Picada y Provoleta Uruguaya – Cheese board Uruguayan style and Provoleta

March 26, 2018 SouthAmerica

When people hear about Uruguay some will think of its famous beaches in Punta del Este or the capital city Montevideo. Uruguay is the land of Pablo Benedetti, a great author, Alfredo Zitarrosa, a folk singer famous for his Milongas, and of course Carlos Gardel who is famously known as “El Zorzal Criollo” and the best interpreter of tangos (both Argentina and Uruguay claim his nationality although he was born in France).

Uruguay is a country with exquisite yet simple food. Their cattle farms offering British Hereford and Angus beef, with over 400 years of practice, they have excellent beef. The east coast weather enables their national wine called Tannat, which is a full-bodied red wine, that is now being recognized worldwide. Another characteristic of this country is their cheese production commonly used in their “pizzetas” with their “mozzarella” cheese.

While in Montevideo we visited El Mercado del Puerto we discovered their grilled provoleta, which is a slab of provolone cheese seasoned with oregano, making a delicious accompaniment served with steak. Other side dishes consisted of grilled sweet potatoes, grilled bell peppers, and other vegetables available according to the season.

Combining all these national products, one can feast any time. Cheese boards or Picadas as they refer to in Uruguay, are the perfect snack to accompany a great wine. Now at home we are recreating the cheese board we had in Colonia del Sacramento. This recipe is easy to make with whatever cheese you have available, and pair with a red or white wine, but if you can source a Tannat then it is all the better for it.

southamericatotheworld.com — Cheese board

Picada or Cheese board

Ingredients:

The cheeses I am using this time are Manchego, and Classic Vermont extra sharp cheddar cheese; other times we have used Brie and Dubliner. I was able to find these cheeses at Costco; also the wine we had it with was Carmenere by Casa Silva, a Chilean wine. The Tannat wine is very difficult to locate in the USA. You can pair with any wine you like.

Charcuterie (cook cold meats)

Crackers

Olives

Preparation:

In Uruguay the way they present the cheeses are not always sliced but often cut in squares, because they use toothpicks to eat it with. You use the toothpick to place the cheese in your mouth but not actually touch it, this way you can reuse it.

The meat is cut or sliced and place on the board, along the charcuterie, olives, and nuts if available

Arrange all the food on the board and enjoy!

Grilled Provoleta

Ingredients:

Provolone cheese I found one package at Costco that was already sliced. I am using 4 slices this depends on how thick you want the provoleta. In Uruguay they are usually about 1 centimeter thick or less than 1 inch.

Dried oregano

Red chili pepper flakes

Olive oil

Preparation:

In a non-stick frying pan place the provolone slices over medium-high temperature once it starts to melt turn over and then season it with Mexican oregano and chili pepper flakes. Once the other side starts melting around the edges turn it over one more time, and season this other side as well with the same ingredients. Transfer the melted cheese to a plate and drizzle with a good olive oil.

This time I am using a chili infused olive oil for extra zing, and it works perfect for this provoleta.

Make it Uruguayan style and pair it with a Tannat wine.