If the idea of a sizzling slab of Benton’s ham is “bacon” you crazy, you won’t want to miss out on this exclusive Caves experiment! Hogwash, based on our Cavemaster Reserve Cornelia, is a tasty round of cow’s milk cheese from Point Reyes Farmstead that’s been rubbed with the cooking fat from a pack of Benton’s Bacon, then aged in our Natural Rind Cave for nearly 10 weeks. The result? A smooth and smoky wheel of subtle, succulent flavor.
Maintaining the rich, buttery, and gently toasty profile of Cornelia, this brand new creation is toothsome and snackable, with notes of smoked hickory and brown sugar. Perfect atop a fresh omelette or paired with a dark stout, this blissfully bacon-loaded original is a tasty cheese made with meat lovers in mind.
Head Cavemaster Peter Jenkelunas gave us the inside scoop on what happens behind the scenes to create this tasty new cheese: “We cooked down a couple packs of Benton’s Smoked Bacon and used the fat to coat this cheese,” he said.
“We then coated the cheese when it was fresh, and then placed it in our Natural Cave to age. In terms of treatment, we gave the cheese weekly patting and flipping until it reached maturity. At about 2.5 months, it had a fully established natural rind.”
After being rubbed and aged, the Caves creation becomes slightly more sweet and acidic, with a gentle umami savor and a hint of salt.
Benton’s Smoky Mountain Country Hams, the masterminds behind the hickory-smoked bacon that gives this cheese its depth of flavor, have been producing delectable slow-cure meats since 1947. Their succulent bacon has a rich profile that’s perfect with a glass of Bourbon–another one of our favorite beverage pairings for Hogwash.
Don’t miss out on this Murray’s original! Head to murrayscheese.com to stock up on this bacon-loaded cheese that’s guranteed to please at your next party!
