Turns out pastry chef Brenton Balika at Bourbon Steak in the Four Seasons Hotel also has become something of a master cheesemaker. When you order dessert or a cheese course, know that Balika, somewhere deep in the interior recesses of the hotel has crafted an artisanal cheese that may well startle you with its genuine flavor and character.
A native of Chicago, Balika was destined to become an artisan. “I grew up in a family of artisans, who were into sewing, making pottery, and cooking six nights a week,” he said. “We also had gardens all the time. I had a love for food growing up.” And, it turns out, he developed an early passion for eating cheese.
| If you go |
| Bourbon Steak |
| Where: 2800 Pennsylvania Ave. NW |
| Info: 202-944-2026 |
| Hours: Lunch, Mon-Fri., 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; Dinner, Sun.-Thurs., 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., Fri.-Sat., 5:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. |
He translated this love into his studies at the Culinary Institute of America. With a degree in hand, Balika set out to work for some of the nation’s leading chefs, starting with Charlie Trotter’s namesake restaurant in his native city of Chicago. “Charlie Trotter took care of cheeses for his restaurants,” Balika said. “I saw then cheeses from all over the world. That’s when I got interested in how and why a cheese develops a flavor profile.”
Balika also was hired by chef Bradley Ogden to work in the Caesar’s Palace restaurant in Las Vegas (where, incidentally he met Bourbon Steak’s executive chef Adam Sobel). Eight months later, after the restaurant earned a James Beard Award, Balika launched himself into learning every aspect of cheesemaking. “I really started doing cheeses seriously,” he explained. “Goat, cow, and sheep milk, though that is harder to get now.”
From Las Vegas, Balika worked as the sous chef for the Celebrity Cruise Line, and took advantage of days spent in foreign ports, sampling different cheeses. Sobel called him back a year ago to Las Vegas to work at RM Seafood where Balika started making cheeses plus his pastries fulltime. “I started making cheese like soft, ripened cheese and some blues,” he said.
At Bourbon Steak, Balika does oversee the pastry program — making modern and refined renditions of classic pastry — but his heart is really in his cheese cellar. “I make 15 different cheeses,” he said, “from ricotta to blues. I will get presses to make hard cheeses. I am going to change the cheese program to match the season. Cows get different feed in the winter.”
His love for cheese really reflects his passion for food and anything about the dining experience. “The more knowledge you have about each ingredient,” he says, “the more respect you have….It gives you a sense of place, as with Charlie Trotter and Bradly Ogden. They have an identity with the terroir.”
Q&A
What is your comfort food?
Fried chicken. I soak it in buttermilk and cover with bread crumbs, then fry. And I eat fried pig’s cheeks. I am a country boy with a city mentality.
What is your favorite ingredient?
For me, it is working with the season, so it is tough to pick one. But yellow foot chanterelle is my favorite mushroom.
What’s in your fridge?
Beer, ketchup, and Thai sriracha.
Which is your favorite restaurant?
Palena
Which is your favorite cuisine?
Asian, Indian. Those that blend spices for harmony. …A meal is amazing if you have company to share it with.
Recipe
Brenton Balika’s Fresh Ricotta
Makes 1 ? to 2 cups
1 gallon whole or 2 % milk
Juice of 6 lemons
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Place the milk in a separate bowl, and place atop the pot of water, but not in the water. Stirring occasionally, bring the milk to 185 degrees; measure with a candy thermometer. Stir in the lemon juice, and when the milk has curdled, turn off the heat, and let the milk sit for 5 minutes.
Strain the curdled milk through a colander lined with a cheesecloth. Let the mixture drain for 2 to 5 minutes, or until the cheese is soft and creamy. The cheese can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.
