Question for cheese experts

withchaco

Not sure if this goes better in the Recipes forum...

Today I was making a stir fry and put shredded pepper jack cheese in it. The cheese melted into shapeshifting solid chunks. I remember mozzarella (both fresh and low-moisture varieties) doing the same thing from past experience.

But the other day, I made the same dish with shredded smoked gouda; the cheese melted into a completely liquefied, sauce-like state.

What other cheeses LIQUEFY when melted on the pan, tossed around with other ingredients?

DannPM31

If you're looking for ooey gooey melt, you'll never replicate the results you can get with processed cheese (any kind really.) Cheese made with rennet (and not additional added chemical coagulants) will melt to be "ooey gooey sauce like" if you make them into something like a Mornay sauce

Rule of thumb is that acid based separation cheeses (like paneer) will not ever melt. Rennet based separation, higher fat, and higher moisture will all play a role in how well it melts.

Bonny619

OOoh a delicious goat cheese would!

withchaco

Thanks for the response. I'll have to really start studying my cheeses!

wolfchild59

You probably had a better quality Gouda and overly processed cheese for the others.

In lower quality cheeses the fat will separate from the solids when it melts. Making for a non-smooth melt and a greasy taste/mouth feel. That's why you get that layer of grease on pizzas a lot of the time, because it's crappy cheese.

A high quality cheese will melt smoothly and not separate when heated. That will give you an overall creamier appearance and feel.

But there are some cheeses that just aren't melting cheeses. Any aged cheese like Parmesan, Romano, dry-aged goudas, etc, may soften but won't actually melt into a creaminess. In fact, you can actually grate cheeses like that and bake them into crisps with no other ingredients. And then cheeses like feta, blue, or cotija may soften when heated, and may even get soft enough to blend into a sauce, they never truly melt like a young, soft, cheese.

Also, all grocery store shredded cheese is coated so that it doesn't stick together in the bag. Depending on what the company uses, this can effect the melting as well. You can actually aid in creamy melting without separation for things like sauces or fondue if you shred your own, good quality cheese, then toss it with a small bit of corn starch, just enough to barely coat it. Then melt it slowly over a low heat.