House-smoked ricotta

Ingredients

1/2 gallon whole milk
2 cups buttermilk

Directions

Combine milk and buttermilk over medium heat in a non-reactive pan, such as stainless steel. Heat to 175 degrees, stirring occasionally to make sure the bottom does not burn. Remove pan from heat and let sit for 10 minutes. Drape cheesecloth over a large pot or bowl, with enough fabric for the edges to hang over the sides. Pour cooled milk mixture into cheesecloth and strain curds (solids) from whey (liquid) by gathering the edges of the cloth together and tying into a large ball. Tie ball above a place to drip such as a sink faucet and let it hang for an hour. Remove ricotta from cheesecloth. To smoke ricotta, use a cold smoker with your choice of wood and smoke to taste. We smoke our ricotta with apple wood and for no more than 10 minutes.