Article published September 29, 2009
Homemade cheese: Penta chef/instructor demonstrates the method
Chef Jim Rhegness demonstrates the methods on how to make homemade cheese.
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THE BLADE/ANDY MORRISON
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By KATHIE SMITH
BLADE FOOD EDITOR
There's a fascinating world of homemade cheese, with a fresh taste that high-end chefs increasingly are showcasing on their menus. Perhaps you might find a mozzarella or feta, a fresh ricotta, or a Mediterranean-style halloumi, made in-house from curds and whey.
Cheese-making is a skill that Penta Career Center chef/instructor Jim Rhegness demonstrated for his 11th grade culinary students when he made fresh mozzarella Sept. 23. He provided a recipe that the home cook might want to tackle.
“There are two ways to make cheese,” he said. “You can make the curd or you can buy curd.” The latter is easier for the commercial kitchen to use as it is sold in a 25-pound block at Gordon Food Service.
He showed students both methods.
Chef Rhegness stretches fresh mozzarella as part of the Penta class.
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THE BLADE/ANDY MORRISON
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First, to make the mozzarella curd, Chef Rhegness used nonfat dry milk that was reconstituted overnight. “You don't want pasteurized milk, which is often heated to over 177 degrees — that doesn't work,” he said. “Organic milk is ultra-pasteurized. I called local dairies and no one does that below 177 degrees.”
Pasteurization denatures the protein so it will not respond to the rennet, said Jim Leverentz, president of Leeners, which sells kits and supplies for making a variety of products, from wine and beer to sourdough and cheese. The company, which just celebrated its 13th anniversary, is based in Northfield, Ohio, south of Cleveland. “You want [pasteurized] milk with as little processing as possible,” he said. “Look for a layer of cream at the top.” Among the brands in his area are Hartzler Farms and Snowville Creamery.
Homogenized milk does not work like the nonfat dry milk. “We want to separate the cream from the milk,” said Chef Rhegness. For the mozzarella curd, he used 15 cups of reconstituted nonfat dry milk and one cup of heavy cream.
He rolls the fresh cheese around pepperoni and sun-dried tomatoes to make the roulade.
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THE BLADE/ANDY MORRISON
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But some dairies may sell nonhomogenized milk, which is pasteurized.
The milk was heated on low heat and then the cream was whisked in for one minute. Add the two teaspoons citric acid (mixed with one cup of cool, chlorine-free water) to start the culture moving. Citric acid is sold in the canning department of stores.
Then the one-fourth tablet rennet mixed with one-fourth cup of chlorine-free water was added using a rubber scraper. Rennet, which is animal enzyme used to curdle milk in foods such as cheese, separates the curds from the whey.
When making cheese, use nonchlorinated water.
He slices the roulade.
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THE BLADE/ANDY MORRISON
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And, “Watch the heat,” the chef told his students. “Be careful of scorching or it will get bitter.” He heated the milk to 90 degrees.
He added the rennet solution with an up-and-down motion for 30 seconds. Leaving the pot undisturbed for five to 10 minutes, the mixture began to look like custard with a clear partition between curd and whey. Some might compare it to tofu in appearance.
When it was set, he cut the curd with a long, sharp knife, reaching to the bottom of the pot, and then he placed the pot back on the stove to heat to 110 while slowly moving the curds around. Then it was taken off the burner and he slowly stirred it. The floating whey was poured off.
“It won't be as firm as commercial curds which have been refrigerated,” he told the class.
Stretching curds
To stretch the curds, he ladled the curds into a colander folding the curds gently as he drained off the whey. Then using a large pot of salted water, he stretched the curd until it became elastic. After removing the curds from the liquid, it should stretch like taffy; if it doesn't, return it to the hot water. It must be at least 135 degrees to stretch properly.
Then Chef Rhegness flattened the ball of mozzarella thinly to make a roulade and placed sun-dried tomatoes, black pepper, pepperoni, and a moderate amount of herbs (don't overpower the flavor of the cheese) on the top. Edible flowers also are a nice touch. Then the cheese is rolled in plastic wrap and compressed together. To make it more plump, twist and seal the ends and put it in water for a few seconds, then in an ice water bath to firm up.
If commercial curd is used, salted water is heated to simmering at 188 degrees. Use enough water to reach the bottom two inches of a colander that rests in the water. “Have the cheese 135 degrees to stretch it,” said Chef Rhegness.
When making cheese, use stainless steel, not aluminum equipment. “When the water is too hot, it makes the cheese tough.”
Other resources
There are six different levels of cheese-making kits available at Leeners, located at 9293 Olde Eight Road, Northfield, Ohio (800-543-3697). “It takes one hour to make with one gallon of milk,” said Mr. Leverentz. “It will work with store-bought milk. You make the curd.” Rennet, citric acid, cheesecloth, and other equipment is included for $24.95. For the mozzarella kit, a by-product is ricotta cheese. One kit makes six batches of mozzarella.
More information can be found in 200 Easy Homemade Cheese Recipes by Debra Amrein-Boyes (Robert Rose, $24.95). Recipes include blue-veined cheeses such as gorgonzola and Stilton and washed-curd and semisoft cheeses such as colby, havarti, and tomme.
Zingerman's will offer ZingTrain's Cheese Mastery Class taught by Daphne Zepos, who has taught “Master Class” programs in New York City and San Francisco, Feb. 8-9. The cost is $1,200 for tuition, class materials, product samples, lunch and breakfast on Monday and Tuesday. The class will be held at various Zingerman's locations in Ann Arbor.
Or when possible, order the house-made cheese on restaurant menus. It's an art you'll surely appreciate.
Contact Kathie Smith at:
food@theblade.com
or 419-724-6155.
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