Wild Boar Cheese

The Wild Boar cheese: Black truffles meet monterey jack

When you're ready for a decadent sensory experience, let us introduce you to The Wild Boar cheese from Deer Creek Cheese. This charming and aromatic monterey jack cheese is infused with earthy black truffle. It's a mild, buttery cheese with warm and woodsy notes and a delightfully mushroomy finish. The 2022 gold medal winner for Flavored Hard Cheese at the L.A. International Dairy Competition, the Wild Boar cheese is an amazing melting cheese that brings boundless flavor to savory dishes and will be the star of any grazing table.

Deer Creek Cheese

Chris and Julie Gentine founded Deer Creek Cheese in 2006 to produce 1- and 3-year-old hand-selected aged cheddars. Since then, Deer Creek has partnered with Wisconsin Master Cheesemakers like Kerry Henning and Sid Cook to produce a collection of handmade and hand-selected Wisconsin artisan and specialty cheeses that blend time-honored traditions with inspiring new sensory experiences. This award-winning line of cheeses includes The Indigo Bunting, The Imperial Buck, The Stag, and The Blue Jay cheese.

Wisconsin: Home to cheese innovation

The Gentines have created so many new and amazing cheeses by constantly asking themselves one question: “What if?” This neatly sums up our approach to cheesemaking in Wisconsin, where our more than 1,200 cheesemakers – including over 90 Master Cheesemakers – have produced more than 600 different varieties, types, and styles of cheese. Along with the varieties from Deer Creek Cheese, our cheese shops and supermarkets are full of products like fresh mozzarella ciliegine from Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese, Pavino cheese from Roth Cheese, Wood River Creamery Cheddar Gruyere from Burnett Dairy, and Sartori merlot cheese.

All about The Wild Boar cheese

How is it made?

The Wild Boar cheese is a monterey jack variety infused with black truffle during the cheesemaking process. Monterey jack is made by adding rennet to cow's milk – Deer Creek uses vegetarian rennet – to create milk curds and whey. After draining the whey, cheesemakers add water and stir the curd until the pH reaches a certain level. The curd is then dry-salted, formed, and pressed. Bits of wild truffle are added to the curd before it is formed and pressed.

Is there wild boar in the cheese?

There is no wild boar meat in The Wild Boar cheese. The name of the cheese is a reference to the fact that wild boars and pigs are adept at smelling and finding truffles buried in the ground.

Where did monterey jack originate?

Monterey jack is a mild to full-flavored cheese that first came to prominence in the Monterey County area of California when it was marketed as “Jack's Cheese” by the Scottish businessman David Jacks. The original recipe was brought to California by Franciscan monks from Spain via Mexico in the 18^th century. Young monterey jack is aged six weeks to four months and has a soft, mild flavor. When aged for 7 to 12 months or longer, monterey jack develops a grainy, brittle texture along with full-bodied flavors and can be used for grating.

How to enjoy The Wild Boar cheese

What to drink with The Wild Boar cheese

When drinking beer, a lighter choice like Peroni Nastro Azzurro will provide a pleasing contrast to the intense flavor of the cheese. For wine, try a moscato, brut champagne, or a light Italian red. If you have a yen for something stronger, grappa or vodka make nice drinking partners for The Wild Boar cheese.

Cooking with The Wild Boar cheese

The Wild Boar infuses any dish with decadent flavor and bold umami – the taste of meaty, savory deliciousness. When cooking with The Wild Boar, choose dishes where the intense flavor of the cheese won't overpower other ingredients. The Wild Boar cheese is perfect for a truffle mac and cheese, or truffle cheese and mushroom toast with sourdough bread and rosemary. This buttery cheese also makes a great black truffle fondue when melted with white wine and garlic.

Building a cheese board around The Wild Boar

The Wild Boar is a favorite on cheese and charcuterie boards everywhere. Surround it with dried figs, dried dates, pistachios, and walnuts, as well as cured meats like sweet soppressata, genoa salami, mortadella, and prosciutto, along with crispy crackers and baguette slices.