 Three Pimento Cheese Recipes
Pimento Cheese has many nicknames: PC, Carolina Caviar, Atlanta Paté, and Menta Cheese. In the South, particularly the Carolinas and Georgia, you cannot have a church social, family picnic, card game, wedding, or any social gathering without Pimento Cheese sandwiches. Kids ask for it with the same frequency as they ask for peanut butter up north. Traditionally it is spread on white bread and that's all. At fancier events the crusts removed, it is cut into four triangles, and served on silver platters. At the Masters Golf Tournament in Augusta, GA, they serve PC sandwiches wrapped in green wax paper (hold your pinkies out, please). Even in such classy settings, they spell it pimento, not pimiento, the technically correct spelling.
When I was at the University of Florida in the 1960s, our favorite late nite stoner munchie was Ritz Crackers with PC. On road trips to away games and New Orleans we'd pack a loaf of Wonder Bread and a tub of storebought PC. Any trip through Atlanta would take us to The Varsity where, when we approached the counter they'd shout "What'll ya have!" and we'd joyfully shout back "Pimento Cheeseburger!" Occasionally we'd go wild and order their chili cheesedog with pimento cheese, or their decadent grilled cheese sandwich with pimento cheese.
PC's also really good on rye or whole wheat. Serve it on toast points, sliced French bread, and even garlic bread. Make grilled cheese sammies with it all by itself or add lettuce, tomato, and/or fresh basil. Use it to stuff cherry tomatoes as a snack, or a whole tomato as an appetizer. Stuff celery with it. Dip carrots into it. Add it to grits, omelets, or scrambled eggs. Slather it on top of chili dogs or on burgers instead of sliced cheese (oh my!). I've even seen it on pulled pork in a joint in Mississippi, but I'm not ready for that myself. Maybe I'll try it on leftover pork. Someday.
In 2003 the Southern Foodways Alliance held a Pimento Cheese essay and recipe contest that drew 300 entries. Click here to see the three finalists. The traditional recipe is simple: Sharp cheddar cheese, mayonnaise, pimentos, salt and pepper. In the dorms they use Velveeta, but that stuff is one electron from being plastic, so I recommend real cheese.
Below are three variations on the theme. First is the simple traditional recipe. I call it Mason Dixon PC. But I'm never satisfied to leave well enough alone, so I've amped it up in the second recipe, Fancified Smoked Pimiento Cheese. Finally, I offer something completely different, Yankee Pimento Cheese Spread.
Whadaya waitin' for? The game's about to start.
Mason-Dixon PC
This is the simple traditional recipe. You can adjust the ingredients up and down as you wish.
Makes. 8 sandwiches
Production time. 15 minutes
Ingredients
1 pound sharp cheddar cheese
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 (4 ounce) bottle pimentos, drained and chopped into 1/4" bits
2 pinches table black pepper
2 pinches table salt
Do this
1) Grate the cheese on the big holes of a box grater into a bowl. Mix in the rest of the ingredients.
2) Now there's a divide in the South over what to do next. Some folks are done at this stage. Some folks like to throw the whole thang into the food processor and whup it up until it is smooth. I say don't dirty the food processor.
3) You can serve it immediately or refrigerate it. If you want to use it in stuffed tomatoes or something like that, let it sit at room temp for about 15 minutes after the fridge so it is easier to work with.
Fancified Smoked Pimiento Cheese
This recipe is Meathead gone Mad. Back home my neighbors would say I was puttin' on airs by fancifying the recipe. It's a bit more work, but I think it's worth it. But don't think this is heresy. Many Southerners "doctor" the original recipe to show their creativity and one up their neighbors. Nothing is more coveted than hearing someone across the room ask "Who made the PC?"
Makes. 10 sandwiches
Production time. 25 minutes
Ingredients
4 ounces (1/2 block) cream cheese
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 pound sharp cheddar cheese
8 ounces smoked roasted red bell pepper
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon mustard powder
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
About the red peppers. Pimentos are simply roasted red peppers. I think they taste best when roasted on the grill. But if you want a thrill, smoke the peppers first. You can use pimentos from a jar if you wish. Use about 8 ounces and drain the jar.
About the cheddar. You can substitute Mild Cheddar, Monterey Jack, or Colby for up to half the cheese if you wish.
About the cream cheese. You can use cream cheese in the brick form, or better still, use the spreadable version in a tub. It's easier to blend.
Optional mix-ins. Add a few tablespoons minced fresh onion, a chopped green jalapeño, a scoop of sweet pickle relish or minced dill peppers, finely chopped olives, chopped toasted pecans, herbs, curry powder, or celery seed. I like to add 1 teaspoon of balsamic vinegar reduced by half that I keep in a bottle for drizzling.
Do this
1) Mix the mayo and cream cheese together in a bowl with a fork until thoroughly blended.
2) Grate the cheddar with the large holes of a box grater or put it into a food processor or blender and whack them into pea size bits. Add to the bowl and mix in.
3) Add the remaining ingredients and mix. Taste and adjust as you see fit. Chill for a few hours to let the flavors marry. Set out about 20 minutes before serving so it will soften a bit.
Yankee Pimento Cheese Spread
 Mix up a batch of my Louisiana Bayou Bite Sauce and keep it on hand. Lotsa stuff you can do with it. This one's quick and dirty and delicious.
Makes. 8 ounces
Production time. 2 minutes
Ingredients
1 (8 ounce) block of cream cheese
4 tablespoons Louisiana Bayou Bite Sauce
Do this
Mix the two ingredients in a bowl with a fork. You can leave it lumpy, or blend it smooth. Your choice. I like it lumpy. Serve on crusty bread or crackers.
This page was revised 8/14/2010
|
With a $25 donation you'll get a 100% cotton brushed twill adjustable low profile cap with the AmazingRibs patch sewn on. I'll even toss in a small bag of 
