Miss Verbena’s Pimento Cheese

I do not have fond memories of pimento cheese. When I was a child, we always had a carton of the (unnaturally) bright orange, grocery store brand in the fridge, which my dad used to scoop onto everything he could get his hands on. Sometimes he would wave a sandwich smothered in the stuff under my nose, and I would run away screaming my little head off.

It wasn’t until college that I found an appreciation for this Southern staple. Every time my roommate Ben went home to Raleigh, North Carolina to visit his grandma, he would return with a vat of homemade pimento cheese…you know, the real thing. I didn’t even know it could be homemade; I had always assumed it could only be processed in a mysterious factory off the New Jersey Turnpike, along with Twinkies and Moon Pies. My roommates and I would stand around the kitchen slathering slices of Wonder Bread with the chunky spread and shoving it into our mouths, all while thanking our lucky stars for grandmas. (Classy, right?)

This recipe is from Frank Stitt’s Southern Table, a stunning cookbook from the chef at Birmingham, Alabama’s famous Highlands Bar and Grill. It is the perfect example of an authentic, incredible Southern recipe for pimento cheese. I went all out and made homemade mayonnaise as the recipe calls for, which is so incredibly delicious (and easy), that I can’t believe I don’t make it all of the time.

Serve pimento cheese as a dip at parties, or like every good Alabama girl does – on white bread. And dad, if you’re reading this, don’t be too jealous!

MISS VERBENA’S PIMENTO CHEESE

Source: Frank Stitt’s Southern Table: Recipes and Gracious Traditions from Highlands Bar and Grill

1 pound sharp yellow cheddar
1/4 pound cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
3 large red bell peppers, roasted, peeled, seeded, and chopped  (I used one 4-ounce jar of canned pimientos)
1/2 cup homemade mayonnaise (see recipe below) or best-quality commercial mayonnaise 
1 teaspoon sugar
Splash of hot sauce, such as Tabasco or Cholula (I used more than a splash – we like it spicy)
A few big splashes of worcester sauce 
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

Grind the cheddar in a food processor fitted with the grating disk, or grate it on the small-holed side of a hand grater. Transfer the grated cheese to a bowl, add the cream cheese, white pepper, bell peppers, mayonnaise, sugar, hot sauce, worcester sauce and cayenne, if using, and blend all together thoroughly. Refrigerate and serve chilled. (The spread will keep for several days in the refrigerator, but it usually disappears long before than.) YIELDS: 2 cups

HOMEMADE MAYONNAISE 

Source: Adapted from On Cooking: A Textbook of Culinary Fundamentals

2 egg yolks, pasteurized, at room temperature 
1/2 teaspoon salt
White pepper, to taste
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1 1/2  tablespoons white wine vinegar
12 ounces salad oil (I used canola oil)
Fresh lemon juice, to taste

(Note: this recipe is halved from the original)

Place the egg yolks in a large bowl and whip on high speed until light yellow and frothy. Add the dry ingredients and half of the vinegar, whisking to combine.

SLOWLY add the oil a drop at a time into the yolk mixture and beat at high speed until it begins to thicken and an emulsion has formed. Add the remaining oil in a slow stream, thinning the mayonnaise occasionally by adding a little vinegar. Continue until all the oil and vinegar have been incorporated. Adjust the seasonings and add lemon juice to taste. Refrigerate until needed (can be made up to 2 days in advance). YIELDS: 1/2 quart

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Tagged as: homemade mayonnaise, pimento cheese, sandwich