Hard cheese
Pecorino
Italy. Pecorino is the family name for Italian sheep's-milk cheeses.
PDOPecorino Romano (also Pecorino Toscano, Sardo, Siciliano). Pecorino Romano is made in Lazio, Sardinia and the province of Grosseto.
Profile
- Milk
- Sheep's milk.
- Pasteurisation
- Varies by producer.
- Texture
- Firm to hard, granular when aged.
- Flavour
- Salty, sharp, tangy, sheepy.
- Aroma
- Lanolin, hay, butter.
- Rind
- Natural hard rind.
- Typical maturation
- Romano: at least 5 months (table) or 8 months (grating)
Tasting & pairing
Compare with Parmigiano: saltier, tangier, sheepy. Use the tasting wheel.
Food
- Cacio e pepe
- Broad beans
- Honey
- Pears
Drinks (non-alcoholic)
- Lemon soda
- Iced tea
Optional, if you drink alcohol: Red wine.
Storage: Wrap; refrigerate.
How it's made
- Method
- Sheep's milk is renneted (often lamb rennet), cut fine, cooked, pressed and dry-salted repeatedly; Romano is strongly salted.
- Cultures
- Natural whey starter (scotta-innesto) or cultures.
- Coagulation
- Rennet
- Curd handling
- Cut fine and cooked.
- Pressing
- Pressed in moulds.
- Salting
- Dry-salted repeatedly (Romano) or brined.
- Ageing
- Cool, humid cellars.
At home: Not practical at home
Sheep's milk is hard to buy and ageing is long.
Recipes on FriendsPantry that use it
Sources
- Cheese Making Technology e-book — University of Guelph, Food Science
- Molds on Food: Are They Dangerous? — USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service
- Pecorino Romano PDO — Consorzio per la Tutela del Formaggio Pecorino Romano
- eAmbrosia — EU geographical indications register — European Commission
Guidance changes: check the source for current wording. Original text; figures quoted from the sources where stated.