Try this Homemade Pimento Cheese recipe, or contribute your own.
- Carbohydrate 0.226835 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 0.01141 g
- Fiber 0.09275 g
- Protein 0.038325 g
- Saturated Fat 0.00343 g
- Serving Size 1 1 cup (0g)
- Sodium 0.154 mg
- Sugar 0.134085 g
- Trans Fat 0.000490000000000003 g
- Calories 1 calories
Step-by-step
- Grate cheese into large bowl using small side of grater.
- Drain pimentos and add to cheese.
- Sprinkle the cayenne (start with ¼ or ½ teaspoon and taste after mixing) and black pepper over the cheese.
- Stir in 1 cup of mayonnaise.
- You may decide to add an additional ¼ cup depending on how creamy you like it.
- Mix well and taste.
- Add more mayo, cayenne, and a little salt if needed.
Sharp cheddar ribbons coated in a glossy, clinging emulsion of mayonnaise provide a distinct resistance against the teeth, followed immediately by the mild sweetness of pimentos and a delayed warmth from cayenne. Making this spread successfully relies entirely on physical preparation methods rather than thermal ones. Avoid pre-shredded cheese bags at all costs. Cellulose coatings applied to commercial shreds prevent the proteins from binding smoothly with the mayonnaise fats. Grating your own blocks using the smallest holes on a box grater creates thin, fragile strands that maximize surface area. This high surface area allows the mayonnaise to coat every single piece of dairy uniformly without pooling at the bottom of the bowl.
Evaluating Texture and Moisture Visually
Assessing doneness requires monitoring the physical cohesion of the mixture. Because no cooking occurs, visual and tactile feedback dictates the final stage. Stir in one cup of mayonnaise initially. Lift a portion of the mixture with a spoon and observe how it falls. The spread should hold a soft peak without slumping flat instantly. If the strands appear dry or separate crumbly, incorporate the remaining quarter cup of mayonnaise in tablespoon increments. The emulsion is correct when the mixture holds ridges from the spoon without weeping oil.Controlling Heat and Flavor Distribution
Capsaicin from the cayenne pepper binds to fat molecules rather than water. Thorough mechanical distribution ensures heat registers evenly across the palate instead of concentrating in localized pockets. Stir the black pepper and cayenne directly into the grated cheese before adding the mayonnaise. This dry mixing step prevents spice clumping. Chill the completed mixture for at least one hour before serving. Refrigeration firms the dairy fats and allows the pepper compounds to permeate the cheese proteins completely.
