Finest Kind Asagio

RECIPE

Here’s our secret to curating artisanal asagio cheese

Summary:

1. Pasteurize milk
2. Heat to 33°C
3. Add culture
4. Pre-ripen for 30min
5. Add rennet
6. Cut curd
7. Settle for 5 minutes
8. Stir and heat to 40 for 20 minutes
9. Stir for 20 minutes
10. Stir and heat to 48 for 20 minutes
11. Stand for 20 minutes
12. Fill mould
13. Press
14. Brine
15. Stand at room temperature
16. Mature at 12°C

Ingredients

• Milk
• TCC3 DVS Starter Culture
• Liquid Animal Rennet
• Calcium Chloride
• Orange Gel
• Iodine Antibacterial

 

Method

Milk:

Whole milk with approx 3.5-4% cream. Use milk not more than an hour after milking. If you need to store the milk, cool it down to 4°C as quickly as possible. Do not use cooled milk that is more than 24hrs old.
Alternatively pasteurize the milk: 63°C – 30min or 72°C – 20sec.

Temperature:

Adjust the milk temperature to 33°C.

Starter:

Use Chr.Hansen’s DVS TCC3 or TCC4.
One 50U packet contains 50 units which inoculates 500L milk. Therefore 1 unit is required for every 10 liters. One packet contains 16 tsp. Therefore 1 unit = 1/3 small flat teaspoon. Let the milk stand at 33°C (pre-ripen) for 30 minutes.
(Optional: Add a tsp tip Chr.Hansen’s LHB02 per 10 liters to hasten maturing and for a nutty flavour)

Additives:

Calcium Chloride (H214) 15ml per 100 liters.
Required only if the milk has a low calcium content resulting in a soft, sloppy curd.

Rennet:

Use either powdered microbial rennet (H068A)
OR liquid microbial rennet (H066, H067, H068)
OR liquid animal rennet (H063, H064, H065).
Powdered microbial rennet (H068A) – 2g/100L
Liquid microbial rennet (H066, H067, H068) – 4 drops/L or 25ml/100L
Liquid animal rennet (H063, H064, H065) – 4 drops/L or 25ml/100L
Dilute the rennet in a little cool water before adding to the milk.
Stir well!!!
Let the milk stand at 33°C for 45-60 minutes or until the milk has set like jelly.
Test the curd to check whether it has set by inserting a knife and pulling it to one side. The knife should make a clean cut.

Cutting:

Cut into 5mm pieces (pea size). Cut down and across and at an angle with a sharp knife as below. Or cut with a curd cutter (H015 or H017) using a figure of eight movement.
Cut for 5 minutes.

Stand:

Allow the curds to set for 5 minutes.

Heating:

Heat the curds to 40°C, increasing the temperature no more than 1°C every 5 minutes. This should take about 30 minutes. Stir gently to keep the curds from matting.

Stirring:

Once the curds reach 40°C, maintain the temperature and continue stirring for 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir for 20 minutes. Heat to 48°C, stir for 20 minutes. Let the curds settle at 48°C for 20 minutes

Draining:

Drain off the whey.
Pour the curds into a large colander and drain for several minutes.
Do not drain too long or the curds will mat.

Moulding:

Fill prepared moulds (H922/3 or H924) with curds.
Pull cloth up neatly around the curds and fold excess snugly over the top, with as few wrinkles as possible.
Put on the lid.

Pressing:

Place mould in cheese press (H210) or place a weight on top.
Press cheese at medium pressure for 1 hour.
Remove from press and re-dress (see tip below).
Continue pressing at firm pressure for 1 hour.
Re-dress and press at firm pressure for several hours or overnight.

Brining:

Remove from the cheese press.
Unwrap and place in 18% saturated Brine solution for 20 hours, turning over after 10 hours.

Maturing:

Remove cheese from brine.
Dry cheese on a cheese mat placed on a rack at room temperature for 1 to 2 days, turning once or twice, or until fairly dry to the touch (see Tip below).
Place cheese on a clean cheese mat in a ripening container.
Ripen at 12°C and 85% humidity, turning daily for the first week.
Turn cheese and brush rind with a soft brush dipped in a simple brine solution twice weekly for 2 months, then weekly thereafter.

Storage:

Continue ageing the cheese until desired ripeness is achieved. This cheese can be aged for up to 2 years for a sharp flavour. Once ripened to your taste, wrap and store in the refrigerator.

Tips:

To re-dress the cheese, remove the mould from the press.
Remove the cheese from the mould and un-wrap.
Place the cloth back in the mould; turn the cheese over and put back in the mould, then re-wrap.
Return the mould to the press.

The rind should be fairly dry, or, as someone once described it, “like a clammy handshake.” If completely dry, the closed rind could crack, allowing bacteria to enter the interior of the cheese.

Cleaning:

Clean all equipment well after use.
Rinse in warm water, wash in hot water with HD001 orange gel and then soak in a solution of HD013 iodine antibacterial.
Air-dry.
Before use rinse well in clean water and towel dry with a paper towel.
Be careful to avoid any anti-bacterial solution residue on the equipment.

All equipment, ingredients and detergents are available from Finest Kind