Cheese on the BBQ Grill

[Chris Cognac]

I have started to gain interest in placing cheese on my outdoor grill. In your opinion what kind of cheese should I look for to try this? How should it be served?

Thanks, Chris Cognac

[master cheesemonger/grocer]

Chris, conventional wisdom is rather narrow-minded; in that the only cheeses that won't fall into the fire are Greek (sheep's milk) Kasseri and Kefalotyri, Cypriot Halloumi (also sheep's milk) and Friuli's Montasio (cow's milk). Cut them into pieces as long and thick as your index and middle fingers pressed together. Moisten them with olive oil and grill away at steak-hot heat. I like to moisten them with olive oil and then roll them in polenta. Halloumi is weird (spiked with mint) but good. The Greeks squeak. Montasio is OK, but it bores me. Try the Veneto's Asiago, either the young "pressato" or aged Asiago di Monte. Alpine mountain cheeses (Comte, Gruyere, Beaufort, Fontina, etc.) will fall into the fire. Even if you place the "tranches" on aluminum foil, all you'll get is melted cheese. To grill a cheese, it has to have a waxy texture, and the aforementioned are about all I can come up with. Maybe I'll try a Pecorino Toscano like Rossellino or Corsignano. Maybe I'll try a Basque sheep's cheese.

[diner]

What about scamorza? I saw Mario Batali grill it on one of his shows, and I tried it myself recently. It held together pretty well.

[master cheesemonger/grocer]

Yeah, scamorza works. Enough already with Mario. I've had it up to here.