Joe Jr’s Pimento Cheese
My dad, Joe Jr., is known amongst our family and friends for his pimento cheese. As a result, I am now known for my pimento cheese (aka his) amongst my friends. It is the most requested thing when we’re gathering as a family and when having friends over. It truly does not feel like a proper Covington/Truitt gathering without having this pimento cheese present. Yes, there are 1 million ways to make pimento cheese here in the south, and everyone has an opinion on how they take the 3 basic ingredients —cheddar, pimentos and mayo—and combine them to make it “theirs”, but promise you ours is the actual best.
Here are the components to it the Joe Jr way:
FRESHLY grated cheese. In absolutely anything in life that requires cheese, you absolutely must hand grate it. The difference in taste is insanely different when using freshly grated. Most importantly, you don’t have that nasty chalky texture going on.
EXTRA SHARP cheddar cheese. Don’t be a baby about it. If you don’t like extra sharp cheese, then you have no business eating pimento cheese in the first place. Sorry, I said it. It gives a punch mild does not. To me, there is no point in mild cheddar cheese.
DUKE’s mayo no mayo is more perfect than Duke's.
FRANK’s hot sauce. No hot sauce can compare for this recipe.
One of my favorite crackers to eat with this is Wheat Thins. There is just something about the shape, texture and taste that are nostalgic and comforting to me, but any cracker you love works.
Joe Jr's Pimento Cheese
Ingredients
Instructions
- Combine cheddar, pimentos, jalapeños, and half of the mayo in a bowl. Mix thoroughly to combine, really pressing the cheese together to meld. Slowly add in the rest of mayo, as needed. Once mixed, start adding in the Frank's hot sauce. I go really heavy handed, but this will also be to taste as you like.
- Chill 30 minutes. Serve with your favorite crackers and veggies!
