Pepper Jack Cheese is a blend of Jack cheese and hot peppers, popular in the American West. It can be used in a variety of recipes and pairs well with barbecued meats. The quality varies, with artisanal producers creating outstanding cheese while mass production can result in a less exciting product.
Pepper Jack Cheese is an American cow’s milk cheese that blends the creamy, buttery flavor of Jack cheese with the intensity of hot peppers, especially jalapeños. Some manufacturers produce special varieties of this cheese named after the peppers they contain, such as Habanero jack and Serrano jack. This cheese can be used in a wide variety of recipes, and is especially popular in the American West, where people have an acquired taste for hot peppers.
Jack cheese originated in California, where it was originally made by Franciscan monks. An enterprising entrepreneur named David Jacks realized that a market for the cheese could be developed and created a semi-soft, sweet, creamy cheese that proved to be a huge success. Jack cheese is also known as Monterey jack and is famous for its mild flavor, which allows it to be used in a variety of ways.
When manufacturers make Pepper Jack cheese, they add small chunks of spiced pepper to the curds of their Jack cheese, adding a twist to a normally rather bland cheese. As the cheese ages, the peppery flavor intensifies, with some old peppercorns being quite spicy. Generally, the cheese is only aged for a few months, acquiring a creamy color and a semi-rigid consistency.
This cheese melts very well, making it suitable for things like quesadillas and hot sandwiches. Its moist texture also makes it suitable for grating, so people often sprinkle grated pepper cheese on a variety of foods; the cheese pairs particularly well with barbecued meats such as beef and can be used on burgers, steaks, and various grilled dishes. Pepper jack can also be diced or sliced and placed on a cheese plate with bread and crackers, and pairs best with slightly sweet white wines, for people looking to include it in wine and cheese pairings.
The quality of Jack Pepe cheese varies widely. Some artisanal producers create a truly outstanding jackfruit that captures the illustrious origins of this sometimes maligned cheese, creating a cheese with a powerful buttery flavor and a strong peppery kick. In mass production, pepper jack can unfortunately become a bit stodgy and chewy, making it a less exciting cheese that’s better suited to blending with other cheeses or to use in complex layered dishes where the weaker flavor won’t present any responsibility.
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