Andy Montoya
Provolone is a semi-hard Italian cheese with a light colour and a mellow, smooth flavour. It is made by stretching and kneading cheese curds to create a soft, elastic, stringy texture. The cheese is then soaked in brine, dried, and hung in a cave to age. Provolone is a versatile ingredient, perfect for grilled cheese sandwiches, pasta dishes, and appetizers. It can be melted in a skillet and served with bread, or used as a topping for chicken or steak. Provolone is also a key ingredient in classic Italian dishes such as braciole and can be used to make a hearty soup. With its mild flavour, provolone is a great addition to many recipes, adding a rich, earthy taste.
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What You'll Learn
How to make a classic provolone grilled cheese sandwich
Provolone is a semi-hard Italian cheese with a soft, elastic, and stringy texture. It is made by stretching and kneading cheese curds, and the final product is usually shaped into a cylinder. While it is a newer cheese, having popped up around the 19th century, it has become a staple of Italian cuisine.
Ingredients:
- Provolone cheese
- Bread
- Butter (optional)
Instructions:
- Cut the provolone cheese into slices that are about 1/2 to 3/4 inches thick. The slices should be thick enough to hold their shape when grilled.
- Brush both sides of each cheese slice with olive oil. This will help prevent sticking and give the cheese a golden color when grilled.
- Season the cheese with dried oregano, red pepper flakes, and black pepper.
- Make small slits or pockets in the cheese with a knife and insert thinly sliced garlic into these slits.
- Prepare your bread by buttering it (optional) and creating your sandwich with the seasoned provolone slices.
- Preheat a grill, cast-iron skillet, or grill pan to medium-high heat.
- Place the sandwich on the grill or skillet and grill for about 2-3 minutes on each side, or until you see grill marks and the cheese starts to melt slightly.
- If using a skillet, you can transfer it to the oven and broil until the cheese is fully melted and golden.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
Grilled provolone cheese sandwiches are best enjoyed while still warm and gooey, so be sure to eat them right away!
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How to make a provolone panini
Provolone is a semi-hard Italian cheese with a soft, elastic, and stringy texture. It is made by stretching and kneading cheese curds and is a staple of Italian cuisine. Provolone Dolce is a young cheese with a smoother and silkier texture and a mild, creamy flavour. Provolone Piccante, on the other hand, is aged for at least four months and has a semi-hard, smooth, and buttery texture with a robust flavour.
Now, let's get into making a provolone panini. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to make a delicious provolone panini:
Ingredients
- Provolone cheese (sliced)
- Bread of your choice (sliced)
- Pesto
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper (to taste)
- Additional toppings of your choice (optional)
Instructions:
- Heat up your panini press, grill pan, or a similar appliance to medium-high heat. It's best to start heating before assembling your sandwich to ensure it's nice and hot.
- While your panini press is heating up, build your sandwich. Spread pesto on one slice of bread.
- Top the pesto with slices of provolone cheese. Feel free to add additional toppings of your choice, such as grilled chicken, roasted red peppers, spinach, or avocado.
- Sprinkle a pinch of salt and some freshly cracked pepper over the ingredients.
- Add a drizzle of olive oil to the inside of the top piece of bread and place it on top of the sandwich.
- If desired, brush or drizzle olive oil onto the top and bottom of the sandwich to achieve an extra crispy texture.
- Carefully place the sandwich on the heated panini press or grill pan. If using a panini press, close the lid.
- Grill the sandwich until the bread is golden-brown and the provolone cheese is melted. If using a grill pan, you may need to use another heavy skillet to press down on the sandwich to achieve the characteristic grill marks and even cooking.
- Once your sandwich is grilled to perfection, remove it from the heat and serve it hot.
Feel free to experiment with different types of bread and additional toppings to create your favourite provolone panini combination. Enjoy the delicious, cheesy goodness!
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How to make chicken provolone
Provolone is a semi-hard Italian cheese with a soft, elastic, and stringy texture. It is made by stretching and kneading cheese curds. The cheese is then aged for at least four months to ripen and acquire a smooth and buttery texture with a robust flavour.
Chicken Provolone is a simple yet delicious dish that is easy to prepare and can be served on a dark plate with a garnish of fresh parsley or basil. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to make Chicken Provolone:
Ingredients
- Chicken breasts
- Provolone cheese
- Basil
- Prosciutto
- Butter
- Italian seasoning (optional)
Step-by-Step Instructions:
Firstly, sprinkle the chicken with pepper. Then, cook the chicken in a large skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat until a thermometer reads 165°F, which should take around 4-5 minutes on each side.
Next, transfer the chicken to an ungreased baking sheet. Top each chicken breast with 2 slices of provolone cheese, followed by the basil and prosciutto.
Finally, broil the chicken 6-8 inches away from the heat source until the cheese is melted, which should take around 1-2 minutes. You can also bake the chicken in the oven at 350°F for 20 minutes, or until the cheese is golden and crispy around the edges.
Serve with buttered noodles or rice for a complete meal. Enjoy!
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How to melt provolone in a skillet
Provolone cheese is a semi-hard Italian cheese with a soft, elastic, and stringy texture. It is made by stretching and kneading cheese curds. While it is a staple in Italian cuisine, it is underappreciated outside of Italy.
To melt provolone in a skillet, start by preparing your choice of topping by combining all the ingredients in a small bowl and setting them aside. Next, preheat your oven broiler with the oven rack 6-8 inches from the heat source. Take a cast iron skillet or a similar oven-safe skillet and wipe it lightly with vegetable or canola oil. Place the skillet on a stove-top over medium-high heat and let it heat up. Place a 1-inch-thick slice of provolone cheese into the skillet and reduce the heat to medium or slightly lower. Cook until the bottom part of the cheese melts out to the edges and starts to crisp and bubble. Transfer the skillet to the oven and broil until the cheese is fully melted and golden. Top with your choice of toppings and serve immediately with toasted bread pieces.
Note that the cheese will stiffen as it cools, so it is best to eat it right away. You can also use melted provolone as a topping for steak sandwiches. To do this, melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add flour and whisk, allowing the flour to cook for 2-3 minutes to get rid of the 'floury' taste. Add milk, salt, and pepper, and stir to combine. Finally, add the cheese and stir constantly until you have a smooth mixture.
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How to make provolone cheese at home
Provolone is a semi-hard Italian cheese with a light colour and a mellow, smooth flavour that doesn't crumble when cut. It is made by stretching and kneading cheese curds until they acquire a soft, elastic, stringy texture.
To make provolone cheese at home, you'll first need to heat your milk to 97°F. Add a starter and mix well, using a cheese spoon with up-and-down motions for a full minute. Cover the milk and let it ripen for an hour, maintaining the temperature at 97°F. Next, add a dissolved lipase mixture and mix well again. Allow the milk to rest for 10 minutes. Then, add diluted rennet and stir well, using the same up-and-down motions, for another full minute. Cover and let the milk set for 20 minutes without disturbing it. Once there is a clean break, cut the curds into 3/8-inch cubes and let them rest for 10 minutes.
Begin heating the curds, stirring gently, and increase the temperature by 2°F per minute until it reaches 144°F. Allow the curds to drain well in a colander for an hour, keeping the draining curds suspended in a pot with warm whey or water at 100-105°F. This encourages the culture to continue acidifying the cheese. After an hour, cut the curds into 1" slabs and stack them back in the colander, maintaining a temperature above 100°F. The curds will consolidate again, allowing any residual whey to drain during the final acid development, which should take another 2-3 hours.
While waiting, heat water to 175-180°F for the stretching phase. Stretch the curd in a tub by kneading and stretching to develop the elastic texture typical of Pasta Filata-style cheese. Pull up the sides of the tub like a jug and force the curd down inside the opening at the top. Close off the top and seal the opening in very hot water, then pinch and twist this off. Shape the final form into a cylinder and roll it back and forth on a draining table until a smooth cylinder is formed. Place the cylinder into a tall container and put it back into the hot whey to get the final form. Finish the cheese by soaking it in a saturated brine for 12 hours, drying for a day or two, and then moving it to a cave or similar cool, humid place to hang for ageing.
Provolone Dolce is a young cheese aged for just 2-3 months, with a mild, creamy flavour. Provolone Piccante is an aged provolone with a more robust flavour that's been aged for at least four months.
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Frequently asked questions
Provolone is a semi-hard Italian cheese with a soft, elastic, and stringy texture. It is made by stretching and kneading cheese curds.
One popular way to cook Provolone cheese is to grill it. Cut the cheese into thick slices, brush with olive oil, and season. You can then place the cheese on a grill, grill pan, or skillet and cook until melted.
Grilled Provolone cheese is often served with bread or baguette slices for dipping. It can also be topped with diced tomatoes, olives, roasted red peppers, or sautéed onions.
Combine breadcrumbs, shredded Provolone, grated Parmesan, crushed garlic, and chopped parsley. Pound a flank steak until thin, spread the stuffing on one side, roll, and tie with oven-safe string. Brown the steak in a skillet, add tomato sauce, and bake in the oven until cooked through.
