Korbáčiky: Slovak braided string cheese

Tip: tap a step to mark it as done.

1. Heat the milk in a water bath to no more than 38 °C (100 °F), stirring occasionally.

   Dissolve the citric acid in a little milk and pour it into the remaining milk. Dilute the rennet in a little milk in the same way and pour it into the pot in the water bath.

2. Stir the milk thoroughly with a wooden spoon, remove the pot from the water bath, and leave it in a warm place for 1 hour, wrapping it in a blanket if desired.

   Then heat the pot containing the curd over low heat for 5 minutes. Cut the curd into cubes, drain off the whey, and let rest for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, heat water in another pot to 75 °C (167 °F).

3. Pour the hot water into a bowl, add the cheese, and stir with two wooden spoons for no more than 15 minutes.

   Put on rubber gloves and knead the cheese by hand, dipping it into the water regularly. Keep the water at or above 75 °C (167 °F); if it cools, add more hot water.

4. Gradually stop kneading and begin stretching the cheese into strands. Place the finished strands in boiled, salted water that has cooled to room temperature, using 200 g of salt per liter of water.

   Leave the cheese in the brine for one day. Then squeeze the strands to remove excess liquid and braid them into korbáčiky, or small cheese braids. Eat them right away or have them smoked.

5. Tip: Use fresh farm milk to make the cheese; store-bought milk will not work for this recipe.

6. Store the finished cheese in the refrigerator for up to 60 days. Serve it with beer, in salads or sandwiches, or on a cheese platter.

Tip: Do not discard the whey left after draining; use it instead of water in bread dough or pancake batter. Store the cheese braids in a sealed container to keep them from drying out.

This recipe was translated from the Slovak original: Domáce syrové korbáčiky z mlieka a syridla