Patrick Oconnell
Port Salut is a semi-soft, creamy, and mild French cheese with a distinctive orange rind. It is made from pasteurised cow's milk and was first produced by Trappist monks in the 19th century. Port Salut has a smooth, velvety texture and a sweet and savoury flavour. It is an excellent choice for melting and can be used in recipes such as Mornay sauce, grilled cheese sandwiches, or fondue. The cheese pairs well with fruits, steamed asparagus or broccoli, and baby greens salad. It can also be served cubed on a cheese platter or sliced on a baguette. Port Salut is widely available in cheese shops, grocery stores, and online.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Texture | Semi-soft, smooth, creamy, velvety |
| Flavor | Mild, savory, sweet, tangy |
| Aroma | Mushroomy, ripe, strong |
| Rind | Orange |
| Interior | Pale yellow |
| Shape | Disk |
| Weight | 2 kg (4.4 lb) |
| Diameter | 23 cm (9 inches) |
| Substitutes | Esrom, Havarti, Muenster, Monterey Jack |
| Complements | Fruit, crackers, steamed asparagus, broccoli, baby greens salad |
| Storage | Refrigerate, freeze |
| Use | Melt, cheese platter, Mornay sauce, grilled cheese sandwich, baguette, pizza, fondue |
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What You'll Learn
Port Salut cheese substitutes
Port Salut is a semi-soft, pasteurised cow's milk cheese from Pays de la Loire, France. It is known for its distinctive orange rind and mild, buttery flavour. Its smooth, velvety texture and delicate acidic notes make it a versatile cheese that complements fruits and crackers. Port Salut is also an excellent melter, making it a good choice for sauces, grilled cheese sandwiches, pizzas, and fondues.
If you are unable to find Port Salut, there are several suitable substitutes that can be used in its place. Here are some alternatives that offer similar flavours and textures:
- Saint-Paulin: Port Salut and Saint-Paulin are very similar cheeses and can be used interchangeably in most cases. They have a comparable mild, creamy flavour and melting ability.
- Esrom: This is a fuller-flavoured Danish version of Port Salut with a more pungent aroma and holey paste. However, it melts well and can be found at specialty cheese shops, usually sold in foil-wrapped wedges.
- Havarti: Havarti is a mild, buttery cheese that melts easily, making it a suitable substitute for Port Salut in recipes that require melting.
- Muenster: Muenster has a mild, creamy flavour and melts well, similar to Port Salut. It can be used as a substitute in recipes calling for melted cheese.
- Monterey Jack: Monterey Jack is a semi-soft cow's milk cheese with a mild, savoury flavour. It melts easily and is widely available, making it a convenient substitute for Port Salut.
When using these substitutes, consider the specific requirements of your recipe and adjust quantities or preparation methods as needed to achieve the desired result.
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Storing and serving Port Salut
Port Salut is a semi-soft, pasteurised, cow's milk cheese from France. It has a creamy texture and a mild, tangy taste. It is a versatile cheese that can be served at room temperature or warmed to complement any meal. Port Salut can be purchased from most cheese shops, many grocery stores, or online. It usually comes in a sealed protective wrapper or wax covering and will keep in the refrigerator this way for a week or two. Once the packaging is opened, it is best to eat the cheese within a few days.
To store Port Salut for longer, any leftover hunks should be wrapped in parchment or butcher paper and placed inside a zip-lock plastic food storage bag or airtight container. When properly stored, the cheese will keep in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks and in the freezer for up to three months. However, the texture changes as it thaws, so it is best to use it melted rather than fresh after freezing.
Port Salut is a popular choice for cheese boards and plates, often cut into cubes. It pairs well with fruit and crackers, although experts often suggest oatcakes, and the French often serve ‘plat de fromage’ with no accompaniments at all. Like wine, Port Salut needs to breathe a little to allow its flavour to develop, so it is recommended to take it out of the fridge a couple of hours before serving.
Port Salut's mild flavour and good melting quality make it a versatile cheese for cooking. It can be used in any recipe that calls for mild melted cheese, such as a Mornay sauce or grilled cheese sandwich. It can also be sliced onto a baguette, shredded onto pizza, or used in fondue.
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History of Port Salut
Port Salut cheese, also known as Saint Paulin, was first produced by Trappist monks in the 19th century. The monks, who had left France during the French Revolution of 1789, learned cheese-making skills to support themselves abroad and continued to make cheese upon their return to France. Port Salut originated in the Loire Valley, in a Trappist monastery in the Brittany region of France. It is named after the abbey of Notre Dame du Port du Salut in Entrammes, which is located in the Loire Valley.
The cheese was originally made for personal consumption and guests of the monks, but they eventually began selling it and registered Port Salut as a tradename in 1873. The monks washed the aging cheese in brine, giving it a fuller flavour and encasing it in a natural orange rind. The cheese is produced in wheels or disks approximately 23 cm (9 inches) in diameter and weighing about 2 kg (4.4 lb). It has a mild, sweet-and-savoury flavour and a smooth, velvety texture.
In the 1950s, the monks sold the rights to a large dairy, and the name became the trademark of the Société Anonyme des Fermiers Réunis (S.A.F.R.). The cheese is now produced in a factory, with the characteristic smooth rind created by a plastic-coated wrapper. However, the handmade version of Port Salut is still produced by various monasteries throughout the French countryside.
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Pairing Port Salut with other foods
Port Salut is a mild and creamy French cheese with a smooth, velvety texture and a light acidic taste. Its mellow, sweet-and-savory flavor makes it a great snacking option. It is often served with fruits and crackers and can be a good, economical filler on a cheese platter, usually cut into cubes.
Port Salut is also a great addition to a cheese board, pairing well with steamed asparagus or broccoli, and baby greens salad drizzled with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Its mild flavor and good melting quality also make it an easy substitute for Monterey Jack, American, or Havarti in most recipes.
Port Salut melts smoothly, making it a good choice for a Mornay sauce or a grilled cheese sandwich. You can try it sliced on a baguette, shredded on pizza, or in fondue. Its mellow flavor also makes it a good pairing with stronger, more pungent cheeses, like the Danish version of Port Salut, Esrom, which has a more pungent aroma and holey paste.
Port Salut is best consumed within two weeks of opening and should be allowed to come to room temperature before eating.
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Making Port Salut at home
Port Salut is a semi-soft, pasteurised cow's milk cheese with a distinctive orange rind and a mild flavour. It was first made by Trappist monks in the 19th century. Although it has a mild flavour, it can sometimes have a strong smell because it is a mature cheese. The smell increases the longer the cheese is kept, but this does not affect its flavour.
To make Port Salut at home, you will need the following ingredients:
- 2 gallons of whole cow’s milk, preferably ultra-fresh, non-homogenized, low-temperature pasteurized (or certified raw). If using standard pasteurized milk, dilute ½ teaspoon calcium chloride in ¼ cup non-chlorinated water.
- 1/8 teaspoon freeze-dried thermophilic starter culture (Abiasa Thermo Type C)
- 2 ml single-strength rennet diluted in ⅓ cup non-chlorinated water
- 18 ounces non–iodized salt (canning or sea salt)
- 4- to 5-inch round moulds and follower (the accompanying lid, for even pressing of the curd. Use a 7- to 8-inch “tomme” mould for 4 or more gallons of milk)
First, heat the milk to 95°F (35°C), stirring occasionally. If using pasteurized milk, add the calcium chloride mixture at this stage. Once the milk is at 88°F, sprinkle the culture and B. linens powder over the surface of the milk and allow about 2 minutes for the powder to re-hydrate before stirring it in. Allow the milk to ripen for about 30 minutes, maintaining the temperature. Next, add about 1/2 teaspoon of single-strength liquid rennet, diluted in about 30-40ml of cool non-chlorinated water. Stir this in gently for about 1 minute in a bottom-to-top manner and make sure the milk goes still when done. The milk now needs to sit quietly for 30-40 minutes while the culture works and the rennet coagulates the curd.
After this, flip the cheese and re-salt the surface about halfway through the brine period. At the end of the brine bath, wipe the surface and allow the cheese to dry for a day before moving it to a plastic box to maintain the higher moisture needed for ageing this cheese. The surface will begin to soften as the salt migrates into the cheese over the next several days. The cheese needs to be kept at 65-68°F and a moisture of 92-96%.
On day 14, wash all surface mould away. Then hold at 40°F, maintaining high moisture for 3-6 weeks, depending on your taste. The longer it ages, the softer and more complex the flavour becomes.
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Frequently asked questions
Port Salut is a semi-soft, creamy French cheese with a mild, sweet-and-savory flavor. It is usually served with fruits and crackers and melts easily, making it a good choice for sauces.
Port Salut has a mellow, sweet-and-savory flavor and a velvety texture. It is less pungent than other French cheeses.
Port Salut cheese stays fresh in the refrigerator for a week or two if it is unopened and stored in its original sealed protective wrapper. Once opened, it is best to finish it within a few days.
To store Port Salut cheese, wrap any leftover hunks in parchment or butcher paper and place them in an airtight container or a zip-lock plastic food storage bag. It will stay fresh in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks and in the freezer for up to three months.
