Pimiento Cheese Sandwiches... Explained

Ladies and Gentleman who are not Southern or do not have a parent who is Southern, allow me to introduce to you a real Southern treat: Pimiento Cheese. Referred to at THIS website as the Pâté of the South:

Pimento cheese, or "P.C.," was born in the South. It’s been fundamental to our bridge luncheons, picnic baskets, kids’ lunchboxes, afternoon teas, lunch counter menus, and light suppers since at least 1915. You might meet a Southerner who doesn’t care for it, but you’ll never meet one who doesn’t know what it is. The most popular sandwich consumed at the Masters Tournament in Augusta, Georgia, available for a mere $1.25? Of course—pimento cheese on white bread, wrapped, naturally, in green waxed paper.

As the title suggests, the real pronunciation is in fact. “P’minnuh Cheese”. Of course I am writing this because of all the comments I received in last night's Post. (Shaking my head in disbelief.)

For those who have never had it… so sad for you. I fond childhood memory of mine, I cannot imagine having lived a life without it. And don’t fall for that store bought crap. You find it next to the refrigerator dips in your supermarket. It is sweet and must be made of that icky Miracle Whip or something. Real Pimiento Cheese is made with real Mayo, but I prefer Hellmann’s, fresh grated cheddar cheese and my Pimiento Cheese must be made at home.

I grew up on these tasty sandwiches, and love to dip Fritos into it as a snack. Ahhh… fond memories of The Great Omnipotent One grating cheddar cheese at the kitchen table, slicing up the pimientos just so, and mashing it with mayo. Yup, that is all it is. Don’t add TOO much mayo though, or it’s slimy and wet. Just the right texture. Just enough to get it all stuck together and then a bit more. And don’t’ forget to drain your pimiento. No pimiento juice mixed in. Just the pimientos. You can cheat and buy them pre chopped. I’ve done that, but I prefer to chop it up real small on my own… like TGOO did when I was a kid.

And a couple drops of blood… well that’s a family thing. Seems I had just had my tonsils out. I was 6. I couldn’t eat anything, my throat was so daggum sore. I could hardly swallow water. My Mom had bought some baby food hoping I’d eat something, but being 6, I wasn’t about to be caught dead eating anything that had the word Baby as a prefix. So TGOO sat down and made me a bowl of Pimiento Cheese, and promptly scraped his knuckles on the cheese grater and a couple drops of blood made it into the mix. Unbeknownst to us. But I’m not sure I would have cared. So now it is a joke that OUR family’s Pimiento Cheese tastes just a wee bit better with a couple drops of blood. (Big Grin) I ate that sandwich as sick as I was. I chewed it down until it was a texture I could swallow. And that is all I ate until I healed. Pimiento Cheese sandwiches. Yum!