Monterey Jack
Monterey Jack is a cow's milk cheese that is very common in various degrees of ripeness and styles, especially in the western United States. The name goes back to David Jacks from Monterey County in California, who began around 1890 to manufacture and market cheese in the tradition of the local Franciscans . Its official name has been Monterey Jack since 1955, other names that are still in use are Sonoma Jack or just Jack. Most often it is sold as a Young Jack in drums that are slightly flattened on the sides and weigh about 7.5–8 lb. In industrial production, it is also sold in blocks. Young Jacks are produced in many cheese factories in California and outside of the state and are now one of the best-known and most widely consumed cheeses in the USA. The best longer matured products, especially the dry jack , mostly come from Sonoma County.
Characteristic
The Young Jack reaches its commercial maturity after about 5-6 weeks of storage. It is then an almost rindless, whitish loaf with an almost gummy consistency. The dough, which has just been cut, contains around 25% fat, is very mild and has a slightly sweet taste. It has small, irregular holes. After a few days of storage at room temperature, it begins to flow slightly in the middle. Occasionally there are mushroom or hazelnut flavors. The melting properties are very good, so that young cheeses can also be used as toast or gratin cheeses . This cheese is also suitable as a pizza or baguette topping instead of mozzarella . Lately, various spices such as green peppercorns or jalapeños have been added to the dough. These are marketed under the collective name Pepper Jack .
Mezzo Secco is significantly spicier, harder and more sliceable . Its rind is mostly dark reddish-brown, the slightly crumbly dough is pale yellow. It is rubbed several times with a mixture of vegetable oil, salt, pepper and cocoa and is stored upright on well-ventilated wooden shelves for at least 6 months. The Mezzo Secco was because he was in a cool location during the hot season a few weeks before the widespread use of refrigerators mainly a summer cheese without melt.
The Dry Jack is a hard cheese that is not too salty and has a crumbly, parmesan-like texture. Its treatment is similar to that of the Mezzo Secco , but it can be stored for at least 12 months. Dry jacks that have been stored for a long time are orange-yellow in color, while younger ones are lemon-yellow. Its production was initiated by the loss of imports of Parmesan to the USA during the First World War. It is mainly used as a sliced or grated cheese to refine pasta or risottos .
literature
- Juliet Harbutt (ed.): Cheese of the world. Dorling Kindersley 2011. pp. 298 and 299. ISBN 978-3-8310-1733-1
