Volume 12, Issue 066 - April 2, 2007

Good Day Chef,

Welcome back, I hope you had a great weekend. We are going to look at one of my favorite ingredients this week...butter. We also have some great recipes this week from chefs around the country using butter as an ingredient. The USDA has strict guidelines on the production and grading of butter, so today we will learn a little about that. Let's get started!

Butter Basics:

Butter Legislative Definition:

"Butter" shall be understood to mean the food product usually known as butter, and which is made exclusively from milk or cream, or both, with or without common salt, and with or without additional coloring matter, and containing not less than 80 percent by weight of milkfat, all tolerances having been allowed for.

Act of Congress, March 4, 1923, 42 Stat. 1500.

Source: Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board

Wisconsin Cheese from America's Dairyland, Entertaining, Cheesecyclopedia, Facts, Awards, Cheesemaking, Special Offers and Great Recipes.

"Inside-Out" Grilled Cheese with Red Onion Jam

Category: Appetizer
Number of Servings: 12

Ingredients:

Red Onion Jam:

2 red onions, peeled and cut in very thin match-sized strips
1/4 cup salad oil
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup grenadine syrup
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves or 1/2 teaspoon dried freshly-ground black pepper to taste

Sandwich:

12 slices seeded, whole grain bread, such as sunflower seed, 2 x 2-inch square and 1/8 inch thick, crusts removed
melted butter (about 1/3 cup)
24 slices Wisconsin queso blanco or queso blanco con frutas cheese, 2 x 2-inch square and 1/4 inch thick

Preparation:

Red Onion Jam:

Sauté red onion in the oil, cooking slowly until wilted, about 20 minutes. Do not brown. Add remaining jam ingredients. Cook for about 20 minutes, until thickened.

Sandwich:

Brush the bread slices on both sides with melted butter. Toast until golden brown.

Heat a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Lightly grill the cheese squares until golden brown on both sides.

Place 12 of the cheese squares on a cutting board. Top each with a teaspoon of Red Onion Jam and then a slice of the toasted bread. Top bread with another teaspoon of Red Onion Jam. Top each sandwich with a slice of the remaining Queso Blanco cheese. Press sandwich together.

If preparing ahead, warm sandwiches in a 350 degree F oven just before serving.

Recipe by Chef Todd Downs

Recipe © 2007 Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, Inc.

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USDA Grading Specifications:

USDA graded butter complies with stringent flavor, texture and visual standards. Grading of butter is first determined on the basis of classifying the flavor characteristics and then rating body, color and salt characteristics. Each parameter is scored accordingly.

Flavor Intensity:

Flavor is the basic quality factor in grading butter and is determined organoleptically by taste and smell.

Body Characteristics:

Body refers to the textural characteristics of butter as related to its spreadability and mouthfeel. Butter, with a firm, waxy body, has an attractive appearance, shows no free moisture droplets, cuts clean when sliced and has good spreadability.

Color:

Color refers to the evenness of color and shades of yellow of the butter. The natural color varies according to seasonal and regional conditions and color is considered defective when it is uneven (mottled or streaked) or lacks uniformity within the same churning or package.

Salt:

Salt is discerned from the degree of salt taste and whether it is completely dissolved. A range in the salt content or salty taste is permitted without considering this to be a defect.

Once these parameters are evaluated, the scores for each sample are added and butter is graded as USDA grade AA, A or B. Grade AA butter is the "very best," with a total score of 93 points. Grade A butter is classified as "very good" with a total score of 92. Grade B butter is "standard" with a total score of 90 points. Any defects are disrated in accordance with the established butter classification. The final grade is established in accordance with the flavor classification, subject to disratings for color, body and salt.

Source: Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board

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Belgioioso Mascarpone Cheese Crostini and My Mother's Tomato Conserve

Category: Appetizer
Number of Servings: 12

Ingredients:

Mascarpone Crostini:

1/2 cup clarified butter
1 pound Wisconsin mascarpone cheese, room temperature
24 slices French bread, sliced thinly
12 sprigs micro cilantro, for garnish

Tomato Conserve:

11/2 quart tomatoes, blanched and peeled, diced 1/2 inch x 1/2 inch
4 cups sugar
2 each cinnamon sticks (Ceylon true cinnamon)
1 tablespoon whole cloves
1 each lemon
1 each orange

Preparation:

For the Crostini:

Warm the clarified butter and pour it out on a baking sheet. Dip each thin slice of French bread in the butter and lay on a baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 7 to 10 minutes or until golden brown and crisp. Remove and allow to cool to room temperature. Reserve.

For the Tomato Conserve:

This step may be done in advance. Combine the peeled diced tomatoes with the sugar, cinnamon, cloves, lemon, and orange and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook 30 minutes over low heat and use a slotted spoon to drain off any extra juices in a heavy bottom saucepot. Reduce the strained juice by half and pour over the tomatoes. Reserve chilled.

Final Presentation:

Using a pallet knife, spread an equal portion of the room temperature mascarpone cheese on each of the crostinis. Then spoon an equal portion of the tomato conserve on each one. Arrange two crostini on each plate and garnish with the sprigs of micro cilantro.

Recipe by Chef Rhys Lewis

Recipe © 2007 Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, Inc.