Parmigiano-Reggiano rinds

[Peter the eater]

I was overcome with desire when I saw these at the store:

Two bucks later I am looking at them without a clue as to what is next? Microplane them? Deep fry? Help . . .

[gfron1]

We add them to soup.

[monavano]

Break them into various size pieces and store in freezer. Pull one or two out when making soups and sauces. They add amazing flavor!

ps...good price on those too!

Edited September 29, 2007 by monavano (log)

[menon1971]

I was overcome with desire when I saw these at the store:

Two bucks later I am looking at them without a clue as to what is next? Microplane them? Deep fry? Help . . .

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How much is left on the interior? I think you can make broth with them or add them to soups, etc. Try this thread.

Edited September 29, 2007 by menon1971 (log)

[CaliPoutine]

I buy them at Whole Foods too. I use them in soups or marinara sauce.

[zeffer81]

yeah, Lidia Bastianich adds it to her stocks. Makes a real rich flavor. Yummm!

[Peter the eater]

Wow, twenty minutes later and I have my answer!

Thanks gfron1, monavano, menon1971 and CaliPoutine. I had heard about the soup but was skeptical, now I'll give it a try. BTW the rind fragments are quite thin, maybe 5mm and very dense so I don't think I scored any of the "undisputed king of cheeses".

Calipoutine, I thought of you guys in Exeter the other day when someone was explaining to me their stew made from squirrels! He said he has never seen a white one, thank goodness.

[Khadija]

Peter, I see you got the rinds from Pete's. I too started seeing them there several years ago, and at first could not resist buying them. But I always have a wedge of parm on hand, so I produce my on rinds. I used them for sauces, soups, etc. But, in the end, I found I had just way too many rinds, so I didn't buy any more.

[djyee100]

The rinds are definitely good for stock. Also, according to a dog owning friend, dogs love to chew on them.

[gfron1]

Testing this theory...

Lexi being a bit more obedient than usual:

The blur you see is Lexi deciding that she likes the rind more than she likes posing for pictures:

I will add, however, that not much chewing occurred, so rounding the edges might be a good idea.

[Brian B]

You can make a really nice flavoured oil,100g of rind to 250ml of light olive oil couple of sprigs pf thyme ,1 sprig of rosemary heat till bubbles are apearing and take of the heat, allow it to sit in kitchen while doing other things then strain at the end of the night and keep in the fridge.

Makes a great base for any salad involving parmesan or for dip for crunchy bread.

[monavano]

Testing this theory...

Lexi being a bit more obedient than usual:

The blur you see is Lexi deciding that she likes the rind more than she likes posing for pictures:

I will add, however, that not much chewing occurred, so rounding the edges might be a good idea.

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Lucky dogs!! I thought I treated mine, too!

[dockhl]

I always put mine in tomato sauces. Yum.

[GTO]

Rob - I smell Dog Soup! And why not? she's already seasoned up!

[joiei]

One more vote for adding to soups. I keep my rinds in the freezer and with soup season coming up in the near future, I will be using them and probably run out before I want to.

[CookinBenny]

ok make a parm stock. do some onions, bay leaf. thyme, peppercorns maybe a little left over white wine, simmer for maybe an hour or 2, the key is to not let it boil. once it is done simmering pull it out and scrape the gooey inside of the ride that is parm, save that for another use. now you have a delicious parm stock that makes and amazing risotto or you can use it pasta dishes or for you sauce, basicaly sub it out for anything that you would add water, if you want parm flavor!

[Abra]

I love them in stock, and our dear departed dog used to love them too, but that parm oil idea is new to me and really neat. I've got to make some of that!

[prasantrin]

When I make quiche, I add parmesan rinds to the milk/cream mixture when I heat it. Don't know if it really adds flavour, but I like to believe it does.

[divina]

you can also grill the rinds, and they soften and melt.

Cheese stores also used to put them through electric grinders and sell as cheese.. which they are. Just harder!

Nothing is put on the rinds, the forms are soaked in a salt water bath.

they usually scrape them a little to clean off any dirt from aging.

Enjoy!

I throw them in my minestrone!

[viva]

You can make a really nice flavoured oil,100g of rind to 250ml of light olive oil couple of sprigs pf thyme ,1 sprig of rosemary heat till bubbles are apearing and take of the heat, allow it to sit in kitchen while doing other things then strain at the end of the night and keep in the fridge.

  Makes a great base for any salad involving parmesan or for dip for crunchy bread.

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This sounds really good. Like... enough to make me want to go buy a big hunk of parmesan for the rind so I can do it. I've been on a flavored-oils-on-crusty-bread-with-sliced-tomato kick lately.

[Smithy]

The parm oil and parm stock sound like new and wonderful ideas to me, just in time for the fall and winter heat-up-the-kitchen cookery. Thanks!

With the parm oil, do you chop up the rind first, or throw it in whole? Does it matter?

[DTBarton]

Soup definitely. Our favorite is Marcella Hazan's minestrone with rinds.

Like the oil and stock ideas, very nice.

[little ms foodie]

i threw one in my bolognese sauce while it simmered this weekend, we always have a bag in the freezer. I'm going to try the stock and the oil ideas too!

[Dianabanana]

I don't understand where these rinds are coming from. Why are they cutting them off in the first place? Do people not like to buy cheese with the rind attached? I don't like to buy a piece with rind on two sides because it's a pain to grate, but I'm happy to buy a piece with rind on one side because I know how great it is for soups. Can somebody please explain?

[monavano]

I don't understand where these rinds are coming from. Why are they cutting them off in the first place? Do people not like to buy cheese with the rind attached? I don't like to buy a piece with rind on two sides because it's a pain to grate, but I'm happy to buy a piece with rind on one side because I know how great it is for soups. Can somebody please explain?

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Sure, many stores take the wheel of parmesan, cut the rind off, and pre-grate it for sale in a container or bag. Some people who don't know the true gem that the rind is think "this is expensive, so why pay for the weight of the rind since I'm not going to use it".

People who cook with the rinds look for them separately as they are usually priced much cheaper than the pieces of parmesan, rind or no rind.

Edited October 1, 2007 by monavano (log)