Le Meunier & Beillevaire
I attended yet another outstanding cheese course at The Cheese School of San Francisco. This was a master class: Cheeses of Affineurs Rodolphe Le Meunier and Pascal Beillevaire, led by two fabulous and very knowledgeable instructors: Colette Hatch and Andy Lax.
Affinage, a skill that takes many years to perfect, is the most crucial step of cheese-making, involving the aging process. The affineur is the person who ages cheeses once they come in a fresh state from the dairy—often when the milk is still warm. In France, cheese-makers frequently send their cheeses to the best affineurs, who are highly regarded (and most often come from a long line of cheese makers), to tend to their cheeses and mature them to perfection.
The Streets of San Francisco
A well-trained affineur is extremely conscientious and cares for the cheeses in such a way that they acquire their own unique characteristics. They are responsible for aging the cheese, assuring that it’s in the right humidity and temperature. Depending on the type of cheese, they may brush, wash, and rotate the wheels. The affineur is a doting foster-parent or mother-hen of sorts.The affineurs we studied, Le Meunier and Beillevaire are considered to be rock stars in their field. It was so fascinating to taste their cheeses side-by-side (a sensorial tour of the French countryside), and to learn about the training and special care that goes into the process of making fine, artisan cheeses.
Cremeux de Citeaux
For me, the standouts were two by Le Meunier: the ripe Cremeux de Citeaux, a pasteurized cow’s milk cheese from the Burgundy region and the Morbier, a raw cow’s milk cheese from the Jura region. All of the cheeses were well-balanced, delightful, and unique in their own way. However, these two (both transcendent, happy-dance makers) made a lasting impression on my mind and palate.
I’ll leave you with the complete list of cheeses we sampled:
Rodolphe Le Meunier
Cremeux de Citeaux (two samples: young and ripe)
Le Jeune Autize
Morbier
Fourme au Moelleux
Pascal Beillevaire
Secret du Couvent
Morbier
Columbier
Trois Lait
Roche du Sulens au Fenouil
Hi dear anya,
So if sourdough doesn’t go well with cheese, what does?
One of my favorites for a cheese plate is morbier. I buy Trader Joe’s, probably cheaper than most.
Love,
Von
The instructor was saying that a sweet baguette would be a good option. Just the sour flavor in the sourdough affects the flavor profile of the cheeses. Lovely to know that TJ’s has Morbier. It’s interesting to try different Morbiers side by side (a cheese flight). I love, love, love.
I get hungry every time you send me Cooking with Caleb! The cheese course seems great.
They are great courses…and, by the way…I get hungry every time I write a piece. Always thinking about food.
It was great to meet you last night! I’m impressed to see your write-up done so quickly. I aspire to be more like you in that way!
Likewise, Bonnie. I surprised myself with the quick production. Working full time w/ two small kiddos does make it more challenging. Sometimes, it takes me three weeks to get something out.
Oh! I think I might have to take this class.
That and the ‘Cheese of France’ class were both outstanding. Hope to see you at a class there soon – if not at the Whole Foods cheese counter sooner!