If January were a cheese, it would be Beaufort. So meltable, so sturdy, so warming. A good Beaufort—and it’s all good—elevates potato gratin, French onion soup, fondue, even a winter chicory salad. Stylistically, it’s Comté’s first cousin, yet it’s all but obliterated by that cheese’s prominence. France makes at least ten times more Comté than Beaufort, so when I see the latter at a cheese counter, I pounce. Gustiamo, the Italian food merchant, equates January with pasta and chickpeas. For me, cold weather means Beaufort.
Made in France’s Savoie region, Beaufort has a PDO with strict requirements. Many PDOs are less demanding, but Beaufort production cratered in the early 1960s and the producers who revived it wanted to assure its high quality. The regulations limit the number of dairy cows to 17,000 and cap their annual milk output.
Like Comté, Beaufort is always made with raw milk in a copper kettle. The methods for the two cheeses are roughly the same, but the permitted dairy breeds are different, and Beaufort’s minimum aging is longer—five months versus four. Plus, Beaufort has its signature cinched waist, like the wheel was aged in a corset.
Here's another key difference: Comté is never made on the farm—it’s not allowed—so there is no “farmstead” Comté. Producers use pooled milk from several farms. Most Beaufort is from pooled milk as well, but in summer, a few cheesemakers do produce Beaufort d’alpage—prized wheels made in a mountain hut from the milk of their own herd.
You don’t have to score Beaufort d’alpage to have a delicious experience, however. Regular Beaufort is compelling, with a firm texture and robust aromas of brown butter, toasted hazelnut, buttered toast and roast beef. The more mature the wheel, the more concentrated the flavor. I like to shave it with a cheese plane. It feels silkier that way, and shaving seems to release more aroma. However you serve it, Beaufort grabs your tastebuds and doesn’t let go; you’ll be savoring it long after you swallow.
I like Beaufort with full-bodied white wines, or with a nutty oloroso sherry or Madeira. Even better: malty beer like a brown ale, Belgian dubbel or doppelbock.
Escarole and Beaufort Salad with Toasted Walnuts
You may have to trim away a lot of dark escarole leaves to reach the pale, crisp heart, but don’t throw them away. Slice them into ribbons and add them to bean soup. If you can’t find nice escarole, substitute frisée or the crisp, pale hearts of butter lettuce. Adapted from The Cheese Course by Janet Fletcher (Chronicle Books). Photo: Victoria Pearson.
Vinaigrette:
1-1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1-1/2 tablespoons walnut oil
1-1/2 tablespoons sherry vinegar or white wine vinegar
1 large shallot, finely minced
Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Salad:
1/2 cup walnuts
2 heads escarole, pale heart only, washed and trimmed
1/3 pound Beaufort, trimmed of any rind, in matchstick-size pieces
1/4 cup minced Italian parsley
Make the vinaigrette: In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, walnut oil, vinegar, shallot, and salt and pepper to taste. Let stand 30 minutes to allow the shallot flavor to mellow. Taste and adjust the balance as needed.
Preheat an oven to 325°F. Toast the walnuts in a pie tin until fragrant and lightly colored, about 15 minutes. Cool. Break up any large pieces by hand.
In a large salad bowl, combine the escarole, walnuts, Beaufort and parsley. Add the vinaigrette—you may not need it all—and toss to coat evenly. Season with salt and pepper and toss again. Serve immediately.
Serves 4 to 6
A Discount for You
I’ve written in the past about my addiction to Top Seedz crackers. You can purchase them ready-made or bake them yourself from a packaged mix. Drum roll, please. Earlier this month, Top Seedz Bake-at-Home Cracker Mix was named Food Product of the Year by the Specialty Food Association—a huge win for this young immigrant-run company. When I congratulated owner Rebecca Brady on this honor, she offered Planet Cheese readers a 20% discount on any of the Bake-at-Home Mixes, plus free shipping. Enter promo code WINNER2026 at checkout to activate the discount. Offer expires 3/31/26.