Tackling the BIG BLUE
Probably my favourite cheese is the Mountain Gorgonzola.
Also known as Gorgonzola Picante or Natural two curd Gorgonzola it is the traditional Lombardian classic. The cheese is produced by small scale cheese-makers in the Valsassina Alps, in the province of Lecco. The alpine pastures produce a variety of flowers and herbs which, without question, contribute to the high quality and unique flavour of the milk that goes into making these alpine cheeses. The first curd is produced the day before and left to cool, the second curd is warm and full of whey. The two curds are then layered, alternating between rich warm curds and the previous day's cool curds. This is a unique natural process, as opposed to the industrial method used by modern cheese makers.
The cheese comes in a large 12kg wheel, so must be cut into smaller sizes for our clients. When it comes time to tackle the big blue, your best friend is the old style wire cheese cutter. I avoid using large double handled knives as it will tend to give you an uneven cut and may break the cheese apart. And always wipe surfaces and wire after each cut.
First cut is straight down the middle keeping constant pressure on the wire through the cheese, Once your through the harder rind on the exterior it's smooth sailing.
For the second cut, place one cut half flat side down onto the marble of the cheese cutter, if you place cut side up, you'll risk the cheese sliding around and giving you an uneven cut. Again bring the wire through at a contant pressure.
The 3rd cut is the actual portion size (1/8 of the wheel) that will be sold to the client.