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When you're the oldest and the best cheese shop in New York, the pressure is on to maintain a high standard. Manchego is one of our most popular cheeses. Over the last 6 months, we've run a marathon of blind taste tests on dozens of wheels, ages, raw vs. pasteurized, the works to name our gold medal winner. The best value. The tastiest. The clearest distinction in age profile. Turns out our old producer lost. Zoe reveals how Don Juan seduced us all.
Q: What's Manchego all about?
A: Manchego is a classic of La Mancha, home of the legendary Don Quijote. It is a name-protected cheese created thousands of years ago, whose recipe has many strict guidelines. It is made using 100% whole raw or pasteurized Manchega sheep milk and is easily recognized by the basket-weave pattern on its waxed green, brown or black rind. Manchego can be aged from three months onward, its bite increasing with time.
Q: What's special about the wheels Murray's staff chose?
A: Although our previous Manchegos were raw milk, they didn't taste good. The young was bland and a bit gummy and we liked the Don Juan better because it is sweet, fatty and approachable. Our aged was overly acidic and sour but Don Juan is herbaceous, crystalline and dense. Though they are both pasteurized, they've got more flavor--proof that pasteurized does not necessarily equal dull flavor. Plus, they lack that sheepy lanolin taste we hate.
Q: What's the difference between the two Don Juans?
A: The Young Manchego is just 3 months aged and has a semi-firm, rich golden color and smooth paste with a floral aroma with a gentle, nutty flavor and finish. Gentle here is not to be mistaken for boring. Nuance and subtlety rule this cheese.
The Aged Manchego is about one year old. We found this to be far more balanced and toothsome than our last variety, and it better represents the sweet, fatty milk it is made from. The flavors are condensed into a caramelly, butterscotch treat. Though it is more punchy than the young, it is not overly acidic.
Q: So really, why is this a big deal?
A: Well, Manchego is the cheese that folks really take a liking to when they first realize there's something beyond supermarket cheese. It's a gateway cheese of sorts. It's the low bush that leads into the deep forest of cheese-loving. So Murray's has to have the best. We want you hooked.
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Here's your chance to taste it like a Spaniard. A full-pound wedge of each of the new Manchegos, young and aged, accompanied by the classics: Marcona almonds, fried in oil not roasted, lending a crispy foil to both cheeses; fiery chorizo sausages, to toast it up; and Membrillo (that's Mem-bree-yo) rounds it out with a sweet complement. All are packed into our handmade wooden Murray's crate.
$65 /ea
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Chris Munsey, our resident lush (just kidding, he has the most respected palate and knowledge of beverages of anyone here) suggests the following brews to enhance your St. Paddy's Day. Chris also suggests that cheese enhances beer, so get pairing!
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Ardrahan
PAIR WITH: Brown Ale or Dry Stout |
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Irish Cheddar
PAIR WITH: IPA or Pilsner |
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Cashel Blue
PAIR WITH: Winter Ale or Barley Wine |
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Crozier Blue
St Pat's Special!
FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY
PAIR WITH: Imperial Stout or Belgian Triple |
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Learn more about Chris's ''Pair Me, I'm Irish'' class and other available classes at The Cheese Course by clicking here.
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Liz Thorpe sounds off about the recent mandate on the name ''Parmesan''
Let's be frank, Parmigiano-Reggiano is a mouthful, not just of good cheese. It's long and hard to say, and most Americans fall back on the shorter, more familiar ''Parmesan.'' Personally, I shorten it to "Parm" most of the time.
Until now, "Parmesan" could mean anything, but this ruling states that only cheeses bearing the protected denomination of origin (PDO) "Parmigiano-Reggiano" can be sold under the denomination "Parmesan."
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Formaggio di Fossa translates to “Cheese of the Pit.” Yum.
Liz Thorpe and Rob Kaufelt reveal the the history of this ages-old cheese in the Murray’s Cheese Handbook.
When the Sogliano sul Rubicone region of Emilia-Romagna was raided in the twelfth century, it was hide the cheese or starve. Rounds of sheep’s or cow’s milk were squirreled away in cloth sacks and buried in wells dug in the soft tufa soil. In nearly 100% humidity and temperatures up to 70 degrees, the cheese fermented, developing a lumpy, deformed appearance, no rind to speak of, and a strong, musky flavor complemented by aromas of wet leaves.
The Saracens have since departed, but the cheese is still produced annually, buried in August and unearthed several months later.
Balance that piquant pucker with the smooth sweetness of a jar of Il Fortetto Millefiore honey. Buy any quantity of Formaggio di Fossa and we’ll give you a free jar!
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If you're in the neighborhood, stop by for a traditional Irish dinner of Corned Beef and Cabbage. If not, Made by Murray’s, has a recommendation to pair with your homemade Irish meal. Skip the plain spuds and make Potatoes O’Gratin while the meat boils.
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All month every month, we feature various specialty foods and beverages with tastings at each of our stores. This month, Siggi, the tall blond chum offers free samples of his delicious Skÿr on March 7th at both stores. Find him 7:30AM-10:30AM at Grand Central and 3PM-7PM at Bleecker. Don't know what Skÿr is? That's exactly why you should come!
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