Gravy's Cooking Thread

I like smoked gouda only on grilled cheese. Other than that, it reminds me too much of soygen's ass.

Now THATS a cheese I can get behind.










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Man, why is there so much discussion of soygen's ass in the cooking thread? That dude can do some crotch pot cooking.

Erronius_sl said:

OK all you foodie fucks, someone learn me how to make a decent grilled cheese without having to resort to using Velveeta. I always thought that cheddar was the way to go but it never melts and I end up with toasted bread around this sweating, rubbery mass of dark-orange cheese.





Tomato soup still sucks though. I'd eat an omelet MRE before tomato soup.

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Are you using high heat? I always use medium heat on a electric skillet, also put the glass lid on top after I flip it to raise the temp inside to help melt the cheese all the way.

Melting cheese has a lot of solutions. You can start with it warm before you put it on the bread (microwave), you can shred it because increasing the surface area helps, you can keep the heat of the pan on low so the heat has time to travel a bit, you can pre-melt the cheese and slather it on (Alton Brown's "Grilled Grilled Cheese" uses this idea). You can put it on the bread then put it under the broiler, then toss the top on (or just eat it like that, it is called "cheese toast"). Putting a lid on the pan helps, because steam.

When I make grilled cheese I am usually making 4-5 of them so I break out two 8 inch non-stick skillets. I'll briefly warm one side of a piece of bread in each, set it aside, warm another piece of bread, flip those, put shredded cheese on them (I use cheddar unless I decide to do a mix of cheeses), put the other slice of bread on top. Since they are already both warm on the inside, the cheese starts to melt almost right away. Then I do the shredded cheese on the outside, flip, shredded cheese on the outside, flip, and serve. I like using Parmesan for the outside, the salty hit as you bite in is great and as a very hard cheese it ends up having a fantastic crunch.

The Master_sl said:

Melting cheese has a lot of solutions. You can start with it warm before you put it on the bread (microwave), you can shred it because increasing the surface area helps, you can keep the heat of the pan on low so the heat has time to travel a bit, you can pre-melt the cheese and slather it on (Alton Brown's "Grilled Grilled Cheese" uses this idea). You can put it on the bread then put it under the broiler, then toss the top on (or just eat it like that, it is called "cheese toast"). Putting a lid on the pan helps, because steam.

When I make grilled cheese I am usually making 4-5 of them so I break out two 8 inch non-stick skillets. I'll briefly warm one side of a piece of bread in each, set it aside, warm another piece of bread, flip those, put shredded cheese on them (I use cheddar unless I decide to do a mix of cheeses), put the other slice of bread on top. Since they are already both warm on the inside, the cheese starts to melt almost right away. Then I do the shredded cheese on the outside, flip, shredded cheese on the outside, flip, and serve. I like using Parmesan for the outside, the salty hit as you bite in is great and as a very hard cheese it ends up having a fantastic crunch.

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I don't like lidding grilled cheese, the steam makes it soggy. Ern, try a better quality American cheese (I know, I know) but it melts well. I actually used to love making Velveeta grilled cheese.

Gravy_sl said:

I don't like lidding grilled cheese, the steam makes it soggy. Ern, try a better quality American cheese (I know, I know) but it melts well. I actually used to love making Velveeta grilled cheese.

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I agree which is why I don't do it, but it does work and I was just listing options. Oh! Forgot one, you can lay your toaster on its side and make grilled cheese in the toaster. But your toaster needs to have flat sides (some of them are curved) so it is stable, unless you want to jimmy it somehow and you need to be careful not to let the cheese "hang out" over the edges of the bread for obvious reasons. Hard to clean.

I know a lot of people are flip-adverse, but you can also get pretty decent grilled cheese by keeping it mobile and flipping often. This lowers the heat being applied overall, but it also evens out the distribution as you aren't browning one side and then the other and calling it good. This has the effect of keeping longer term heat applied to the cheese in the middle without getting overdone on either side. Also, make sure you use butter instead of any type of oil for your transfer medium, because that is just the best way to do it for flavor's sake.

Cheddar works well, but you have to keep the heat even or it will char up basically right after it starts to melt. Which can be great if that's your thing, but I prefer the less-charred version. Jack (any variety) makes the absolute best, and is by far my favorite go-to cheese for basically everything.

I have to be honest, but I've never tried to cook cheese on the outside of my bread. I know it is possible and certain cheeses are basically designed for it (parmesan, as mentioned) but it is just not something I generally get into. I enjoy the toasted bread flavor leading into the cheese, and don't want a salty introduction. This is probably largely due to my aversion to more than nominal salty or sugary tastes.

before i started using cast iron for everything including grilled cheese sammiches, i was using an old waffle iron. the metal plates have 2 sides, the waffle side and a flat side for sammiches or whatever you want to stick in there. it makes things idiot proof. you can also try the waffle side, you may like the results.

I think sharp Cheddar melts poorly compared to a mild cheddar. I typically like to mix my cheeses when I do a grilled cheese sandwich. Cheddar, American, Swiss, Pepperjack...you name it! Any two will do.

Chef John knows how to make a mean grilled cheese. This usually gets linked when we get into a Grilled Cheese Derail:

Erronius_sl said:

Why isn't there really any Asian cheeses?

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I'd always heard that Asians have a much higher rate than average of lactose intolerance

Lactose intolerance - Genetics Home Reference

Approximately 65 percent of the human population has a reduced ability to digest lactose after infancy. Lactose intolerance in adulthood is most prevalent in people of East Asian descent, affecting more than 90 percent of adults in some of these communities

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edit - also remember a Reddit post about this from a while back

ELI5: Why do I never see cheese used in Asian Cuisine? : explainlikeimfive

Asian cultures did not historically raise cattle, and therefore few people are lactose tolerant. European culture has led to adult tolerance of lactose in a larger part of the western population. The normal human condition is to lose tolerance for lactose in adolescence. But we whiteys love us some titty juice.

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Most Chinese until recently have avoided milk, partly because pasturage for milk producers in a monsoon rice ecology is not economic, and partly because milk products became negatively associated with horse-riding, milk-drinking nomadic tribes. There may be a biological bias- a certain number of people in any ethnic group are lactose intolerant. In addition, human beings, like other mammals, after they are weaned, stop producing lactase enzymes (needed to digest milk) unless they drink milk. Lactose intolerance, then, is partly cultural, partly biological.

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