When you see “Kobe beef” on a menu, you get very excited. The Japanese do a great job of marketing this hard-to-find meat. Kobe beef is like black gold caviar. Like aged Chateau Margaux wine. Like hand-rolled chocolate truffles. In other words, it’s expensive, highly sought after, and a status symbol.
To get Kobe beef, you have to buy Tajima-gyu beef, which comes from cattle in Japan’s Hyogo Prefecture. When they were brought to Japan in the second century to work as work animals in the rice farming industry, Tajima-gyu became separated from other breeds and hid in small patches of arable land in the country’s mountains. People say that this separation gives Kobe beef its very own taste and texture, making it the best meat when it comes to flavor, tenderness, and high levels of intramuscular fat.
Colby cheese is an American mild and semi-soft cheese with a mild tang and a creamy texture. It originated in 1885 in Colby, Wisconsin by Joseph Steinwand. In contrast to many cheeses that need complicated aging processes, Colby is made using a fairly simple method. But how exactly is this tasty cheese made?.
In this article, we’ll walk through the step-by-step process of crafting wheels of Colby cheese, from curdling milk to pressing and aging the final product. Understanding the science and techniques behind cheesemaking gives us a deeper appreciation of how simple ingredients can be transformed into such a versatile and beloved food.
Ingredients: Milk, Culture, Rennet and Salt
The foundation of any cheese is milk. Colby starts with cow’s milk, ideally from less-fatty Jersey or Guernsey breeds Goat or sheep milk can also be used The key ingredients added during cheesemaking are
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Mesophilic cultures – Bacteria that convert lactose into lactic acid to curdle the milk
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Rennet – An enzyme that causes the milk to coagulate and separate into curds and whey. Modern rennet is vegetarian and produced in labs.
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Salt – Added to draw out moisture and inhibit bacteria growth during aging. It also provides flavor.
Yes, we can make Colby cheese with just a few simple ingredients. Let’s go through the steps one by one.
Step 1: Heating and Curdling the Milk
First, the milk is heated to 90 ̊F to pasteurize it. Then, mesophilic cultures are stirred in to start the curdling process. The cultures acidify the milk by converting lactose to lactic acid.
Next, rennet is added to fully coagulate the milk into a gel with solid curds floating in liquid whey. It takes around 30 minutes for the curd to fully set.
Step 2: Cutting the Curd
Once the curd has gelled, it’s cut into small cubes to start releasing the whey. Curd knives slice horizontally and vertically at evenly-spaced intervals.
Cutting the curd into uniformly-sized pieces allows for even drainage of whey in the next step. The curds are left to rest briefly to firm up after cutting.
Step 3: Cooking and Draining the Curds
The cut curds are cooked slowly up to 102 ̊F, which causes them to contract and expel more whey. The curds are constantly stirred during cooking to prevent clumping.
After cooking, the whey is drained off from the curds. The curds naturally mat together forming a solid mass as the whey drains.
Step 4: Washing, Salting and Pressing the Curd
Once sufficiently drained, the curd mass is cut into slabs which are stacked and washed to remove any residual whey. Next, salt is sprinkled evenly throughout the curd at a ratio of around 1-3% by weight.
The salted curds are then pressed into molds to form blocks. Weights apply gradual pressure to knit the curds together and compress out any remaining moisture.
Step 5: Aging the Cheese
The pressed cheese blocks are aged at cool temperatures between 35-50 ̊F for 1-3 months. This allows flavor to further develop. The cheese’s rind forms during aging as the exterior dries.
Aging can take place on wooden boards or racks which allow air circulation. The cheese is frequently turned and wiped down during aging.
Result: Smooth, Mellow Colby Cheese
After the aging period, we’re left with finished wheels of Colby cheese with a supple, smooth body and mild flavor. The small curd size results in a velvety texture that melts wonderfully when cooked.
That covers the basic process of transforming milk into semi-soft Colby cheese. While making cheese at home takes practice, we can admire the craftsmanship required to produce the Colby we know and love. The next time you enjoy a slice, consider the science behind its creation!
Common Questions about Colby Cheese
Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about how Colby cheese is made:
What makes Colby different from Cheddar?
Colby is rinsed during processing which makes it have a milder flavor. Cheddar ages longer and develops a sharper taste.
Does Colby have holes like Swiss cheese?
No, Colby does not contain holes like Emmentaler Swiss. Its curds knit together into a solid, smooth texture during pressing.
Is Colby cheese naturally yellow or is color added?
Annatto natural plant color is often added to give Colby its signature golden hue. Natural Colby is pale yellow.
How long does it take to make a wheel of Colby?
From start to finish, Colby takes around 2-3 months to produce including aging time. But active cheesemaking time is only several hours.
Is making Colby cheese difficult?
Colby is easier to make at home than aged cheeses like Cheddar. But controlling timing, temperatures and cleanliness is still challenging for beginners.
What food is Colby cheese commonly paired with?
Colby works well in grilled cheese, on burgers and sandwiches, mac and cheese, cheese boards and crackers. Its mellow flavor complements many foods.
Can you make Colby without rennet?
Rennet is essential for proper curd formation and drainage. Without it, the curds will be too soft and unable to knit together during pressing.
Is Colby cheese healthy?
Colby can be part of a balanced diet. It provides protein, calcium and vitamins. But it’s high in saturated fat and sodium, so moderation is key.
Making Colby and other cheeses connects us to centuries of artisanal food traditions. Understanding the cheesemaking steps gives us new respect for this tasty staple.
The story of Kobe beef
The legend surrounding Kobe beef has long been a source of fascination. Folklore tells of cows enjoying classical music, massages with sake and diets based on beer. It’s true that some legends are just stories that have grown into legends, but these three are based on real events.
People say that Tajima-gyu cattle benefit a lot from classical music, and it is common to play classical music while the cattle are being fed. The cows are played music to help them relax and to make them associate eating with good feelings, which makes them hungrier.
Massages are common practice for these very special cows, largely because of limited space. When cattle are tied down for months and don’t get to move around much, massage is said to make them more comfortable and help relieve stress caused by stiffness from not moving around. The Japanese think that the softness and shine of hair and skin are related to the quality of the meat, so sake is used to improve these things.
Cattle are fed beer in the summer, when the combination of fat cover, temperature, and humidity makes them less hungry. As part of a larger management plan, beer is said to make cattle hungry, which makes them eat when they normally wouldn’t.
That the cows in the Kobe area live like kings adds to the richness of a Kobe beef meal and helps explain why it costs so much. But not all Kobe beef is authentic.
To be authentic, Kobe beef must:
- Be of pure Tajima-gyu lineage,
- Have been born and raised in Hyogo Prefecture,
- Be a steer (castrated bull) or virgin cow,
- Make sure you only eat grains and grass from within the Prefecture.
- Be processed in approved slaughterhouses within the Prefecture,
- Get a fat marbling score (BMS) of 6 or more,
- Have a Meat Quality Score of A4 or A5 (top-grade),
- Have a gross carcass weight of less than 470kg, and
- Have its own 10-digit ID number so that its authenticity can be checked.
In reality, restaurants all over the world say they use Kobe beef, but it’s not likely to be true. There are strict rules about how to use the term “Kobe beef” in Japan, but these rules aren’t really followed outside of Japan. There isn’t much of a response when restaurants say they use Kobe beef, which is bad for both the restaurants and the people who eat the beef. Trust us, when you eat Kobe beef you’ll know it!.
Wagyu beef – What’s the difference?
Many restaurants use the term Wagyu as being synonymous with Kobe beef. Sure it’s connected, but it doesn’t mean the same. Wagyu just means “Japanese cattle,” and it’s not a breed, despite what some restaurants may say on their menus. Instead, it’s classified into four breeds:
- Japanese black,
- Japanese brown,
- Japanese poll, and
- Japanese shorthorn.
Tajima-gyu cows, from which Kobe beef comes, specifically belong to the Japanese black breed. All Wagyu beef is high quality, but Kobe beef can only come from the Tajima-gyu cow and must meet strict quality and lineage standards.