queso Zamorno but I have to go to bed. I spent the whole day researching these two cheeses and scanning through/reading Spainsh texts. Found some great stuff today.

Don't you like cows milk cheses?

Sailor Con Queso

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Re: Roncal - My interpretation
« Reply #5 on: September 28, 2009, 03:38:12 AM »
Of course I like cow's milk cheeses. Why do you ask?  ;D :D ::)

I use Steven Jenkins book, Cheese Primer as a coffee table reference. He seems a bit of a snob but his comments are always interesting. Every time I make a new cheese, I look to see what he says. I have rejected a few cheeses as too "ordinary" based on his opinions.

Anyway, I was making Manchego, and looked it up in his book. He obviously HATES Manchego (but I make them anyway) and he recommends a few other Spanish cheeses that he says have a lot more flavor and character.

Gosh I would like to figure out how you're finding info on these foreign cheeses.
« Last Edit: September 28, 2009, 03:52:09 AM by Sailor Con Queso »

Alex

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Re: Roncal - My interpretation
« Reply #6 on: September 28, 2009, 04:56:40 AM »
So Alex. How do you suggest I substitute for sheep's milk?

I don't know how to really substitute for sheep. I made a wonderfull tasting Manchego (the one wrapped with grapes leaves, I didn't have Esparto) just by adding lipase.

Offline DeejayDebi

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Re: Roncal - My interpretation
« Reply #7 on: September 28, 2009, 11:20:45 PM »
I like lipase it does in a few months what would normally take a few years.

Sailor- Find a cheese you want and translate it to the language it's made in. Cheese descriptions will give you hints to the making of it, the style others, then you have to figure out the substitute cultures as most european coutries don't use them.

Look for research papers on specific cheeses. It's not easy. I've been researching info on the Roncal and Zamarano since July. Just happened to find the last research paper last night that specified the microbiological break down of the cheese. This gave me the types of cultures that might be used.

The bad part is everything will be in the native toungue you will have to look to ketwords you recognize. Sometimes what I thought was a cheese turns out to be sausage - bit that's okay I love to make sausages!

Sailor Con Queso

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Re: Roncal - My interpretation
« Reply #8 on: September 29, 2009, 12:02:09 AM »
If you use Google to search, it has an autotranslate function. Sometimes the translations are hysterical, but gets the point across. I also use babelfish, etc. The problem is I can't FIND useful info. Searching for Roncal, all I could find was descriptions from cheese stores, etc. Guess I need to look on page 5 of a search to get past the e-commerce and see the research papers.  :D

Offline DeejayDebi

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Re: Roncal - My interpretation
« Reply #9 on: September 29, 2009, 12:11:12 AM »
Unfortunately they don't translate PDF files and sometimes they are scanned images not text which is more of a PITA.

Try this:

microbiología de Roncal

fabricación del queso de Roncal

estudios del queso de Roncal

Sailor Con Queso

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Re: Roncal - My interpretation
« Reply #10 on: September 29, 2009, 12:36:48 AM »
Oh you're SOooo clever. Hadn't thought about PDF files.

I think I have found the answer to Queso Castellano and Zamorano. It was right there in front of me in Steve Jenkins book. He says.

"Castellano and Zamorano are identical in recipe, configuration, and appearance to La Mancha's Manchego..."

So it appears that the only difference is the specific breed of sheep's milk used in each region.

Offline DeejayDebi

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Re: Roncal - My interpretation
« Reply #11 on: September 29, 2009, 12:51:24 AM »
From what I have read (and I think I mensioned that earlier) Manchego is the key to all three recipes AND a slight difference in the cooking of the cheese. I just have to assemble everything.