Queso Ibores

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Large stainless steel pot, at least 10 litres
• •Accurate thermometer
• •Long curd knife
• •Cheese mould for a 900g to 1kg wheel
• •Cheesecloth
• •Cheese press
• •Draining mat
• •Wine fridge or cool aging box

Instructions

1. 1

   Warm the milk

   Warm the goat milk slowly to 30C in a stainless steel pot, stirring gently so the heat is even. If you are using pasteurized milk, stir in the diluted calcium chloride first. Sprinkle the mesophilic culture over the surface, wait 2 minutes for it to hydrate, then stir it in with slow up-and-down strokes. Cover and hold at 30C for 45 minutes.

2. 2

   Set the curd

   Stir in the diluted rennet for 1 minute, then stop the milk completely. Cover and hold at 30C until the curd gives a clean break, usually 45 to 60 minutes. Do not hurry this. A weak curd breaks into dust later, and a dusty curd gives you a dry, mean cheese.

3. 3

   Cut and stir

   Cut the curd into 8mm cubes, then rest it for 5 minutes so the edges firm. Stir gently for 25 to 35 minutes, keeping the curds near 30C, until they shrink and feel springy between your fingers. This is the step that decides the cheese: the curd must give up enough whey to press firm, but not so much that the paste turns chalky.

4. 4

   Mould and press

   Ladle the curds into a cheesecloth-lined mould and fold the cloth neatly over the top. Press at 5kg for 30 minutes, turn the cheese, then press at 10kg for 2 hours. Turn again and press at 15kg for 6 to 8 hours, until the wheel holds its shape and the surface is closed.

5. 5

   Salt the cheese

   Dissolve the salt in the water to make a brine. Chill it, then lower in the cheese and brine for 8 hours, turning once halfway through. Lift it out, pat it dry, and set it on a draining mat at cool room temperature for 24 hours, until the rind feels dry to the touch.

6. 6

   Rub the rind

   Mix the olive oil with the pimentón de la Vera into a loose red paste. Rub a thin coat over the dry rind with clean hands, just enough to stain it brick red. Do not cake it on; pimentón should perfume the rind, not turn the cheese into paprika paste. Let it dry for another day.

7. 7

   Age and serve

   Age the cheese at 10 to 12C with about 80 percent humidity for at least 30 days, turning it daily for the first week and then three times a week. If the rind looks dry, rub it with the smallest film of olive oil. Serve in slim wedges when the paste is firm, ivory, and tangy, with a gentle smoky edge from the rind.

Chef Tips

• •Use fresh goat milk with good fat and no cooked smell. Ultra-pasteurized milk will not set properly, and no amount of patience fixes that.
• •Pimentón de la Vera is the right paprika here, because Extremadura gives the cheese its red coat and its smoke. Sweet is safest; picante is fine if you use a light hand.
• •If you cannot age cheese at 10 to 12C, use a small wine fridge with a bowl of water for humidity. A normal refrigerator is too cold and dry, so the rind hardens before the inside matures.
• •To serve, cut slim wedges and let them sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Cold cheese tastes smaller than it is.
• •Pour a young Ribera del Guadiana red, a dry fino, or a glass of cold cider if that's what you have. The cheese wants something clean beside its fat and tang.

Advance Preparation

• •Make the cheese at least 30 days before serving; 45 to 60 days gives a firmer paste and a deeper rind.
• •The brine can be made the day before and chilled.
• •Once aged, wrap the cheese in cheese paper and keep it refrigerated for up to 3 weeks, bringing wedges to room temperature before serving.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 900g)