The perfect cheeses for the grill
Grilled cheeses: new tasty trend
The summer always calls for the evergreen for lovers of the summer: a barbecue in company based on good Italian meat. But often, not all diners appreciate the wild and genuine nature of a good cut of meat like the Florentine steak, Picanha & co.; what to do then? This is where valid substitutes - and allies - come into play for every host who prepares the BBQ menu in abundance: grilled cheeses. Tasty if consumed on a good platter of mixed cured meats but excellent if grilled on hot embers and accompanied by toasted slices of bread and a nice glass of red wine.
Here the new trend in the world of BBQ - and which is also becoming popular in starred kitchens - immediately manages to make space and conquer everyone's taste buds. A trend that we are starting to notice even in the most famous retail centers where, on the fresh cheese counter, we are starting to notice more and more packages with clearly visible writing dedicated to BBQ cooking. Obviously not all cheeses are perfect for cooking on the barbecue, we must keep in mind the consistency, the size of the piece, the type of cheese and the aromas that they could release. Here is a little tour of the most famous grilled cheeses.
The great classics among grilled cheeses
The idea of putting a nice hunk of cheese on the grill - or in the pan - to melt is not a new practice. In fact, in Italy the practice of cooking a nice piece of cheese in a pan, on a stovetop grill or on the BBQ is truly famous and widespread: a quick, tasty and unique dish. What to cook? Here, among the great classics that we all know, tomini come into play - with or without bacon - grilled and served with walnuts or honey on top, scamorza (smoked or not) to be grilled on the griddle and eaten with a nice crust of bread and caciocavalli, famous for their cow's milk and delicate taste.
The tasty proposal: typical cheeses
Even though we now have a vast range of cheeses available for grilling - old and new generations - some great typical Italian cheeses manage to offer particular flavors if grilled properly. Even if they are not born as grilled cheeses, a quick pass in the pan, on the griddle or on the BBQ transforms these tasty cheeses already pure into amazing cheeses. Green light for hard pecorino cheeses, full-fat and semi-hard tome cheeses and other cheeses that become perfect when placed on grilled bread.
The new grilled cheeses
Culinary art is always looking for new proposals, so grilled cheeses 2.0 arrive in our homes in the form of cheese with a hard rind but with a beautiful texture that melts during cooking without losing its shape: cheese skewers, cheeses breaded or already spiced and ready for the BBQ. Comfortable, yes, but not always of quality: this is why new grill cheeses often do not meet expectations and do not give a good final result. How to do it then? You just need to decide to rely on family-run companies that carry on the true tradition and original Made in Italy.
Our tasty proposals for grilling cheeses
Tradition, taste and art of handmade with dedication, here are our proposals to give an extra boost to the next barbecue: our grilled cheeses.
Artisanal cheese: Pan di Cacio
Pan di Cacio is a typical traditional Bergamo cheese produced with pasteurized Italian cow's milk, salt and semi-cooked rennet. It has a sweet and buttery flavor and is the quintessential cheese to be cooked on the grill. Try it accompanied by mustards and vegetables.
Formaggella Bergamasca
Bergamo formaggella belongs to the tradition of our territory, it is a semi-cooked cheese produced with Italian cow's milk. A beautiful smooth crust, elastic dough and a very particular flavor of hay and butter. An unusual proposal but to be tried on the grill if accompanied by dried fruit and fresh bread.
The tasty choice: Moringhello
Moringhello is a raw and semi-hard cheese, with the characteristic shape of a low cylinder with a dry and clean rind. Cut small triangular slices, grill quickly and accompany with mustard: refined and tasty.
Perfect for the grill but on a slice of bread: taleggi
We find a small variation of cheese in direct contact with the grill with taleggi: perfect for melting but not on the grill. Now the solution is ready, try putting a nice slice of Tuscan or Apulian bread on the grill to toast, as soon as one side is nice and hot, put a nice slice of taleggio on top and you're done.
The perfect grilled cheese
To perfectly grill and serve a good BBQ cheese, you need a few small precautions:
- Try to cut very thick slices so as not to melt too quickly or cause the cheese to fall into the embers
- Keep the temperature or heat low enough so as not to burn the cheese too much: perfect if used as the last ingredient when the fire is going out
- Reheat the serving dish before serving it to diners to maintain the right consistency and heat
- Season the grilled cheese with aromatic herbs (such as rosemary, thyme, mint), various seeds (sesame or flax) or spices to taste: they will enhance the taste
- Serve the grilled cheese with various jams, Cremonese mustard or dried fruit for an explosion of flavors
- Accompany the cheese or crostoni with cheese with a good glass of wine and grilled vegetables: the apotheosis of taste
