[Culprit]

I was preparing a cheese sauce this evening and made the mistake of allowing the milk to become overheated. Added the grated cheddar cheese and, bingo, broken sauce. Glumps of cheese in a bath of cheese colored milk. I've had a few similar experiences in the past (fondue, etc.) which resulted in my simply throwing the mess in the garbage and starting over.
This evening I decided to experiment with a solution and, IT WORKED. So I thought I'd share it here.
I simply allowed the milk/cheese mess to cool from its "hot" condition to a temperature closer to that at which I might have originally added the cheese successfully. I then poured the mess into my blender, started on low speed and then immediately to a medium speed. I allowed the machine to run about a minute, then poured out a beautiful sauce.
It's a tip that some of you may have already recorded in your cookbooks. But I had never heard of it before I got the good results I achieved today so I hope this hint helps someone else who may run up against this problem in the future.

[siduri]

That's a great idea. I found i get that problem if i add the cheese too early and stir too much. It sort of coagulates.

[maguire1]

thats a good idea, i never looked at it like that.
another way of doing it is to pass it through a cheese cloth or a sieve much like a broken anglais or hollandaise. then incorporate more cheese, such as your case. that way, if you were to boil it again the proteins wouldn't split so quickly

[Culprit]

Originally Posted by maguire1

thats a good idea, i never looked at it like that.
another way of doing it is to pass it through a cheese cloth or a sieve much like a broken anglais or hollandaise. then incorporate more cheese, such as your case. that way, if you were to boil it again the proteins wouldn't split so quickly

Great tip;thanks. I hadn't tried your process but you can be sure that I will file it in my cooking trouble-shooting library.

[meekoct]

well at least somebody's cheese coagulated today!