Tvorog is similar to cottage cheese or quark: a milk curd product. It has innumerable uses in Eastern European cuisine. (Tvorog snails are one example; cheese blintzes are another; other examples abound.)
Contents
Ingredients
- 1 gallon milk
- Heavy cream (anywhere from 1⁄4 cup to 1 cup; optional)
- 2 tbsp Greek yogurt (e.g. Chobani)
Instructions
- In large stock pot, heat the 1 gallon milk (with the optional 1⁄4 cup to 1 cup heavy cream added, if using) to 180–185 °F (check temperature with instant-read thermometer).
- Take pot off heat and allow to cool to 95–100 °F.
- Stir in the 2 tbsp Greek yogurt.
- Cover and let stand in warm place overnight (ambient temperature should be ~90 °F).
- Place pot, uncovered, back on stovetop, on the lowest heat, and heat to ~180 °F.
- Take pot off heat and allow to cool somewhat (about 30 minutes).
- Line a mesh strainer with a large sheet of cheesecloth; place over another pot or a deep bowl.
- Dump about half of the tvorog into the cheesecloth-lined strainer. Let liquid drain for about 15 minutes.
- Pull up the corners of the cheesecloth and tie them; hang tvorog in the cheesecloth over a bowl, or over the drain in the sink, etc.
- Repeat steps 7–9 with another sheet of cheesecloth and the other half of the tvorog.
- Let tvorog drain overnight.
- Take tvorog out of the cheesecloths and wrap in several layers of sturdy paper towels.
- When paper towels are completely soaked, discard them and wrap the tvorog tightly in plastic wrap.
- Store tvorog in refrigerator.
