Me Viene Latte Alle Ginocchia

ME VIENE LATTE ALLE GINOCCHIA

literal = "he brings milk to my knees"
figurative =
"he is a real bore"

Podere La Fornace di Innocenti Renzo e figlio
Piteglio, IT
4 Aprile 2004

Pecorino cheese has been made with unpasteurized milk ("latte crudo") in "Le Montagne Pistoiese" (the mountains above Pistoia) for hundreds of years.

A primary ingredient in pecorino has always been "caglio" (rennet). How is this natural curdling agent made? The stomach of a milk-fed lamb is hung to dry in the wind for two months. Its contents turn to a fine powder that is added to fresh sheep's milk.

The only way traditional cheesemakers can protect themselves from multinational food companies and excessive EU health laws is to form a "consorzio" (consortium).

RULES OF THE CONSORZIO MONTAGNE e VALLE di PISTOIA

When making pecorino,

  1. Only sheep's milk can be used.
  2. No antibiotics or animal bi-products allowed.
  3. The sheep must graze in pastures where indigenous grasses grow.
  4. Milk cannot be heated above 40 degrees C.
  5. Both the milk and sheep will be subjected to periodic testing.

The ultimate goal of any consorzio is to receive special status.

D.O.P. = denominazione di origine protetta
(they're working on it)

pecora = female used for milk
montone ("he mounts") = male used for breeding
agnello = lamb (those without the proper characteristics to become a "buona pecora" are butchered at 30 days).

(I discover later that most of the farm's income is derived not from cheese but from butchering agnelli throughout the year.)

IL PASTORE (the shepherd)
Stefano was many things before he became "un pastore." He was a delivery man, then a factory worker who stamped plastics, then finally a bus driver before taking up the family business.

<-- "la mungitura" (the milking)






<-- "la mungitrice"

IL SUOCERO (the father-in-law)

 

 

 

 

 

 

140 sheep
80 pecore (milking)
30 pecore (nursing)
25 agnelli
5 montone

These massese are from the nearby hillside town of Masse. Their distinctive black coats are shaved (la tostatura) twice a year and the wool is thrown away because its naturally dark color has fallen out of fashion.

In the winter months the sheep eat hay and a variety of grains. When March comes the sheep are able to graze on fresh grass for the first time in months. The first cheese of the season made from this milk is called "Marzolino."

Stefano tells me that his sheep have a "boca buona" (refined palate) and refuse to eat anything that isn't natural, especially genetically modified corn.

<-- sognando (adocchi aperti)
(dreaming with eyes open)
< -- il occhio
(the eyes)

<-- indifferente (indifferent)
<-- la corna (the horns)

<-- diffidente (diffident)

Sheep don't bite (so I'm told).

How to make pecorino cheese:

  1. Milk your sheep.
  2. Strain the milk to remove impurities.
  3. Heat the milk to between 27 and 37 degrees Celsius.
  4. Add "il caglio" (rennet).
  5. Let the milk cook for 20-40 minutes or until "la cagliata" (the curd) forms.
  6. Stir "la cagliata" until it is broken into pieces no larger than a grain of rice.
  7. Let it sit for 5-20 minutes.
  8. Place your hands inside the pot and slowly separate "la cagliata" from "il siero" (the whey). Place "la cagliata" in forms and press for 30 minutes.
  9. Salt and let sit for 24 hours.
  10. Remove salt and place on wood shelf for 7-21 days (rotate cheese every 2 days).

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