Author Topic: Tetilla and Afuega'l Pitu Cheese Making Recipes?  (Read 6568 times)

scubagirlwonder

  • Guest
Tetilla and Afuega'l Pitu Cheese Making Recipes?
« on: May 08, 2010, 05:39:54 PM »
Ok...you all are so good at finding recipes, are you up for another challenge? ;)

I would love to replicate two other Spanish cheeses- Tetilla and Afuega'l Pitu, both of which are D.O. but I'd just like to replicate them as best as I'm able....anybody ever made these, or know the recipes?

Thanks for your help!
~Cheers



linuxboy

  • Guest
Re: Tetilla and Afuega'l Pitu Cheese Making Recipes?
« Reply #1 on: May 08, 2010, 06:14:39 PM »
Traditional Tetilla is hard to make here... I'm not sure where you could even get milk to approximate it. IIRC, it's made from this one breed of cow that has very rich milk, and not a lot of it. You make it kind of like brie, just not as moist of a curd and pack it into those special molds to give the shape. Never tried Afuega'l Pitu so can't help there.

scubagirlwonder

  • Guest
Re: Tetilla and Afuega'l Pitu Cheese Making Recipes?
« Reply #2 on: May 08, 2010, 07:02:04 PM »
Traditional Tetilla is hard to make here... I'm not sure where you could even get milk to approximate it. IIRC, it's made from this one breed of cow that has very rich milk, and not a lot of it. You make it kind of like brie, just not as moist of a curd and pack it into those special molds to give the shape. Never tried Afuega'l Pitu so can't help there.

That's pretty much what I had learned in my research about Tetilla, as well.... I suppose I was hoping that someone had figured out a close approximation, but alas, I will have to settle for buying my Tetilla (for now!)....Still hoping someone will have replicated Afuega'l Pitu, would love to give that one a go! (Have my fingers crossed!)

linuxboy

  • Guest
Re: Tetilla and Afuega'l Pitu Cheese Making Recipes?
« Reply #3 on: May 08, 2010, 08:42:55 PM »
Who sells Afuega'l Pitu around here? Met Market? Whole foods? De Laurenti? I can pick some up and try it and create a passable recipe for you. That one at first glance seems easier than Tetilla.

With Tetilla the big challenge is the fat and protein, and the form of the fat. Those beef cows have different length fats than standard Jerseys and Holsteins, and different lipases around them. Maybe if you found someone with old Irish breeds or if there was a person who had a Dexter? Might be someone out in Duvall, though I don't know offhand.

scubagirlwonder

  • Guest
Re: Tetilla and Afuega'l Pitu Cheese Making Recipes?
« Reply #4 on: May 08, 2010, 08:53:11 PM »
I found it once at Pacific Food Importers (http://www.bigjohnspfiseattle.com/products/products.html) but haven't seen it since....thus the reason I'd like to make my own!
BTW Linuxboy, the whole foods milk seems to be working out well...it took a bit longer to set than I was expecting (floc at 15, but even with a 3.5x multiplier seemed fairly soft so I gave it 10 more minutes before cutting) but, I didn't have the curds shatter like before so I am very happy! Thanks again for the tips!
~Cheers

Offline kstaley

  • Medium Cheese
  • ***
  • Location: Michigan - U.S.
  • Posts: 22
  • Cheeses: 1
  • Default personal text
Re: Tetilla and Afuega'l Pitu Cheese Making Recipes?
« Reply #5 on: May 08, 2010, 09:26:48 PM »

That's pretty much what I had learned in my research about Tetilla, as well.... I suppose I was hoping that someone had figured out a close approximation, but alas, I will have to settle for buying my Tetilla (for now!)....Still hoping someone will have replicated Afuega'l Pitu, would love to give that one a go! (Have my fingers crossed!)


Hi scubagirlwonder - Did a quick search for research about Afuega'l Pitu and found this paper:  http://jds.fass.org/cgi/reprint/79/10/1693.pdf (English this time!).  The intro probably provides enough info to create a recipe. 

A similar search for Tetilla yielded this study with a section on the "cheese making procedure" ... but it's pricey to access the full text unless you happen to have access to a digital research library :)

Hope these help!
Eat Cheese :)

scubagirlwonder

  • Guest
Re: Tetilla and Afuega'l Pitu Cheese Making Recipes?
« Reply #6 on: May 09, 2010, 03:45:00 AM »
Wow kstaley!

That breaks it down quite well...I am going to have to read through that several times see if I can figure it out! I am not very good with the technical stuff, but it does explain the process quite well, thanks a bunch for finding that!
~Cheers

Alex

  • Guest
Re: Tetilla and Afuega'l Pitu Cheese Making Recipes?
« Reply #7 on: May 09, 2010, 04:02:41 AM »
Ok...you all are so good at finding recipes, are you up for another challenge? ;)

I would love to replicate two other Spanish cheeses- Tetilla and Afuega'l Pitu, both of which are D.O. but I'd just like to replicate them as best as I'm able....anybody ever made these, or know the recipes?

Thanks for your help!
~Cheers

Scuba, this is the best I could find for now:

scubagirlwonder

  • Guest
Re: Tetilla and Afuega'l Pitu Cheese Making Recipes?
« Reply #8 on: May 09, 2010, 10:11:33 PM »
Thanks for the info Alex! It's very much appreciated!
~Cheers

Brie

  • Guest
Re: Tetilla and Afuega'l Pitu Cheese Making Recipes?
« Reply #9 on: May 09, 2010, 11:32:31 PM »
Thanks, Alex, for the Tetilla info--I want to make this cheese, as well. There's a recipe in the current issue of Bon Appetit for Padron Peppers stuffed with Tetilla that I want to try. Here's what Steve Jenkin's says about the cheese:
"Made from pasteurized cow's milk and weighting from 2-3 pounds, is shaped like a woman's breast-hence it's name. It is 5-6" in diameter at the base and 4-5" tall, with a greenish-beighe rind and a semisoft, white interior. The texture is soft and supple but the cheese is easily cut into wedges. Tetilla has no hole structure and its flavor is rather similar to that of Monterey Jack-mild and tangy."
I think CH made a similar-shaped cheese a few weeks ago, but I can't recall the thread.

Offline DeejayDebi

  • Old Cheese
  • *****
  • Location: Connecticut
  • Posts: 5,820
  • Cheeses: 106
    • Deejays Smoke Pit and DSP Forums
Re: Tetilla and Afuega'l Pitu Cheese Making Recipes?
« Reply #10 on: May 14, 2010, 07:40:07 AM »
I collected some infor on these cheese a while back but haven't made them yet maybe this will help.

Afuega'l Pitu - Spain

This is a high-fat cheese which may be either fresh or mature and is made from whole pasteurised cow's milk by means of lactic acid coagulation. The paste is white or reddish-orange,
depending on whether paprika is added. However, it is not absolutely necessary that the milk be
pasteurised if the cheeses mature for 60 days.
The resulting product is a cheese shaped like a truncated cone or courgette which weighs between
200 and 600 grams, has a height of between approximately 5 and 12 cm, a diameter of between 8 and 14 cm measured at the base, and a natural rind of variable consistency, depending on its maturation period and whether paprika is added.
Four traditional names are used, although the final characteristics are similar:
— Atroncau blancu: unkneaded, truncated-cone shape, white.
— Atroncau roxu: kneaded, truncated-cone shape, reddish-orange.
— Trapu blancu: kneaded, courgette-shaped, white.
— Trapu roxu: kneaded, courgette-shaped, reddish-orange.
As regards chemical characteristics, the cheese has a minimum dry matter content of 30 %, a minimum fat and protein content in the dry matter of 45 % and 35 % respectively, and a pH of between 4,1 and 5.
As to organoleptic characteristics, the cheese is white in colour, tending to yellow as it matures, or reddish-orange if paprika is added. The taste is mildly acidic, non-salty or slightly salty, creamy and fairly dry, with the red cheeses being stronger and more piquant. It has a mild aroma which becomes more pronounced as it matures; the paste has a more or less soft consistency, losing that quality as the cheese matures.
The defined geographical area of the ‘Afuega'l Pitu’ Protected Designation of Origin covers the municipalities of Morcín, Riosa, Santo Adriano, Grado, Salas, Pravia, Tineo, Belmonte, Cudillero, Candamo, Las Regueras, Muros del Nalón and Soto del Barco. All the cheese-making stages take place in this area, including maturation and production of the milk used as raw material.
The milk used to make the protected cheeses will be obtained, under hygienic conditions from healthy cows of Friesian and Asturiana de los Valles breeds and their cross-breeds, in accordance with applicable legislation. The livestock's diet will follow traditional practices based on dairy herds being pastured throughout the year, and given a supplement of fresh grass, hay and silage obtained on the farms themselves. The livestock is essentially managed on a semi-stabling basis. This involves the animals spending most of the day in pastures, being rounded up at dusk for milking, and remaining stabled until the next morning after following the same procedure. During milking, their ration is supplemented with fresh fodder, hay and silage obtained on the farm itself and (exceptionally, when there are adverse weather conditions) with small quantities of cereal and legume concentrates. Inside the curdling vat, a small amount of liquid rennet is added to the milk, as are lactic ferments if the milk is pasteurised. The temperature inside the vat varies between 22 and 32 °C. Coagulation takes 15 to 20 hours. After the milk has coagulated, the curd is transferred to perforated moulds of food-quality plastic, where the whey drains off over approximately twelve hours. After twelve hours, the partly drained curd is transferred to a smaller mould and the opportunity is taken to salt the surface of the cheese. After twelve hours, it is removed from the mould and placed on perforated trays to facilitate final draining. The cheese is then placed in the maturing room. In the case of cheeses made from kneaded paste, the curd is drained in larger plastic containers, using gauze, and placed in the kneader after around 24 hours. During kneading, salt is added; approximately 1 % of paprika may be added, in which case the variety will be ‘trapu roxu’. The kneaded paste, with or without paprika, is then placed in moulds and/or gauze, where it is left to drain for a further 24 hours. Depending on the maturity of the cheeses, they are left in the maturing rooms for a period ranging from five days (fresh cheeses) to 60 days (mature cheeses). The packaged cheeses, bearing labels on the authorised packaging, are kept in cold stores at between 4 °C and 10 °C until sale.
There are written references to the cheese (referred to as quesu de puñu or queso de Afueg'l Pitu) dating back to at least the 18th century, where it is described as a currency for paying taxes (the practice until into the following century). At the end of the 19th century, Félix Aramburu y Zuloaga describes the cheese as ‘the primitive queso de puñu or de afuega el pitu which is common in almost all the municipalities of Asturias’. More recently, in their work Asturias, Octavio Bellmunt and Fermín Canella again stress how widespread the cheeses are, describing them as ‘those common everywhere and called afuega el pitu or other names’. It is clear that, although these bibliographical references place the cheese in various Asturian municipalities,
they are not specific and there is therefore no record of the defined boundaries at the time
(possibly because a large group of municipalities is involved). In order to confirm that production is restricted to the defined geographical area, it is necessary to turn to more recent documents, popular wisdom and the register of the first businesses making the cheese. The name given to this variety of cheese is fascinating because it is of uncertain origin. Translated literally, ‘Afuega'l Pitu’ means ‘choke the chicken’ — a strange name for which numerous interpretations have been found. These range from the name's being a reference to strangling the neck of the bag
(fardela) in which the cheese is drained, to the occasional difficulties encountered in swallowing the cheese, and even to its having traditionally been used as feed for chickens. A range of cheeses with fairly similar characteristics in terms of shape, maturing times and flavour were known as Afuega'l Pitu in the municipalities along the Rivers Narcea and Nalón, where the cheeses are most commonly found. The distinctive way of making the cheese became increasingly established, giving rise to a single product with four traditional names. The only difference between them is their colour (red or white, depending on whether paprika is added or not) and shape (truncated-cone shape or courgette-shaped, depending on the mould system used).

Offline DeejayDebi

  • Old Cheese
  • *****
  • Location: Connecticut
  • Posts: 5,820
  • Cheeses: 106
    • Deejays Smoke Pit and DSP Forums
Re: Tetilla and Afuega'l Pitu Cheese Making Recipes?
« Reply #11 on: May 14, 2010, 07:42:56 AM »
Tetilla - "San Simon da Costa" - Spain

These are good eggs. They are shaped then smoked for up to two weeks over a hardwood fire, this imparts a lot of flavor and you’ll smell it as soon as the cheese is opened. Once aged they have the tendency to have a little more piquant flavor as if related to Provolone.

Cheese produced from cows' milk, with the following characteristics:
(a) Organoleptic characteristics:
— Shape: between pear-shaped and bullet-shaped, terminating at the top in a point.
— Rind: smoked, hard, inelastic, from 1 to 3 mm thick, yellowy-ochre in colour and somewhat
oily.
— Paste: fine texture, fat, semi-hard, semi-elastic and dense, between white and yellow in colour,
cuts easily, with characteristic aroma and flavour.
— Eyes: a small number of roundish or irregular eyes, varying in size but less than half the size of a pea.
(b) Analysis characteristics:
— Dry extract: minimum 55 %.
— Fat: minimum 45 % and maximum 60 % of dry extract.
— pH: between 5,0 and 5,6.
Cheese is marketed in two sizes:
— large, aged for a minimum of 45 days, with a final weight of between 0,8 and 1,5 kg and
measuring between 13 and 18 cm high,
— small or ‘Bufón’, aged for a minimum of 30 days, with a final weight of between 0,4 and 0,8 kg
and measuring between 10 and 13 cm high.
The milk for cheeses covered by the ‘San Simón da Costa’ Protected Designation of Origin is produced and the cheeses themselves are made in the geographical area of the District of Terra Chá, which is made up of the following municipalities, all in the Province of Lugo: Vilalba,
Muras, Xermade, Abadín, Guitiriz, Begonte, Castro de Rei, Cospeito and A. Pastoriza. The cheeses are made from raw or pasteurised, whole, natural milk from Galician blond, brown Swiss and Friesian cows and their crosses on guaranteed holdings entered in the register of the Protected Designation of Origin. The milk contains neither colostrum nor preservatives and
must meet the general requirements laid down by legislation.
The milk may not be subject to any form of standardisation and is correctly stored to prevent the
development of micro-organisms at a temperature of not more than 4 °C. Production of the  cheese must commence no more than 48 hours after milking. Production involves the following procedures:
Coagulation: this is induced using rennet, the active components of which are the enzymes chymosin and pepsin. The starter cultures used are the various strains of Lactococcus lactis, Streptococus cremoris and Streptococus lactis. The recovery and use of indigenous strains is promoted. The milk is coagulated at a temperature of between 31 and 33 °C for 30 to 40 minutes, except when raw milk is used, in which case these criteria are adjusted to 28 to 32 °C for 30 to 35 minutes.
Cutting: the curd is cut to produce grains of between 5 and 12 mm in diameter.
Moulding: the curd is placed in moulds of the shape and size required to produce cheeses with the characteristic properties of the certified product.
Pressing: the cheese is pressed in suitable presses for the time necessary, depending on the pressure applied and the size of the cheeses. The cheeses are wrapped in cotton cloth to facilitate elimination of the whey and produce a smooth rind.
Salting: the cheeses are immersed in brine with a concentration of between 14 and 17 % for a
maximum of 24 hours.
Ageing: large cheeses are aged for a minimum of 45 days after salting and small cheeses (‘Bufón’) for 30 days. The cheeses are turned and cleaned during ageing so that they acquire their characteristic properties.
Immersion in an anti-mould bath: this is an optional procedure involving immersing the cheeses in a bath of olive oil or other authorised product to inhibit the growth of mould.
Smoking: the cheeses are smoked for the time necessary to acquire their characteristic colour, ensuring that the cheeses do not come into close contact with the fire. Birch wood without bark is always used.
According to legend, the origins of ‘San Simón da Costa’ cheese are to be found with the Celtic
tribes of the castreña culture in the mountains of the Sierras de Carba and Xistral. Tradition also has it that, during the Roman period, the cheese was shipped to Rome for its characteristic taste and long shelf-life. Later, it was used for paying rent and tithes to feudal lords and the Church.

Alex

  • Guest
Re: Tetilla and Afuega'l Pitu Cheese Making Recipes?
« Reply #12 on: May 17, 2010, 03:37:55 PM »
Thanks Debi, I appreciate your efforts to be so helpfull.

Offline DeejayDebi

  • Old Cheese
  • *****
  • Location: Connecticut
  • Posts: 5,820
  • Cheeses: 106
    • Deejays Smoke Pit and DSP Forums
Re: Tetilla and Afuega'l Pitu Cheese Making Recipes?
« Reply #13 on: May 18, 2010, 02:21:14 AM »
Sorry I didn't get a chance to clean it up nice - just a collection of my research in sort of rough form. I have hundreds of these just have had time to try them all yet.

Your welcome!  ;)