Our great family trip to Prague in the summer of 2008 introduced us to the bold tastes of authentic Czech cuisine. Coming from Slovakia — a country once merged with Czechia as Czechoslovakia, with both nations sharing a mutual history — we found plenty of flavors commingled in our cuisines. No matter how close a recipe is to its roots, it always tastes incomparably better prepared in its country of origin. This article provides ingredient substitutions to the original beer cheese recipe.
Only Czech folks prepare beer cheese so delicious — blame the local ingredients! In the United States, however, shopping for this recipe represents a challenge. The key ingredient, the quark, remains difficult to find in rural grocery stores. Therefore, we came up with a substitute for our recipe consisting of a blend of ricotta and large curd cottage cheese. These ingredients closely replicate the quark’s taste and consistency. If luck helps you find quark in your dairy section, feel free to skip step two in our recipe. Contrary to quark, ricotta and cottage cheese have a noticeably higher content of water, thus there’s a need for straining to achieve the right consistency. On the other hand, straining the quark is unnecessary, its consistency doesn’t offer too much moisture.
Prior to moving to the beer cheese recipe; please note, beer cheese is a fermented unpasteurized dairy product. If fermented products make you search for the closest restroom, this cheese spread might not be your best choice. If your stomach is not so sensitive, feel free to proceed.
As the magic factor in fermentation, beer cheese requires a consistent temperature of 61 to 66 F for five days. Higher temperatures accelerate maturing of beer cheese which could even lead to spoiling. Temperatures below 60 F slightly slow down the fermentation, and the cheese would need more time to mature. Please, remember to cover it or close it with a lid – it’s important. A closable jar is your best friend.
After its maturing time, beer cheese features a pungent smell similar to but less intense than Limburger cheese. Beer cheese takes on colors varying from beige to orange, as it matures, the colors darken.
Beer Cheese Recipe
Equipment
- Medium - size mixing bowl
- a small soup bowl
- spoon
- Mesh strainer
- glass jar with a tight lid
Ingredients
- 16 oz Whole milk Ricotta cheese
- 16 oz Large curd cottage cheese
- 1¼ tsp of salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp of sweet paprika
- 1 cup lager beer
- ½ tbsp ground caraway seeds
To Serve With
- ½ sliced red onion
- sourdough bread
- mustard
Instructions
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine ricotta and cottage cheese. Add one cup of beer. Let sit for 20 minutes in the fridge.
- Using a mesh strainer and a spoon, strain the cheese mixture, so the solid cheese remains. Save the strained milk and cheese liquid for a Beer Mac & Cheese recipe.
- Mix the spices into the beer cheese. Put the mixture in the glass jar, and close it tightly. Let the cheese ferment for three days - put it in a dark place at room temperature.
- After three days, the beer cheese gained the desired tanginess. Serve it on a slice of toasted and buttered sour bread, with mustard, and sliced red onion on top.
