Cheap Tricks: Grated Italian Cheese

Here’s the deal, you like good quality foods, cheeses, meats, seafood, spices…I could go on.  However, sometimes your truffle tastes need to give way to your white button mushroom budget and other times you just pretend that you have someone else’s wallet.

Then there are times when you can get the same quality products at a reduced price by just lending your hand to the final process…what?!  Yes! I know it is 2013 and we have WAY too much to do, but in most cases we are really just paying for convenience.  To this end I am creating a new series I am calling CHEAP TRICKS: Easy tips to save some food loot!

The first victim is my favorite Italian hard finishing cheese, Pecorino Romano.  True it is already less expensive than the godfather of Italian cheese, Parmesan-Reggiano, but I think my Pec-Ro has more salt and works better with my arsenal of pasta dishes.

For years I bought the fresh grated staple in my kitchen at the store and didn’t think twice about it until one day I looked at the price per pound of a pint of grated versus a block of it.  It was almost a $2 per pound savings by buying the block.  I thought, “I have a food processor at home, 3 mins and a storage container.”  What’s stopping me?  Nothing.

Forgive me if this is obvious, but don’t just plop the block of cheese in the processor and press start…you will have to buy another processor.  First cut the block up into pieces.

 

Pulse until the pieces breakdown a little then turn it on fully until it becomes a course meal. When the sound goes from painful to a hum it should be ready.

Put it in an airtight container (see above) and use as you wish…Rock on!

Stay tuned for more CHEAP TRICKS and let me know some of yours too!