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Classic Pimiento Cheese

Source of Recipe


From "Essentials of Southern Cooking" by Damon Lee Fowler



List of Ingredients



• 8 ounces (1 small block, about 2 generous cups grated) extra-sharp Cheddar
  
• 2 ounces (½ cup grated) Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
  
• About 5 to 6 Tbsp mayonnaise, preferably homemade
  
• 1 (4-ounce) jar diced pimientos, drained but liquid reserved, roughly chopped
  
• Ground cayenne pepper
  






Instructions



1. Finely grate half the Cheddar and all of the Parmigiano through the finest holes of a box grater, or with a rotary cheese grater, a Microplane grater, or the fine shredding disk in the food processor. Mix together lightly.
   
   
2. Knead in 4 tablespoons of the mayonnaise until the cheese is creamy and very smooth. This can be done in a food processor fitted with a steel blade, but be careful not to overprocess it or the mayonnaise could break and make the pimiento cheese oily.
   
   
3. Coarsely grate the remaining cheese. Work it, the pimientos, and a tablespoon of reserved pimiento liquid into the creamed cheese until it is almost smooth but still a bit lumpy. Add the remaining mayonnaise by tablespoonfuls until it is just spreadable (it should be very thick and taste of cheese, not mayonnaise). Season with cayenne or hot sauce to taste, and mix well.
   
   Makes about 2½ cups