Reduced Fat Provolone Cheese
About
1.A solid food prepared from the pressed curd of milk, often seasoned and aged. 2. A molded mass of this substance. Provolone, an Italian cheese, is representative of the pasta filata or stretched curd cheeses. In these stringy-textured cheeses, the curd is cooked to a relatively high temperature and is pulled and molded while hot into various shapes. The name provolone is derived from the Neapolitan word "prova," meaning ball-shaped. In the United States, provolone, except for the addition of special flavor-producing enzymes, is manufactured similarly to Cheddar up to the time of matting the curd. At this point, the curd for provolone is cut into slabs that are worked and stretched in hot (180°F) water or whey. The hot curd is kneaded and stretched either by hand or machine until it becomes shiny, smooth, and elastic. The curd is molded into various shapes, such as pear, melon, cylinder, sausage, or ball. The shaped curd is then chilled in cold (50°F) water to harden, and salted for several days in cool brine. After brining, the cheese is packaged, cured for a few months, and usually smoked. Before selling, the cheese may be covered with wax or plastic film.
