A touch of bourbon makes the difference

If pimento cheese is already part of your life, then you are blessed for sure. If not, get ready for life to get a little bit better.

And get ready for one of the best burgers of your life.

It’s dangerous ground for a Yankee like me to start messing around with a Southern recipe like pimento cheese. This may well not be how you (or your mom or grandma) make it. But I’ve done a bit of research now and a bit of testing, and I humbly submit this version for your consideration.

Don’t use pre-grated cheese for this – freshly grated cheese tastes better and makes the mixture adhere together better. Talented Southern chef Griff Day shared his secret ingredient with me: He uses a splash of bourbon in his pimento cheese, and that little trick really seems to add some depth and extra flavor to my version as well. If you don’t have smoked paprika on hand, you can sub in regular paprika, or just skip it.

Make this at least one day ahead to allow the flavors to meld. Serve leftovers (there will be leftovers, and you will not be sorry about that) with crackers.

recipe at source!