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Steak n potatoes

Here’s one for the purists...

Designed for the gastronome in a hurry - meat and cheese course combined into chipolatas with the great taste of cheddar. I’ll be trying these later so that you don’t have to.

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And to help decide the great hard v soft cheese debate, chipos au gout maroilles are also available. No contest, at least as far as pungency is concerned.
 
Big Tabs said:
I heard on a food/science programme (sometime in the last year) that extra mature cheddar doesn't melt as well as mild cheddar, e.g. on toast. ? maybe summat to do with fat content?
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It's not the fat content. That's identical for all states of maturity. As cheese ripens the acidity and enzymes act upon the protein to change its structure, you may have noticed that mature cheddar has a different crumb structure to mild, which is generally smoother. This will give you a diferent melt characteristic.

I think mature cheddar is just a bit too pungent when melted, unless you want to mix it with other stuff, say on top of a shepherd's pie where it's a minor component and you need the oomph. It's a bit like Parmesan, a few shavings or a sprinkle on pasta or risotto, great, but a Parmesan sandwich, or parmesan on toast? No thanks.
 
Marchbanks said:
It makes a fine Coronavirus tester. 'Can you detect the scent of Maroilles coming from my fridge even though it is two rooms away? No? Well, you have definitely lost your sense of smell...'
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And we've got plenty more.
 
Marchbanks said:
It makes a fine Coronavirus tester. 'Can you detect the scent of Maroilles coming from my fridge even though it is two rooms away? No? Well, you have definitely lost your sense of smell...'
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I wonder if that is the same one my French friend told me he used to hold outside the car window...
But as Chartz says there are 'plenty more'.
 
stevec67 said:
It's not the fat content. That's identical for all states of maturity. As cheese ripens the acidity and enzymes act upon the protein to change its structure, you may have noticed that mature cheddar has a different crumb structure to mild, which is generally smoother. This will give you a diferent melt characteristic.

I think mature cheddar is just a bit too pungent when melted, unless you want to mix it with other stuff, say on top of a shepherd's pie where it's a minor component and you need the oomph. It's a bit like Parmesan, a few shavings or a sprinkle on pasta or risotto, great, but a Parmesan sandwich, or parmesan on toast? No thanks.
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I don't know any scenario where I would choose a mature cheddar over a good normal one or a Leicester. On its own is as flexible as mature cheddar gets. The ones with tons of crunchy salt are particularly unappealing.
 
richardg said:
I don't know any scenario where I would choose a mature cheddar over a good normal one or a Leicester.
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maybe your palate is not very refined. I can think of loads of scenarios where mature is way better. Red Leicester is made in pretty much the same way as cheddar. To make it distinctive they dye it with annatto.


richardg said:
he ones with tons of crunchy salt are particularly unappealing.
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i dont think that is salt - your palate would tell you if it was salt. I think it is calcium lactate crystals.
 
Wife was away the weekend cooked Friday and Saturday. Sunday is the day of rest. CO-OP irasistable Paella eating in it's own plastic container with Tiger crusty bread. Tray into the garbage , cutlery into the dishwasher done and dusted. Irasistable Paella is as good if not better even from what I tried in spain.
 
Irasistable Paella is as good if not better even from what I tried in spain.
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Really? That seems incredible. The best paella I had was definitely in the Valencia area.
 
chartz said:
The best paella I had was definitely in the Valencia area.
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Yes I agree - but also one specialist place in Barca - Sept Portes produces an amazing paella. I should also add there are very many (in touristy places) bad paellas available in Spain.
 
gintonic said:
maybe your palate is not very refined. I can think of loads of scenarios where mature is way better. Red Leicester is made in pretty much the same way as cheddar. To make it distinctive they dye it with annatto.




i dont think that is salt - your palate would tell you if it was salt. I think it is calcium lactate crystals.
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Is it? ok.
yes, for cheeses i get loads of taste out of the mild ones, so blue cheeses and proper stinkers tend to get ignored. Yet I dont know anyone outside of Asia that can eat food as spicey as I enjoy it.
 
gintonic said:
i dont think that is salt - your palate would tell you if it was salt. I think it is calcium lactate crystals.
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It's certainly not salt. It's probably a mixture of calcium salts, predominantly lactate as you say. Traditionally it is regarded as a defect, I disagree. I like it.

Sodium salts will not precipitate in this fashion unless they are VERY highly concentrated, because sodium salts are very highly soluble. As too are chloride salts, meaning that NaCl is very highly soluble. Anyone who has studied A level Chemistry has seen this list:
All sodium and potassium salts are soluble.
All nitrates are soluble.
All chlorides are soluble. (Hmmm...see below)
All silver salts are insoluble (not nitrate)
Other elements are a bit more variable. Group 2 are a mixed bag, Group 7 become less soluble as they become less reactive. Group 3,4,5 make their own rules depending on how metallic they are feeling that day.
 
chartz said:
And we've got plenty more.
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Epoisses is a favourite, but it *stinks*. I have to wash my hands after I have handled it, I once had some in a resto and had to wash my hands before I could eat my dessert.

I still don't understand how something that smells like something that has already been eaten once can taste of grass, earth and other wholesome things.
 
chartz said:
And we've got plenty more.
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Munster was my first (over 40 years ago). I still remember the restaurant where it was offered to me (long since closed) and my initial shock. And I enjoy seeing the ‘we will vacuum pack for you’ signs outside shops in Munster itself. Spoiler alert - it only works for a while...

But it is wonderful with Alsace Gewürz VT and is therefore automatically one of the best.
 
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