Homemade Catalan Cheese - Mató!

Hola!

For the cheese lovers today, I am posting this recipe for homemade Catalan Cheese aka Mató. 

This is a sweet, unsalted Spanish cheese coming from Catalonia, Barcelona. This cheese is eaten as a desert with honey known as Mel y Mató. 

So if you want to make your own Catalan cheese, this is method.

Equipment needed

Digital kitchen thermometer

Cheese cloth

Stove and pot

Strainer

Whisk

Measuring spoons

A large bowl for water bath

A medium bowl for straining

Ingredients

1 Liter of whole milk

2 tablespoons of white vinegar (30mL)

Honey

Method

1. First, prepare the cheese cloth into the strainer for later.

2. Put the one liter of milk in the pot on medium heat. 

3. Heat the milk while stirring. When the milk reaches 92˚C, turn off the heat and quickly add the 30mL of white vinegar.

4. Now, the best part. After you added the white vinegar DO NOT stir milk. If you continue to mix the milk, you will prevent the coegulation from happening and you will end up with no cheese. You will now see the cheese curds forming and floating. 

5. Place the pot in a large bowl filled with cool water to help it cool down. 

6. When the temperature reaches 36˚C, pour the contents of the pot into the strainer with the cheese cloth. The cheese curds will remain in the strainer. 

7. Allow some time so that the cheese is strained well with an occasional gentle stir to help the whey drain. 

8. Fold the edges of the cheesecloth and put everything (strainer + bowl) in the fridge to chill for 20 minutes or more. 

9. Serve with drizzled honey and crackers.

Enjoy!

Ciklemfusa

xx