Pigtail cheese is a fairly popular dairy product. It got its name due to its unusual appearance, which resembles a woman’s braid. Initially, this cheese was an exclusively Armenian dish.
This cheese is presented on the shelves of large supermarkets and small shops, and the production of the cheese product is organized at many enterprises in the country. However, you can prepare the “pigtail” yourself.
How to cook at home?
You need to understand that making “pigtail” cheese (in fact, this cheese is called Chechil) does not require much effort or special skills. The main thing in this matter is to have a sufficient supply of patience and perseverance.
There are several ways to make an unusual product at home.
In order for homemade Chechil cheese to become similar to the store-bought version, you must strictly follow the recipe instructions and not deviate from the requirements. Also, such cheese should be prepared only from fresh natural products.
Recipe No. 1
To prepare you will need:
- 9 liters of milk (per 1 kg of finished products);
- pepsin or rennet (can be bought at a pharmacy);
- purified water;
- whey or sour milk (optional).
The first step is to get the milk to sour. To do this, you need to leave it at room temperature for several days (depending on the air temperature and the quality of the milk itself).
After the milk has soured, pour it into a saucepan or other container and put it on low heat. Next you need to wait until flakes begin to appear on the surface of the milk - this is the curd mass.
Now is the time to add pepsin (at the rate of 1 g of pepsin per 300 g of sour milk). The mixture must continue to be heated over the fire - it should heat up to 50 degrees.
At the moment when the flakes begin to accumulate and form dense clumps, the product needs to be kneaded (preferably with a wooden device).
Then, from the resulting mass, you need to make a dense tape on the working surface (the thickness should be no more than 0.5 cm). After it is formed, it is necessary to cut the cheese mass into thin long strips. You need to weave a “braid” from the cut strips.
However, this is not the end - Chechil’s homemade cheese must ripen. To do this, immerse it in cold water and then in a saline solution. If it is necessary for the cheese to be smoked in the end, then after these procedures you need to send it to the smokehouse.
Recipe No. 2
This method of preparing Chechil cheese was used in the ancient East.
- milk;
- leaven;
- salt.
First you need to bring the milk to 40 degrees. Then you need to add starter to it. After this, you need to combine the components by stirring and place the container in a warm place - it is necessary for the product to curdle.
After this procedure, lumps should form in the mass.
Then you will need a colander and gauze. You need to put gauze in a colander, onto which you should place the resulting lumpy mass and remove excess liquid.
It is necessary to let the cheese “breathe” and place it in water at a temperature of about 80 degrees. The cheese should not tear or stretch.
Now Chechil needs to be cut into small pieces and placed in cool, purified water for half an hour. After this, you should drain the cold water and fill the cheese with another water (its temperature should be 65 degrees). Now the product will become more viscous and elastic.
Then the product must be placed in a funnel, which must be suspended above the container. Under its weight, the cheese mass will slowly flow out of the funnel, forming thin ribbons. This process may take approximately 6-8 hours. A “pigtail” is woven from the resulting ribbons.
Recipe No. 3
Another recipe for delicious Armenian cheese.
To prepare you will need:
- milk (about 4 l);
- purified water;
- 1 g rennin (a type of rennet);
- salt.
First of all, you need to place the milk in a pan with thick walls, here it should be brought to a temperature of 38 degrees. Then you need to add rennet.
Immediately remove the liquid from the heat and let it brew for about 60 minutes. When the mass thickens, use a knife to carefully divide it into small parts and leave for another 40 minutes.
When you have two separate products - the cheese mass and the whey, you need to place the cheese mass in hot water. Then you need to divide it into long thin threads. These tapes must be placed in a saline solution (20%). After this you need to form a “pigtail”.
Thus, using just a few ingredients, you can prepare real Armenian cheese. However, to make it the same as what is sold in the store, you need to smoke the product.
Its real name is Chechil. Recently, this product has gained popularity among buyers in our country. This cheese is made from small fibers. At the same time, it tastes almost like suluguni. Most often, such a product is made by hand. “Pigtail” cheese stands out among other varieties due to its unusual shape, which is presented in the form of threads neatly formed into a braid. On grocery store shelves you can find a product of any length and thickness.
How to make braided cheese
Usually, only fresh milk from a goat, sheep or cow is used to make Chechil cheese. In this case, the product is fermented naturally. Initially, the milk is heated and then mixed with rennet elements and a special starter culture. The cheese curds very quickly. This process takes only 10 minutes. After this, the product is heated again. In this case, flakes should form. They are formed into strips, the length of which is about 8 centimeters. After this, the product is taken out and cut into strips. Subsequently, the cheese from them is placed in a vat, where it gradually ripens. The finished chechil is sent to chambers for further smoking. The fat content of cheese is 5-10%. Now you know how to make pigtail cheese. The manufacturing technology is quite simple. This allows you to prepare the product at home.
Where can I use this cheese?
Homemade “pigtail” cheese is a delicious snack on its own that goes perfectly with beer. Individual strips of the product are often used to decorate ready-made dishes, for example, to decorate sandwiches and salads. Also, strips of cheese allow you to neatly tie pancake bags and rolls together.
Classic recipe
If you doubt the quality of a purchased product, you can make it yourself. How to prepare “Kosichka” cheese at home? The recipe for this snack is not so simple. But the end result is a product that has an extraordinary taste. For preparation you will need not only milk, but also pepsin. In addition, it takes a lot of time to prepare. Required ingredients:
- Milk. To prepare a kilogram of cheese, 9 liters of fresh product are required.
- Pepsin.
- Whey or sour milk.
Manufacturing process
“Pigtail” cheese is prepared only from homemade products. First, you should leave the milk to sour. This should happen naturally. If you want to speed up the process, you can add a little sour milk or whey.
The sour product should be poured into a large container and placed over low heat. The product must be cooked until a curd mass begins to form. After this you need to add pepsin. In this case, certain proportions must be observed. Only one gram of pepsin is required per 300 grams of liquid.
The resulting mixture must be heated to 50 °C. The flakes should begin to form into a denser mass. At this stage, the product needs to be mashed with a spoon, preferably a wooden one. Gradually, the cheese mass must be formed into a ribbon, which should be transferred to the work surface with a flat side. The product must be cut into thin strips. The thickness of the workpiece should not be more than five millimeters. After this, you can make a pigtail from the strips. Of course, the preparation doesn't end there. Prepared “pigtail” cheese at home must be sent for ripening. To do this, the product should first be placed in cold water, and then a solution with salt. If you need smoked cheese, you should place it in a smokehouse after ripening.
Second cooking method
“Pigtail” cheese is made without a rind. It matures in a salt solution. This is a fairly ancient method that is widespread in the East.
To prepare you will need:
- Milk.
- Leaven.
- Salt.
In this case, the milk must be heated to 35 °C and the starter must be added. The same pepsin can be used as this component. All products should be thoroughly mixed and placed in a warm place for one hour to allow the product to curdle. As a result, the mass should become lumps. The colander should be lined with gauze. You need to put the resulting mass here. This will remove excess liquid.
Now you need to check the cheese. To do this, the product should be placed in hot water. If the cheese does not tear and stretches easily, then you did everything right. If the product breaks, then it must be left to stand for a while.
The finished cheese must be cut into pieces and filled with cold water for about 20 minutes. After this, the product should be transferred to a container, preferably aluminum. The cheese should be filled with water heated to 65 °C. In this case, the mixture must be stirred so that the product becomes homogeneous and more elastic.
Hot cheese should be placed in a funnel, previously suspended over a pan with a salt solution. Under its own weight, the cheese will gradually flow down, forming threads. The product should be left in such a bath for six hours. After this, you need to form a braid and place it in the refrigerator. The product is ready. “Pigtail” cheese is a wonderful dish that can even be served on a festive table.
Chechil cheese recipe
To prepare this product at home you will need:
- Salt - to taste.
- Rennet, for example, rennin - one gram.
- Milk - 4 liters.
- Water - as much as needed.
How to do
“Pigtail” cheese is prepared exclusively by hand. The unusual form of this product allows you to preserve all its nutritional and beneficial properties. To prepare, milk should be poured into a fireproof container and placed on the fire. The liquid must be heated to 38 °C. Rennet should be added to the milk and mixed well. After this, the container should be removed from the heat. The composition should stand for about 40 minutes. After this, the thickened mass should be divided into pieces with a knife. She should stand for another half hour. This will allow the whey to separate completely.
The sieve must be covered with gauze, and then the cheese must be placed in it. You need to leave the product in this form for another hour to allow the remaining whey to drain off. After this, the cheese must be placed in hot water and carefully pulled out into threads. You should work with gloves.
Cheese strings should be placed in a 20% salt solution, preferably for a day. Only after this you need to form pigtails from the product or roll it into a ball. That's all. “Kosichka” cheese can be consumed in its pure form or slightly smoked. Then the product tastes more delicate and original.
How to smoke correctly
It is best to smoke the product in a home smokehouse. Then the whole process takes a minimum of time, and the quality of the cheese does not raise suspicions. Of course, to create a product that has a unique taste, you should know some rules and nuances. So, how to smoke suluguni cheese? The “pigtail” after this processing turns out even more delicious.
Before placing the cheese in the smokehouse, you should wrap it in cloth or parchment. Then the product must be placed in a bag made of fairly dense material.
It is better to smoke cheese in a suspended state for several minutes. It is very important here not to overexpose it. Otherwise, the taste of the cheese will only worsen, making it simply impossible to eat.
Do you love smoked cheese in a braid shape? The rich, slightly spicy taste of the product and the salty-smoked aftertaste will leave few people indifferent. According to most, this is an excellent snack for beer. A unique alternative to crackers and chips, which have little benefit. How much healthier is a braid? It is worth studying its properties in detail: composition, benefits, harm, calorie content.
Smoked cheese braid
This product came to us from the cuisine of Armenia. Its traditional name is Chechil, meaning “confused.” The shape of the cheese really resembles intertwined fibers or a woman's braid. This is where the popular name “pigtail” came from. This form not only makes Chechil stand out from the bulk of cheeses, but also allows you to preserve the original properties. The taste of the cheese braid is similar to Georgian salted suluguni with the addition of spiciness and smokedness.
When choosing a braid, special attention should be paid to color. It can vary from almost white to yellow. It is recommended to go with white, because... yellowness may indicate the use of chemical dyes during smoking. The ingredients used in production determine the properties of chechil. The smaller their number, the more natural the composition.
Composition of the product
The main component of smoked chechil is fresh milk: cow, sheep or goat. Due to this, the finished product contains a large amount of phosphorus and calcium. These minerals form human bone tissue and also strengthen nails, hair and teeth. The product also contains vitamin B, which is essential for proper metabolism.
Armenian chechil is mostly made by hand. The manufacturing technology is different from traditional cheese making. Milk is fermented naturally: first it is heated and then the starter is added. To speed up coagulation, rennet or pepsin (substances obtained from the gastric juice of ruminants) is added. This phase takes no more than 10 minutes.
The curd granules obtained at this stage are heated again. Flakes are formed that stick well to each other. They form strips, the length of which is 7-8 cm. Next, they are removed from the vat of liquid, cut into thin threads and formed into bundles, braided. For complete maturation, the workpiece is placed in salt brine. At the final stage, the chechil is sent inside the smoking chamber.
How many calories are in pigtail cheese?
The calorie content of pigtail cheese is relatively low - 320 kcal per 100 g. Due to its low fat content and calorie content, the ingredient is included in various diets based on the consumption of vegetables and low-fat dairy products. Chechil is rich in proteins and fats, the amount of carbohydrates is small. BJU per 100 g: proteins - 19.5 g, fats - 26 g, carbohydrates - 2.2 g. The salt content is high - 4-8%.
Benefits and harms
It was noted above that the cheese braid contains minerals and vitamins: calcium, phosphorus, B vitamins. A special production technology makes it possible to preserve a large amount of these useful elements in the finished product. Their positive effect on the body is very great: they accelerate metabolic processes and improve general condition. All kinds of recipes with chechil are suitable for the diet period.
Any product can be harmful if the manufacturing process is disrupted. Unscrupulous manufacturers actively use chemical additives, dyes, and preservatives. At the smoking stage, liquid smoke is often used. All this leads to adverse consequences for smoked cheese lovers and disruption of the gastrointestinal tract.
How to make braided cheese
For maximum benefit, make Chechil cheese at home:
- Wait for the milk to naturally sour or add whey to it.
- Pour into a deep aluminum pan and place on low heat until a curdled mass forms.
- Add pepsin (1 g per 300 g) and mix.
- Heat up to 50 degrees. Using a colander, remove the hot mass.
- A ribbon is formed from the resulting dense consistency and cut into thin threads.
- A braid is made from threads and placed in cold water, then in a saline solution.
- The semi-finished product is sent to the smokehouse until fully cooked.
Chechil is usually consumed as an independent snack. In addition, the component is used for recipes for various dishes, such as cream soup, casserole, salad, sandwiches. In any variations, chechil goes well with greens. The braid looks original as a decoration for a plate of cold cuts or salad. Create your own recipe with this salted and smoked product.
Smoked braid cheese (also called chechil cheese) is a traditional Armenian dish. Externally, it is cheese with a fibrous consistency (like) braided in a thick braid. The product is made mainly by hand. On our shelves we also often find such a refined and unique product in taste and form. The shape of the braid is the feature of this product.
It is because of its shape that it is considered special. The braid is braided at the first stages of production, and as a result it simply cannot look any different. Also, the shape is an indicator of the quality of the product itself; the duration of its storage, as well as the preservation of useful and nutritious substances, depends on the number of bunches in the cheese.
It is worth noting that pigtail cheese prepared using the correct technology has the same aroma as a regular fermented milk product, but in terms of taste, everything is not so standard. The product has a piquant taste: a pronounced characteristic salty aftertaste and a spicy-salty taste. The product is either white or slightly yellowish in color - this is an indicator of naturalness. Cheese with brighter tones is an indication of the use of dyes and liquid smoke.
Chemical composition of smoked braid cheese
The composition of the product cannot be called complex, since it is based on sheep, goat or cow's milk. set to sour in a natural manner: it is heated a little, after which a previously sour product is added to it (, etc.). In order to improve the quality of coagulation, rennet or pepsin (one of the essential components of braided cheese) is used.
Within ten minutes, curd granules will be visible. They are put back on the fire and heated until longitudinal fibers begin to appear. The strips are pulled out, collected into bundles and braided. The finished cheese braids are placed in a vat of brine and the product is kept until fully ripened. After ripening, it is placed in chambers for smoking.
Product benefits
The product is especially relevant for people with deficiencies in the body. It is these two elements that are responsible for the health of bone tissue, nails, and hair. It is worth noting that the product has high nutritional values and is recommended for consumption by people with low body weight, because cheese is high in calories (approximately 320 kilocalories per hundred grams of product).
Harm Chechil
A product may not be beneficial, but harmful, if chemical additives, preservatives and dyes were used for its preparation, as well as when liquid smoke was used instead of the natural smoking procedure. This additive and other chemicals have an adverse effect on the human body as a whole.
Calorie content and BZHU
The product has a high calorie content and is also rich in proteins and fats.
Percentage ratio: 24/73/3.
Rules for selection and storage
When choosing a chechil, the first thing you need to pay attention to is the color. It is not recommended to buy options with bright colors, since chemical additives and dyes were most likely used to prepare this product. The second thing you need to focus on is the composition of the product. Chechil cheese should contain as few ingredients as possible (this is an indicator of naturalness).
Chechil under the right storage conditions is suitable for consumption within seventy-five days. Smoked cheese is stored in a cool (from 0 to +4 degrees Celsius) dark place with high humidity up to 87%. In the refrigerator, it is better to place it on the bottom shelf, where it is cooler.
Use in cooking
The product can be used:
- as a stand-alone snack;
- as a decor for sandwiches, appetizers and salads;
- as a filling for baked goods;
- in salads;
- in cream soups (in crushed form).
Cooking chechil at home
In order to be as confident as possible in the quality of the product, it can be prepared at home. Yes, the preparation procedure cannot be called simple, but it is worth it.
Production technology: you need to take fresh milk and put it in a warm place to sour. To make the process happen a little faster, you can add already sour milk product to the milk.
How to make cheese at home? The sour milk is placed on the fire, slightly heated, and pre-prepared rennet is added to it. Heat the milk until it reaches a temperature of fifty degrees. Using a wooden spatula, the cheese mass is crushed to form flakes seven centimeters long. Next, you need to distribute the cheese in an even layer on the table (a monotonous solid strip should form) and cut the tape into strips of equal width (maximum five millimeters wide). Now the ribbons need to be woven into one braid. The finished braid must be sent first to the cold, and then to the brine. If you want to get a smoked product, you need to place the chechil in the smokehouse. In order to get a kilogram of chechil, you need to take nine liters of milk.
If you don’t know what to cook with smoked pigtail cheese, we offer a simple recipe for an incredibly tasty and healthy holiday salad..
Step-by-step recipe: prepare all the necessary components, wash and clean them thoroughly. You need to chop the onion, fillet, carrots and mushrooms into small pieces. Untie the cheese, peel the walnuts.
Separately fry onions, chicken fillet, mushrooms and carrots. For frying, use a small amount of vegetable oil. Place the nuts in a blender and chop them as finely as possible. Place all separately prepared components in a deep plate, add mayonnaise and mix thoroughly, add spices to taste. To present the salad, you need to take a flat plate with a large diagonal. First put lettuce leaves on a plate, then lay out the prepared salad in the form of a ring, and sprinkle generously with cheese cut into strips (it should look like a nest). Place quail eggs (without peel) on top, and place cut chicken eggs in halves around the greens. Decorate chicken eggs in the shape of chickens and chickens (eyes, and carrots with beaks). Bon appetit.
To taste a wonderful salty snack, you don’t have to run to the supermarket and buy incredible delicacies. Today we will talk about how to make Chechil cheese at home, the recipe for which you will find in our article along with detailed instructions. It turns out incredibly tasty, juicy and, most importantly, without the slightest suspicion of the presence of GMOs or other unhealthy components in the composition.
Chechil cheese is known to us under another name - “Pigtail” cheese. We can find it on the counter of any store. It is considered the closest “relative” of suluguni; it is similar in taste and consistency, but its taste and density are still different.
There is no need to age Chechil cheese for weeks; it is prepared quickly both in industrial conditions and at home.
Well, let's try to do it?
Ingredients
- — 3 l + -
- Pepsin – 10 g + -
For the brine
- - taste + -
- - taste + -
Cooking at home
The recipe calls for the use of rennet or pepsin. You can buy such “exotic” in almost any pharmacy.
Add pepsin at the rate of 1 g per 300 ml of liquid.
If we have village milk in front of us, it must be “skimmed” or skimmed, since in the original technology Chechil cheese is made from milk with a low percentage of fat.
- To do this, put raw milk in a saucepan or jar in the refrigerator overnight, and in the morning remove the top layer, that is, the cream, with a ladle. We remember that this will reduce the volume of milk, so in advance we pour it into a pan larger than 3 liters by about 20-25%.
- Then we leave the milk in the open air and let it sour naturally during the day - this way the cheese will turn out more tasty and will stretch better.
It is the acidity of the milk in this recipe that determines how well the cheese pieces can be turned into threads. The optimal moment is when it begins to curl.
- We install a divider on the gas stove so that the milk in the pan heats up gradually and evenly, and heat it to 32 - 35 ° C, remove from the heat.
- Pour in pepsin in proportion and leave for half an hour. There is no need to touch or interfere with anything - just let it sit.
- Over time, a dense mass forms in the pan, put it back on the stove and heat it to 50°C, stirring gently. This will help the serum separate completely.
- Then we filter the resulting flakes through cheesecloth and place them on the table. We put on gloves and pull the flakes into threads. They can be twisted into balls or braided, as we are used to seeing.
- We make a saline solution and put the resulting chechil cheese in it overnight. In the morning the product is ready for use. You can eat it straight or put it in the smoker to acquire a bright color and spicy aroma.
But there is a faster way to prepare a delicious snack at home.
How to make chechil from fresh milk
For this recipe we need 4 liters of fresh low-fat milk.
How to make Chechil cheese
- Warm the milk to a temperature no higher than 38°C and add 1 g of rennet. Mix everything thoroughly and immediately remove from heat.
- Leave it to curl and thicken for 35-40 minutes, and then cut the resulting mass into squares directly in the pan - this will ensure better separation of the whey. Leave again for half an hour.
- In the meantime, prepare a colander, a large sieve or sieve - cover it with several layers of gauze. We discard the resulting cheese and let it drain for an hour.
- We heat water over the fire so that the hand can tolerate it, put pieces of cheese into it and pull them into threads. Thanks to the temperature, they will become more plastic and will not tear.
- We twist the finished chechil in any convenient way and place it in a pre-prepared saline solution.
Now you know how to make Chechil cheese at home. Cooking recipes vary, so we try different ones to choose the right one, because making cheese is not just a labor-intensive, but also a very delicate process. Who knows which method will work in your hands and in your kitchen?
Share the details of making Chechil cheese in the comments and post photos of the finished product, friends!
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