Whats Your Fav Cheese To Use For NY Style Pies?

[chickenparm]

Im trying to get ideas what some of you use here and where do you get it from.

Also,do you prefer a whole or part skim cheeses?

Sams club cheese any good?The brand is stella I believe.

I was at Grandes website and they sell both styles of mozz,and Im unsure what the NY pizza places like to use.

When I lived in NY,my favorite pizza place got their cheese from a supplier from the bronx,I believe it was.
That was many years ago and it was the best tasting Mozz cheese I ever had.The pizza place is long gone but wondering if anyone also knows where to be able to get the stuff alot of them places order from in NY?I tried to google some info but not much luck.

Im so sick of our stores only offering Polly O or Kraft...its all the stores carry...living in Kentucky,its very difficult to find anything good for making home pies.

Thanks!
 

[scott r]

Whole milk tastes better, but oozes more oil.   Part skim allows you to use more cheese (because it doesn't ooze as much oil).  In the end both methods work well (less whole milk, or more part skim).   Many NY pizzerias blend the two, but I have talked to many wholesalers in the area that claim to sell much more whole milk cheese than part skim.   In boston its the other way around, with most wholesalers selling part skim or a cheddar part skim  blend (which is weird).   


You might be surprised to find that although Grande is quite popular in NY,  Poly O is hugely successful there, and it might just be your oven or settings that is making you long for a better cheese.    Before you go too nuts trying cheeses give your easily sourced Poly-O another chance.   The stella at sams club is pretty good too.   Whatever you do do not buy pre shredded cheese unless its grande.  They are the only brad not packing with some type of cellulose to prevent caking.

[Kemosa]

From what I understand, many NY Pizza places use Grande Whole Milk.  Having lived on Long Island, the cheese taste that I was looking for came back to me when I first used Grande on my home pies.  I currently use Grande East Coast Blend Diced and a bit of Provolone.  For me this is the best combination.  I get the Grande taste without all the orange grease, and some crunch and buttery taste from the Provolone.  As far as the Stella from Sam's, in my opinion, I would say it's just o.k. (but it wont take you back to  NY !)

[Pete-zza]

I am not surprised by the popularity of the Polly-O cheese in the NYC area. Polly-O, which is owned by Kraft, has a single mozzarella cheese making facility in Campbell, New York, that has been around for about 110 years. A few years ago, I spoke with a customer service rep at Polly-O when I was trying to find a source of their mozzarella cheeses in the Dallas area and I told that most of their mozzarella cheese was sold in the east (I eventually found a couple of their mozzarella products in a specialty Italian food store in Dallas). At the time, demand was going through the roof but apparently that didn't prompt Kraft to consider opening up another facility to make the Polly-O cheeses. I would imagine that many NYC operators have long-standing supplier ties and loyalties to Polly-O.

Peter

[BurntEdges]

Peter,

Regarding Polly-O, do you know whether they use cellulose or any anti-caking agents in their shredded mozz?

[Pete-zza]

Regarding Polly-O, do you know whether they use cellulose or any anti-caking agents in their shredded mozz?

As you will see from the pages starting at http://www.kraftfoods.com/kf/Products/ProductInfoSearchResults.aspx?CatalogType=1&BrandId=98&Zip=75062&Miles=5&PageNo=1, all of the Polly-O shredded mozzarella products include cellulose powder to prevent caking.

Peter

[scott r]

Believe it or not every wholesale and retail shredded cheese uses an anti caking agent except for grande.  They are able to get around using it by puffing up their bags with gas, which keeps the cheese from reconfiguring back into a solid mass.

[chickenparm]

Thanks for the replies.It would not suprise me if the Polly O I can get from the store differs somewhat from a Pizza shop orders.I dont mind Polly O,just store bought packages doesnt taste anything like the cheese I ate off the pizzas I grew up with.

That being said,could very well be the heat and hows its cooking in the ovens.

I may give the grande a order soon.See if that helps some.

 

[scott r]

it is exactly the same, I have done side by sides with the wholesale 6lb loaves and the 1lb grocery store chunks.

[chickenparm]

it is exactly the same, I have done side by sides with the wholesale 6lb loaves and the 1lb grocery store chunks.

Really?Thats good to know...I just figured the pizza shops got better stuff than whats in the stores..lol..anyways thanks for letting me know.
 

[chickenparm]

Anyone ever try Boars head brand mozz cheese? if so,how was it? Thanks!

[chickenparm]

Never mind I found it on here...I need to search more lol

http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php?topic=8299.0

[scott r]

I absolutely love it.   Might be my favorite.  Its definitely in the top few choices in my area, but expensive.   

[chickenparm]

Ya,Boars head is very expensive stuff...esp the cold cuts/hams too..which I love.I cant get it in my area but when I make a trip to Indiana,I know a place there that sells it.
 

[EJB]

I have tried shredded Polly-O in 5 lb bags from BJs as well as 1 lb blocks from the grocery store and found it to be very inconsistent as far as moisture content. From bag to bag or block to block it never seems to be the same, and it's pretty oily. Right now I am using a 50/50 blend of Sargento shredded WM mozz and Sargento mozz & provolone blend. It's very consistant, not over oily, and the Provolone adds a slightly different flavor and some stringiness which most people seem to enjoy.

[ManChicken]

My local King Soopers (grocery store) has Boars Head, but it's like $7.99/lb and I don't think it's any better than the $5.99/lb stuff at Whole Foods (California Gold?)

[yaddayaddayadda]

I currently use a whole milk mozzarella from Trader Joe's. The brand name escapes me, but it's sold in a log and the label on the front has an italian flag on it.

[johnnytuinals]

Most places in NYC use Grande on their Pizza
I know many use WM Chunks on their pizza from loafs,,,They charge alot for
the pizza,i guess maybe that Grande is a tad more then the rest....
Next week I am off to the Philly area for a case of Grande WM shredded Yummmmmmm
Last time a case cost me $63,,,,its comes out to be $10.50 per 5lb bag,,,,kinda cheap....JT