Reggianito

Ingredients

Milk

• 60 litresraw or gently pasteurised cow milk, part evening milk partly skimmed to about 2.4 per cent fat
• 1.5 gthermophilic starter culture (Streptococcus thermophilus with Lactobacillus helveticus and delbrueckii)
• 10 mlsingle-strength liquid rennet, diluted in 100 ml cool unchlorinated water

Brine

• 20 litreswater
• 4 kgcoarse salt (a saturated 20 per cent brine)
• 1 tbspcalcium chloride and a splash of vinegar to bring the brine to pH 5.3

Ageing

• a cool room at 12 to 15°C (60°F) and 80 to 85 per cent humidity
• olive oil or a food-grade wax for the rind, from month three

Directions

1. Warm the milk to 33°C (90°F) in a copper or stainless vat, stir in the starter and ripen for 45 to 60 minutes, until the acidity has risen slightly and the milk smells faintly sweet-sour.
2. Stir in the diluted rennet for 1 minute, still the milk, and leave it 12 to 15 minutes until it sets to a clean break: a knife lifted through the curd leaves a sharp edge that fills with clear whey.
3. Cut the curd with a wire harp down to grains the size of a grain of rice, then keep stirring for 10 minutes. Small grains are what make a hard grating cheese rather than a soft one.
4. Let the curd settle for 10 minutes, gather it in cloth, lift it out and press it into a round mould, turning and redressing it four or five times over 6 hours while it self-presses and drains. Float the wheel in the cold saturated brine for 4 to 5 days at 12°C (55°F), turning daily, until it has taken up enough salt to reach about 2 per cent in the paste.

Technique

• Reggianito was created by Italian immigrants in Santa Fe and Buenos Aires province who wanted Parmigiano but had neither the herds nor the time. The wheel is deliberately small, around 6 to 7 kg against 38 kg, which is why it matures in months rather than years and tastes saltier and sharper but less complex.
• Traditional rennet is animal-derived; a microbial or fermentation-produced rennet coagulates just as well and keeps the cheese suitable for vegetarians.
• Raw milk cheeses must be aged at least 60 days in most countries before sale, and this one comfortably exceeds that. If you use raw milk, sanitise every surface and keep the make-room below 20°C (70°F).
• The high cook temperature is not optional. Below about 50°C (120°F) the grains hold too much moisture and the cheese will crack and blue inside instead of drying evenly.

Substitutions

• For eating rather than making: Parmigiano Reggiano, Grana Padano or a Uruguayan sardo are the closest, though all three are less salty. Use a little less if a recipe calls for Reggianito by weight.

Variations

• Sardo argentino is the sheep-style sibling, made in the same regions and aged only 3 to 4 months, softer and milder.
• A goat-milk version is now made in Cordoba and is sharper and whiter in the paste.

History

Developed by Italian immigrants in Argentina as a smaller, faster-ripening answer to Parmigiano Reggiano.

Frequently asked questions

What is Reggianito?

Reggianito is a cheese & dairy from Argentina: hard salty grating cheese, shaved over pasta and into ñoquis. Developed by Italian immigrants in Argentina as a smaller, faster-ripening answer to Parmigiano Reggiano.

How long does Reggianito take to make?

Reggianito takes 1 hr 30 min active of preparation and 6 hr making plus 5 to 6 months ageing of cooking. The recipe makes one wheel of about 6 kg, from 60 litres of milk. It is rated hard to make.

What can I substitute in Reggianito?

Yes, within limits. For eating rather than making: Parmigiano Reggiano, Grana Padano or a Uruguayan sardo are the closest, though all three are less salty. Use a little less if a recipe calls for Reggianito by weight.

What is the most important thing to get right in Reggianito?

Cut the curd with a wire harp down to grains the size of a grain of rice, then keep stirring for 10 minutes. Small grains are what make a hard grating cheese rather than a soft one.