Smoked Fried Cheese Curds With a Secret Sauce!

cheese curds

🥗Healthier: low-fat cheese

💰Cheaper: mozzarella balls

Low-fat cheese reduces calories while maintaining texture.

buttermilk

🥗Healthier: plain yogurt

💰Cheaper: milk + vinegar

Plain yogurt provides similar tanginess and moisture.

Turn on the Yoda Ys 640s pellet grill and load Hickory pellets into a smoke tube.

Light the smoke tube with a torch and let it burn for about a minute.

Place 10 oz of cheese curds on a frost frog mat for easy handling.

Cold smoke the cheese curds for about an hour, or longer if desired.

While the cheese curds are smoking, prepare the Chipotle bacon ranch by dicing 4 oz of bacon and rendering it in a cold cast iron skillet until crispy.

Remove the bacon and drain on paper towels.

Mince 2 tablespoons of Italian parsley, 1 and 1/2 teaspoons each of chives and dill, and 1 Chipotle pepper with adobo sauce.

Grate 1 clove of garlic on a microplane.

Combine the bacon, herbs, Chipotle, and garlic with 1/4 cup mayo, 1/4 cup sour cream, and 1 tablespoon buttermilk to make the ranch.

In a bowl, mix 1 and 1/4 cups beer, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1 cup flour, 1/2 teaspoon sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon baking powder to create the beer batter.

Dip the smoked cheese curds into the beer batter and carefully add them to 1 quart of oil heated to 375°F.

Fry the cheese curds in batches for 3 to 4 minutes until golden brown and melty inside.

Remove the fried cheese curds and place them on a wire rack to drain excess oil.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens