Pecorino Romano: where's the love?

[ambra]

ambra, it's interesting to me that you only use it for cooking: I'm the opposite. I don't care for the flavor or the saltiness when it's been heated, but plain as an accompaniment to a bowl of olives and a cocktail (or two!) I love it. Really, I think you need a salty, robust cheese to hold its own against the olives, so while I would prefer a soft, stinky cheese if that's all I'm eating, something like Pecorino Romano is great on a tray with other salty foods.

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I guess that it's because for example, the (my) three recipes I mentioned specifically call for Pecorino and if I do try to substitute another like Parmigiano, it just doesn't taste right to me. It could just be because I am just used to that taste. (The recipes are from the area of Puglia where my ancestors are from, what I grew up eating and where they do use Pecorino a lot.)

When I am cooking with Pecorino, I add the cheese before the salt and only add the salt it then needs, if at all. Nothing ever comes out salty.

As for salty snacks, I just don't like salty with salty, I guess. I love what they do in Tuscany. Saltless bread with cold cuts etc. It's perfect to me.

[Chris Hennes]

That makes sense: and absolutely I agree that if the recipe was developed with and calls for Pecorino Romano, substituting Parmesan is completely inappropriate. My impression may be colored somewhat by the bad Pecorino Romano pizza I had a few days ago...

[Reignking]

I love it on a burger. The sharp flavor doesn't get lost.

[Moopheus]

I don't eat it as much now as I used to--when I was a kid and my grandfather still worked on the docks, occasionally a large chunk of Romano--like a quarter or half a wheel-would make a mysterious appearance in our fridge. It was only later that I made the connection between these two things.

But this thread has reminded me that it is worth keeping some around.

[LindaK]

I'm a huge fan too. I discovered it the first time I followed Marcella Hazan's recipe for pesto, which requires both parm and pecorino cheeses. Now that I use both, I can't make it any other way, the pecorino adds a noticeably important dimension. Pesto tastes flat without it.

Having a hunk of pecorino around for nibbling is another incentive, too.

[Kouign Aman]

The saltiness is part of what is good about it. Nice with cucumber slices too.