Tonight, I pretend to be a farmer, Richard pretends to be a mechanic, and James pretends it's 1975, Olly Murs is on our track and we also pretend something caught fire.
@@lookoutforchris It is a processed cheese. With the biggest change being the addition of Sodium Citrate so it melts easily. That's why those Kraft slices are perfect for putting on burgers because it will melt cleanly without leaving an oily trace.
I like to think I've watched James May on all kinds of platforms for the better part of my life and I can fairly say that I'm thankful for this channel since I get to see more of James being James
I like to think I've watched James May on all kinds of platforms for the better part of my life and I can fairly say that I'm thankful for this channel since I get to see more of James saying cheese FTFY
Tell me, where was monteray jack invented. California you say? Where is california? America you say? Why that would make it american cheese! Remarkable!
Typically, "American cheese" refers to a specific type of processed cheese which is made from either cheddar or Colby, or a mixture of the two. It's designed to melt easily and has a mild, salty flavor, and sometimes includes sodium citrate to melt more smoothly. While it is processed, that doesn't mean it's plastic or pure chemicals or something, it just goes through a blending process and we don't have great regulatory terms to deal with blended cheeses compared to single-culture cheeses. Jack is also used somewhat frequently, but when asked "do you want cheese on that?", they're nearly always referring to American or cheddar (though cheddar in the US tends to be very mature and is called "sharp"), not Jack.
@@bats__ We use the same bacterial culture, we just let it age way more as a general rule is my understanding. Any cheesemans in the audience can correct me
While there's nothing wrong with Jack cheese, it is not the default cheese here in the States. We have sliced deli cheese referred to simply as American cheese. It's made from cheddar and some Monterey Jack. That is what is put on cheese burgers or grilled cheese sandwiches.
@@Taolan8472 There is nothing wrong with American Cheese. Just because its a cheese product doesn't mean its not really cheese as its usually made from cheddar. Quality varies though as some have more preservatives for longer shelf life.
The only thing referred to as American cheese is the "cheese product" that looks and smells of plastic. The only "American cheese" that exists is extremely processed
My late father had a simple phrase that he used when cooking: "If it's brown, it's done, if it's black, it's buggered." My go-to 'toasted' cheese sandwich, is the one in Jamie Oliver's 'Comfort Food' book. Works every time.
As a Canadian, when I hear American Cheese the first thing I think of is processed cheese slices (which I think originally was cheddar - now you can get a variety of types of cheese that has been processed). Interesting how James and co. actually thought of a cheese that was created in the US. Here in Canada, I think cheddar is also the default when someone asks if you want cheese on or with something.
@@elsden722 Blasphemy... Don't you have a local produce store to visit on occasion? Cut's out the journey of you going to Cheddar and some of the Cheddar going to Europe and back.. (i am not talking about getting all your cheddar there).
35 years of life as an American: 1) Never once have I been given Monterey Jack as the "default" 2) Never once have I heard it called "Jack Cheese" "Jack Cheese" sounds like someone trying and failing to correctly name the chap from Monty Python.
Yeah this makes no sense. It's Cheddar, Swiss, then Pepperjack for sandwiches. American Cheese is for cheap burgers or cafeteria grilled cheese (melty). I've never seen regular Jack cheese used for anything on a menu
24 years ago in Oroville Washington, I bought a burger from Fatboy at FatBoy's Diner (does not exist anymore). I had what was called a Fat Jack and it had what Fatboy (looked like my Father in law at the time, which we told him) what he called Jack Cheese on it. The menu said Monterey Jack. Great burger. Great chicken, great shake. Great conversation. Great number of years since it happened. We were also very clearly from out of town, but also his sort of people. It was an unforgettable day, though I may misremember.
@@ADMSvare 1) I would never get such a sandwich because Monterey Jack is at best my fifth-favorite cheese. 2) As would anyone because it would be a terrible memory.
Monetary Jack is not the American default cheese by far. • Modern American cheese is a type of processed cheese developed in the 1910s made from cheddar, Colby, or similar cheeses. It is mild with a creamy and salty flavor, has a medium-firm consistency, and has a low melting point. • Muenster cheese ... is the closest in taste to American cheese. And it has a soft and smooth texture that melts very well. You can use Muenster cheese anywhere you would American cheese as a 1-to-1 substitute.
Proper American cheese just isn't readily available over here. Monetary Jack is really probably giving it the best chance. What's usually sold as cheese singles or slices here tend to not actually contain cheddar, etc and have a lower cheese content overall, often just 30% cheese. So we just generally have bad processed cheese. Using that would have probably been worse. Even Kraft Singles haven't been readily available for quite some time now. So a lot of Brits have misconceptions when talking about this. Probably the best I've been able to find are by Kerrymaid slices sold in bulk which are 70% cheese.
Id like to see Clarkson supply May's kitchen with one of his farm produce and let them make a dish from it. Like maybe Diddly Squat's potatoes or something.
If I recall correctly, didn't they do that at her house/apartment one time? I mean making food she likes, not a top 5. Was it steaks? I might go back and check.
As an American, the seemingly insignificant banter between the two about American cheese and how it melts was weirdly hilarious to me. Haha I can literally watch James do anything and it's incredible. I've watched our man in Japan so many times, and the reassembler is one of my go to programs to fall asleep to. But I de genuinely appreciate all of the random facts and information James gives while he's doing something. Also hilarious to me how they call it "American mustard" when we just call it "yellow mustard"
Grilled cheese sandwiches made that way are American. In the UK, we use a grill when grilling things not, as James pointed out, a pan. And despite using a grill, we don't call them grilled. We call them toasted.
@@phantomechelon3628 That's rare - I think most sandwich toasters get used about three times and then sit in a cupboard for years. That's certainly the case with mine!
It's not a thing in the UK so of course they don't how how to make it the "murican" way. We just have Toasties, which are usually oven or grill cooked.
As a American , we all like all kinds of cheese . cheddar, Swiss , American , cheddar jack , Monterey Jack , Colby , extra sharp white cheddar , mozzarella , feta , provolone, parmesan , as well as others that are out there .
Interesting using Mayo for the fried side, we normally just use butter. Though the go to is to serve "Grilled Cheese" sandwiches with tomato soup. Also, maybe get a couple more pieces of cooking cutlery, like a flipping spatula (aka the flipper), and maybe a cheese knife/slicer. If another cheese showdown happens, maybe compare 2 other types, like Gouda or Havarti.
Mayo works great on the grilled side because of the makeup of the mayo so it creates a nice even color. However, having tried both I still prefer to use butter on the grilled side because of the taste. I say that as someone that loves mayo in dishes that call for it.
Never in 50 years of life in the US have I ever assumed that I'd be given Monterey Jack as a default "cheese". Not that it isn't common, but American cheese is the standard. That said, congratulations on an excellent troll video that will surely generate a huge number of comments LOL
It's because it's the only cheese from America widely available over here in the UK. Most people have no idea what American cheese is. I only know as I watch a lot of world food programs on TV
The "default" cheese in the U.S. is Cheddar! Ours is just a bit different than U.K. Cheddar. Monterey Jack is very common, but when people just say "cheese", they're rarely referring to it.
The default cheese in America is American Cheese, hence why it is called American Cheese. It is a cheese product primarily made of cheddar cheese but much creamier with a lower melt point. Which is why its used for grilled cheese.
@@bensonr2 I think it depends on your status if you are the lower end of the economic scale it's American Cheese. If you are in the upper it's American Cheddar. I have a pack of American cheese in my frig that been in there for 2 years. It doesn't agree with me. You can go to the stores in different economical areas and the ratio of American cheese and Cheddar will be appropriate to the area. As you get older your Grill cheese will be base on what you grew up with. I make Quesada instead of grill cheese.
Even Americans don't consider American Cheese to actually be "cheese" - it has about as much to do with cheese as Paris, Texas does to Paris, France. Inspired by, sure. Remotely the same? Not at all. On top of that, if you polled 1 million Americans, I'd bet every penny that no more than 1 in 20 could even tell you what kind of cheese "American Cheese" even is. A package of Kraft Singles simply says, "American" and "pasteurized prepared cheese product." Don't get me wrong - I love the stuff on a grilled sandwich or burger. But if someone gave me a cheese board with American Cheese on it, I'd riot.
@@kennystoneman2584 umm...American Cheese is cheese in America. Not sure what part of America you're living in. But, in America, the most American cheese is American Cheese.
I would love to take James to our local farmer's market, where I go shopping every friday. There's one guy from the south western part of Bavaria called "Allgäu" with a variety of cheese which would blow James' head off. I mean, even if it's only in the back of a Mercedes Sprinter, he has around 100 different kinds of cheese, from Germany, Austria, Italy, and so on.Enough cheese for pt.3 through to pt. 125 ;)
I've never seen a grilled cheese sandwich made this way before. Interesting. Since a youngster, some 45 years ago, we have always buttered one side of 2 pieces of bread edge to edge. We place the cheese between, (yes I'm American and I prefer yellow American cheese for grilled cheeses, but I do like most cheeses that are not pungent), the bread, buttered side out. We then grill it on med heat until cheese melts, and the bread is crispy golden on the outside. When the bread is blackened, we start over....
in 1970s NC-USA cheese was 64 slices of individually wrapped "American Cheese" ... not a dairy product , it being some kind of synthetic oil. In the 80s I ate b***loads of Wisconsin Cheddar that was affectionately known as "Government Cheese" because the USGov bought it up as a price supports program and fed it to foodstamp and Marines (me) ... never heard of monterey jack (did he play at that jazz festival ... is he related to Baltimore Jack from the AT and Bruce Springsteen's hungry hearts?) In the late 80s I married a lady who worked for a cheese merchant - so would say we really didnt have real cheese in stores until maybe mid Reagan's mid-second-term ...
Yes. Just as @Wes said, Americans think “American Cheese” when they think of cheese. Most times American Cheese is not the best, however, for a grilled cheese sandwich, or a Cheeseburger, American Cheese is one of the top three choices.
Those beeps on the induction hob are exactly the same as the one in my kitchen, which is where I’m sat, and I keep thinking I’ve left a pan on and it’s having a panic attack 😂 CHEESE!
To james and the crew, I quite enjoyed James reassembling things, I would gladly watch James reassembling more things. I also enjoyed this video. Thank you. Sincerely, ##
I was worried those grabbers were going to used without being tested, but thankfully James gave them a subtle clack just to make sure. It seems American "Government Cheese" should be the proper opponent to council cheese, but I don't think it's made any more.
As an American, I can say that Monterrey Jack is not the default cheese. It’s either American or cheddar. American has a great melt point for grilled cheeses and burgers
Monterey jack is a mexican cheese, brought up from mexico by spanish friars 200+ years ago, who adapted it to the local evironment.. a guy named jack, in Monterey CA, adapted it again for the general public. Its just a mild farmer's cheese.
“Is one slice enough?” - not if you’re making a true American grilled cheese sandwich! You want to taste the cheese, so you put on several slices. And I would always choose American or Cheddar cheese over Monterey Jack as they both melt easier.
This production made me laugh so hard. Here in the states we call this a grilled cheese or toasted cheese sandwich. Normally it is made with American cheese (that's the official name of the cheese), or alot of times with colbyjack or sharp cheddar. We in the midwest rarely use Monterey jack cheese straight.
In America we use proper fake cheese and we call them “grilled cheese sandwich’s” American cheese singles are not the same as real cheese but they melt better
@@StreetPreacherr no it doesn’t. What you’re calling “American Cheese” is not allowed to be sold in the USA as cheese. Real American cheese has been made for 300 years on this continent and it sounds like you’ve never had it.
I know you are giving us yanks the stick but all you Brits should know that there is an EPONYMOUS cheese that is generally the default cheese over on this side of the ocean. :D
I must say as an American, I don’t really see Monterey Jack often. Maybe more of a West coast thing. However we all use “American” Government cheese. Comes presliced, but in a massive block. Lovely on toast.
I' m relieved that you didn't choose Kraft Singles here, but Monterey Jack is more a California cheese, so I'm not sure you can call it stereotypically American. We do use it a lot in California, but I don't see it on hamburgers and such here unless I specifically request it. I use a mix of Cheddar and Monterey Jack in my "grilled cheese" sandwiches, as we call them, but have never heard of using mayonnaise on them like that. Might have to try it though! Not mustard though. 😆
When the first episode was on, I was killing time in a sad air-bnb. James making a cheese butty saved my sanity. BTW, use a slender knife to cut cheese, less surface area for it to drag on.
James: "I'm not an expert on cheese." Also James: *has brought out Monterey Jack cheese in response to a request to use American cheese* Me, an intellectual: "Indeed."
James, Monterey Jack is not the cheese they put on sandwiches, it's plain old "American Cheese". Monterey Jack is different, and by the way we do have cheddar, Swiss, Colby, provolone, cooper, etc. that comes in slices. Monterey Jack is not really American cheese, but things do go better with cheddar.
Because the only "American" cheese you can buy in a UK supermarket is Monterry Jack. Otherwise it would be a competition between two cheddar cheese sandwiches . . .
It's not the typical kraft American, but monterrey jack (a form of processed mozzarella) is used in many things for its browning and low moisture purposes. Chipotle uses a processed mixture of sharp white cheddar and monterrey jack for its cheese blend.
The only cheese for a grilled cheese should be Kraft singles cheese. Nothing else is cheese for a grilled cheese besides council issues kraft singles lol
Interesting approach, I always toast each side of the bread first on their own, then put the cheese between the 2 toasted sides together, bring it back to the pan and then toast both remaining sides. By the time the sandwich is toasted on both sides, the cheese will have melted
Any particular reason why you would opt for the most difficult way to slice it imaginable, as opposed to just laying it flat and taking strips off the end?
Basically what Lucy was making was grilled cheese. However I never heard of Monterey Jack being used. Usually we just go to the grocery store and get Kraft or similar processed cheese. Where are you going to the deli and get sliced American cheese buy Land O'Lakes or similar. And then you have a nice bowl full of tomato soup yum. Except there's one thing that was wrong you don't put the mayonnaise on grilled cheese sandwich. No wonder why it burnt
Wow, you are so original. You should be a conservative politician with that fresh wit! Oh man! You must be a Hollywood writer, just whipping out zingers...kudos, man. This was amazing work. Scathing social commentary wrapped in layer upon layer of sophisticated analysis with academic and social references so perfectly intertwined, truly the work of a stunning intellect, such as the one you must, indeed, possess! I think I may have overdone it.
When you are asked for cheese in the States, it is usually American cheese, which is processed yellow cheese or cheddar cheese. Unless it's nachos or something odd, we don't use monterrey jack cheese. Don't know where you were that kept giving you jack cheese. ick.
Mr May. Your greatest work, catagorically, is NOT placing cheese on a table and declaring Cheese. That is merely the entry drug. IMO the best James May content is anything he did with Oz Clarke. I've said it before and I will say it again, even if in vain. We NEED another James May/Oz Clarke collaborative project
When I think "American cheese" I think specifically of Kraft Singles. Which is basically edible orange plastic and therefore the most American thing possible.
You’re a victim of marketing then. What you’re calling “cheese” is no such thing, technically and legally. And the sad thing is you probably don’t know about real American cheese. “After patenting a new method for manufacturing processed cheese in 1916, James L. Kraft began marketing it in the late 1910s, and the term "American cheese" rapidly began to refer to the processed variety instead of the traditional but more expensive cheddars also made and sold in the U.S.”
@@lookoutforchris I'm not American. American cheese as noted socially, stereotypically & internationally is either Kraft Singles or Cheeto Dust. That is America's legacy.
Never heard of Mayo on the outside of the bread and then grilled. Nor have I ever heard of Monterey Jack cheese being used on a grilled cheese sandwich. But, hey, always a first.
From a food science perspective, mayo on the outside of the bread functions as an egg wash, and can give pretty solid results when it's not, you know, burnt.
The addition of Will. Especially since I have been watching manlab. If Simmy came back.... you would have to declare a national holiday for viewers of James May content
When I think of American cheese, what I am really picturing is “pasteurized cheese product” aka craft singles or velveeta…aka not real cheese 😂. As an American I typically stick to cheddar
Tonight, I become a farmer, Richard becomes a mechanic, and James says cheese
*thunk* Cheese
I misread this as "and James becomes cheese" and to me that's how it should be read.
Love them
Tonight, I pretend to be a farmer, Richard pretends to be a mechanic, and James pretends it's 1975, Olly Murs is on our track and we also pretend something caught fire.
Underrated comment. Thanks for that.
What a wholesome kind of comedy this is.
I love that James May is aware of just how much of a meme that has become.
I love that he thinks MONTERY JACK is what people mean by AMERICAN CHEESE.
You use Kraft 'CHEESE' slices BECAUSE it melts easily! lol
@@StreetPreacherr Kraft is not cheese. Real American cheese has been made here for over 300 years, and it does not come in a plastic wrapper.
@@lookoutforchris It is a processed cheese. With the biggest change being the addition of Sodium Citrate so it melts easily. That's why those Kraft slices are perfect for putting on burgers because it will melt cleanly without leaving an oily trace.
Cheese
yea he talked about the meme a few times already
I like to think I've watched James May on all kinds of platforms for the better part of my life and I can fairly say that I'm thankful for this channel since I get to see more of James being James
I like to think I've watched James May on all kinds of platforms for the better part of my life and I can fairly say that I'm thankful for this channel since I get to see more of James saying cheese
FTFY
I love how self aware James is, he just gets it.
On this episode: James says cheese, James doesn't know what american cheese is, and Lucy uses some tongs.
They wanted to give you a chance rather than using that plastic stuff
Tell me, where was monteray jack invented. California you say?
Where is california?
America you say?
Why that would make it american cheese! Remarkable!
The American cheese that most people think about with a grilled cheese sandwich is just called "American"
Kraft Singles
which is even more plastic.
...which is just a mild cheddar variant..
@@johnclemens1338 its not legally cheese, to compare it to cheddar is an insult
Since when is the most American cheese Monterey? The most American cheese is in the name...
Typically, "American cheese" refers to a specific type of processed cheese which is made from either cheddar or Colby, or a mixture of the two. It's designed to melt easily and has a mild, salty flavor, and sometimes includes sodium citrate to melt more smoothly. While it is processed, that doesn't mean it's plastic or pure chemicals or something, it just goes through a blending process and we don't have great regulatory terms to deal with blended cheeses compared to single-culture cheeses.
Jack is also used somewhat frequently, but when asked "do you want cheese on that?", they're nearly always referring to American or cheddar (though cheddar in the US tends to be very mature and is called "sharp"), not Jack.
The irony of American cheese is that it is a very Canadian cheese!
I swear Americans have no idea what cheddar actually is
@@bats__ We use the same bacterial culture, we just let it age way more as a general rule is my understanding. Any cheesemans in the audience can correct me
@@Kryptnyt Yeah, y'all in Canada are arguably more nuts about American cheese than we are
@@zimeron1 Actually I'm American and I don't want to take responsibility for American Cheese
While there's nothing wrong with Jack cheese, it is not the default cheese here in the States. We have sliced deli cheese referred to simply as American cheese. It's made from cheddar and some Monterey Jack. That is what is put on cheese burgers or grilled cheese sandwiches.
And that's the real American cheese. The oil-based "Cheese product" is just... disgusting.
@@Taolan8472 There is nothing wrong with American Cheese. Just because its a cheese product doesn't mean its not really cheese as its usually made from cheddar. Quality varies though as some have more preservatives for longer shelf life.
It’s typically made from Colby and Cheddar with anatto. Monterey Jack did not exist over 300 years ago when American cheese was first made.
The only thing referred to as American cheese is the "cheese product" that looks and smells of plastic. The only "American cheese" that exists is extremely processed
@@lookoutforchris Was that a joke? I really can't tell lol.
Can't get over the fact that grown adults don't know how to make a Toasted Cheese Sandwich.
Even a grown adult who doesn't like cheese?
My late father had a simple phrase that he used when cooking:
"If it's brown, it's done, if it's black, it's buggered."
My go-to 'toasted' cheese sandwich, is the one in Jamie Oliver's 'Comfort Food' book. Works every time.
Or even a fried one...
@@JackBealeGuitar - As long as the cheese is melted, and the bread not burnt, the semantics of it don't matter. I actually prefer Welsh Rarebit.
Imagine being dragged up so as not even knowing how to make such basic foods.
As a Canadian, when I hear American Cheese the first thing I think of is processed cheese slices (which I think originally was cheddar - now you can get a variety of types of cheese that has been processed). Interesting how James and co. actually thought of a cheese that was created in the US. Here in Canada, I think cheddar is also the default when someone asks if you want cheese on or with something.
@@julieb949 But our Cheddar, made in Cheddar is better than your Cheddar that is better than their Cheddar...
😁
@@julieb949 I'll give you that one... i do like poutine.
You’re a victim of marketing then.
@@babalonkie I live 10 minutes from Cheddar in Somerset, and two minutes from Cheddar in Morissons and Asda
@@elsden722 Blasphemy...
Don't you have a local produce store to visit on occasion? Cut's out the journey of you going to Cheddar and some of the Cheddar going to Europe and back.. (i am not talking about getting all your cheddar there).
35 years of life as an American:
1) Never once have I been given Monterey Jack as the "default"
2) Never once have I heard it called "Jack Cheese"
"Jack Cheese" sounds like someone trying and failing to correctly name the chap from Monty Python.
Yeah this makes no sense. It's Cheddar, Swiss, then Pepperjack for sandwiches. American Cheese is for cheap burgers or cafeteria grilled cheese (melty). I've never seen regular Jack cheese used for anything on a menu
24 years ago in Oroville Washington, I bought a burger from Fatboy at FatBoy's Diner (does not exist anymore). I had what was called a Fat Jack and it had what Fatboy (looked like my Father in law at the time, which we told him) what he called Jack Cheese on it. The menu said Monterey Jack. Great burger. Great chicken, great shake. Great conversation. Great number of years since it happened. We were also very clearly from out of town, but also his sort of people. It was an unforgettable day, though I may misremember.
Jack Cheese kinda sounds like a character from a late 80s/early 90s kids cartoon. 😆
1. Only when that's what it says the sandwich comes with on the menu, and it also says, "no substitutions".
2. You probably blocked that memory out.
@@ADMSvare 1) I would never get such a sandwich because Monterey Jack is at best my fifth-favorite cheese. 2) As would anyone because it would be a terrible memory.
Monetary Jack is not the American default cheese by far.
• Modern American cheese is a type of processed cheese developed in the 1910s made from cheddar, Colby, or similar cheeses. It is mild with a creamy and salty flavor, has a medium-firm consistency, and has a low melting point.
• Muenster cheese ... is the closest in taste to American cheese. And it has a soft and smooth texture that melts very well. You can use Muenster cheese anywhere you would American cheese as a 1-to-1 substitute.
Indeed
Proper American cheese just isn't readily available over here. Monetary Jack is really probably giving it the best chance.
What's usually sold as cheese singles or slices here tend to not actually contain cheddar, etc and have a lower cheese content overall, often just 30% cheese.
So we just generally have bad processed cheese. Using that would have probably been worse.
Even Kraft Singles haven't been readily available for quite some time now.
So a lot of Brits have misconceptions when talking about this. Probably the best I've been able to find are by Kerrymaid slices sold in bulk which are 70% cheese.
99% sure the default cheese in America is also cheddar.
I'm confident that here in 🇺🇸, the default is either cheddar or American cheese, depending on where you grew up.
One is not american cheese, the other is not cheese.
If the default is cheddar thaf just means your defualt "national cheese" is from england. Nothing else
I like when Lucy asked James how he feels about raw toast. Isn't that just bread? 🤣🤣
I think he means toast with nothing on it.
Id like to see Clarkson supply May's kitchen with one of his farm produce and let them make a dish from it. Like maybe Diddly Squat's potatoes or something.
Yeah, that's a cool idea I'd watch, but don't ask Clarkson to do the cooking. He'd probably bring a hammer.
@@LaCorvette Or slice his finger off on a mandoline
@@LaCorvette What's wrong with smashed potatoes?
@@dfross87 "Diddly Squat Bunk-out Bunker (s)mashed potatoes. Its probably got some rust in it from the hammers we used."
@@dfross87 Nothing actually, now that I think about this possibility... :D
As an American, I can tell you that I first think of cheddar when I think of cheese. You're right about French's mustard though.
I'm so happy to see a new video from James May. He's not afraid of cheesy humor.
Lovely to see James May trying to pronounce "Gouda" and nearly dying while trying.
I would love to see a video of James and Lucy making food that she ACTUALLY likes! - A Lucy Top 5 food tier list or something!
If I recall correctly, didn't they do that at her house/apartment one time? I mean making food she likes, not a top 5.
Was it steaks? I might go back and check.
@@Elwaves2925 They did a bacon sandwich competition, though I'm not sure if that is what you mean. She did get to make food she liked
Wouldn’t be a long list😂
Or top 3 if she doesnt like 5
@@penitentpotato1344 I don't think it's that but whatever the case, that also fits the criteria.
Every time I hear James say "Monterey Jack is the default American Cheese" I'm going to dump some Tea into my Toilet... I need some more Tea....
As an American, the seemingly insignificant banter between the two about American cheese and how it melts was weirdly hilarious to me. Haha I can literally watch James do anything and it's incredible. I've watched our man in Japan so many times, and the reassembler is one of my go to programs to fall asleep to. But I de genuinely appreciate all of the random facts and information James gives while he's doing something.
Also hilarious to me how they call it "American mustard" when we just call it "yellow mustard"
I didn't realize there was even one person who didn't know how to make grilled cheese........ let alone two.
Grilled cheese sandwiches made that way are American. In the UK, we use a grill when grilling things not, as James pointed out, a pan. And despite using a grill, we don't call them grilled. We call them toasted.
@@thomasdalton1508 Or a Breville sandwich toaster. Had one when I was a student and practically wore it out.
@@phantomechelon3628 That's rare - I think most sandwich toasters get used about three times and then sit in a cupboard for years. That's certainly the case with mine!
@@thomasdalton1508 mine gets heaps of use.
It's not a thing in the UK so of course they don't how how to make it the "murican" way. We just have Toasties, which are usually oven or grill cooked.
James you're a legend but how did you land on Monterey Jack instead of American cheese?
As a American , we all like all kinds of cheese . cheddar, Swiss , American , cheddar jack , Monterey Jack , Colby , extra sharp white cheddar , mozzarella , feta , provolone, parmesan , as well as others that are out there .
Interesting using Mayo for the fried side, we normally just use butter. Though the go to is to serve "Grilled Cheese" sandwiches with tomato soup. Also, maybe get a couple more pieces of cooking cutlery, like a flipping spatula (aka the flipper), and maybe a cheese knife/slicer. If another cheese showdown happens, maybe compare 2 other types, like Gouda or Havarti.
Mayo works great on the grilled side because of the makeup of the mayo so it creates a nice even color. However, having tried both I still prefer to use butter on the grilled side because of the taste. I say that as someone that loves mayo in dishes that call for it.
Brits use mayo like Americans use butter and bacon
I don't really like mayonnaise but it does work better for evenly browning bread in a pan.
You can see James die a little bit more every time he has to say “cheese”
I am just now discovering that british cheddar cheese is white, while in America it is yellow.
Never in 50 years of life in the US have I ever assumed that I'd be given Monterey Jack as a default "cheese". Not that it isn't common, but American cheese is the standard. That said, congratulations on an excellent troll video that will surely generate a huge number of comments LOL
It's around it sit down restaurants.
Yeah, This is what I was about to say. Cheddar is my go to cheese. Once again, James is spouting things as fact that he has no clue about.
@@theheadone cheddar is English though
@@theheadone I mean, he is british, not american. So we cant completely fault him for not knowing what our default cheese is.
They compare cheese, and "American cheese" is a cheese product so it doesn't qualify for this comparison
2060s QI or a similar show: "Did you know, world renowned cheese meme James May actually got his start on a car show?"
James May seems like the most wholesome grandpa you could possibly have.
It's funny how they assumed Monterey jack cheese was the most American cheese and not the cheese literally named American cheese
It's because it's the only cheese from America widely available over here in the UK. Most people have no idea what American cheese is. I only know as I watch a lot of world food programs on TV
I realise from the comments that I’m completely wrong about ‘default American cheese’. The national cheese of America is cheese. Apparently.
Wrong. The national cheese of America is actually Mechanically Chemically Enhanced Imitation Cheese Substitute
@@JohnJohnJohnJohnJohnJohnJohnJo silence with your processed cheese hatred
The "default" cheese in the U.S. is Cheddar! Ours is just a bit different than U.K. Cheddar.
Monterey Jack is very common, but when people just say "cheese", they're rarely referring to it.
The default cheese in America is American Cheese, hence why it is called American Cheese. It is a cheese product primarily made of cheddar cheese but much creamier with a lower melt point. Which is why its used for grilled cheese.
@@bensonr2 I think it depends on your status if you are the lower end of the economic scale it's American Cheese. If you are in the upper it's American Cheddar. I have a pack of American cheese in my frig that been in there for 2 years. It doesn't agree with me. You can go to the stores in different economical areas and the ratio of American cheese and Cheddar will be appropriate to the area. As you get older your Grill cheese will be base on what you grew up with.
I make Quesada instead of grill cheese.
Even Americans don't consider American Cheese to actually be "cheese" - it has about as much to do with cheese as Paris, Texas does to Paris, France. Inspired by, sure. Remotely the same? Not at all.
On top of that, if you polled 1 million Americans, I'd bet every penny that no more than 1 in 20 could even tell you what kind of cheese "American Cheese" even is. A package of Kraft Singles simply says, "American" and "pasteurized prepared cheese product."
Don't get me wrong - I love the stuff on a grilled sandwich or burger. But if someone gave me a cheese board with American Cheese on it, I'd riot.
@@kennystoneman2584 umm...American Cheese is cheese in America. Not sure what part of America you're living in. But, in America, the most American cheese is American Cheese.
@@Subro03 See previous reply. If you need more than that... well, I can't help you.
I would love to take James to our local farmer's market, where I go shopping every friday. There's one guy from the south western part of Bavaria called "Allgäu" with a variety of cheese which would blow James' head off. I mean, even if it's only in the back of a Mercedes Sprinter, he has around 100 different kinds of cheese, from Germany, Austria, Italy, and so on.Enough cheese for pt.3 through to pt. 125 ;)
Y’all need some Kraft singles 😂
or Velveeta! 🙂
It's called him trying to be nice by giving America an actual chance.
Plastic cheese
I've never seen a grilled cheese sandwich made this way before. Interesting. Since a youngster, some 45 years ago, we have always buttered one side of 2 pieces of bread edge to edge. We place the cheese between, (yes I'm American and I prefer yellow American cheese for grilled cheeses, but I do like most cheeses that are not pungent), the bread, buttered side out. We then grill it on med heat until cheese melts, and the bread is crispy golden on the outside. When the bread is blackened, we start over....
Very much agree. No mayo. Just butter. American kraft singles or similar. I usually dark brown toast but still.
I was well surprised James knows how to say Gouda properly.
in 1970s NC-USA cheese was 64 slices of individually wrapped "American Cheese" ... not a dairy product , it being some kind of synthetic oil. In the 80s I ate b***loads of Wisconsin Cheddar that was affectionately known as "Government Cheese" because the USGov bought it up as a price supports program and fed it to foodstamp and Marines (me) ... never heard of monterey jack (did he play at that jazz festival ... is he related to Baltimore Jack from the AT and Bruce Springsteen's hungry hearts?) In the late 80s I married a lady who worked for a cheese merchant - so would say we really didnt have real cheese in stores until maybe mid Reagan's mid-second-term ...
Well now there has to be a part 3 after a fundamental misunderstanding of "American Cheese"
Yes. Just as @Wes said, Americans think “American Cheese” when they think of cheese. Most times American Cheese is not the best, however, for a grilled cheese sandwich, or a Cheeseburger, American Cheese is one of the top three choices.
Those beeps on the induction hob are exactly the same as the one in my kitchen, which is where I’m sat, and I keep thinking I’ve left a pan on and it’s having a panic attack 😂 CHEESE!
To james and the crew,
I quite enjoyed James reassembling things, I would gladly watch James reassembling more things. I also enjoyed this video. Thank you.
Sincerely,
##
Always love the food content
I love this 😂 also thee fact he recognised that everyone. Has loved his famous smack CHEESE line that will forever. Be gang
Monterey Jack cheese isn't the default cheese in America. These guys never get anything right 🤣
My guess James is not getting food the common lunch places. A lot of upper end and hotels. You would not find American Cheese in those places.
Amen..
It doesn't matter
You're supposed to thank them by using a cheese that actually gives America a chance.
Kraft
I was worried those grabbers were going to used without being tested, but thankfully James gave them a subtle clack just to make sure.
It seems American "Government Cheese" should be the proper opponent to council cheese, but I don't think it's made any more.
As an American, I can say that Monterrey Jack is not the default cheese. It’s either American or cheddar. American has a great melt point for grilled cheeses and burgers
Don't shy away from the Cheese Fame James. Nobody gravitates anywhere near your Legendary status as British Emissary for "Council" Food.
when the world needed him the most... he returned...
Monterey jack is a mexican cheese, brought up from mexico by spanish friars 200+ years ago, who adapted it to the local evironment.. a guy named jack, in Monterey CA, adapted it again for the general public. Its just a mild farmer's cheese.
“Is one slice enough?” - not if you’re making a true American grilled cheese sandwich! You want to taste the cheese, so you put on several slices. And I would always choose American or Cheddar cheese over Monterey Jack as they both melt easier.
But one is not american, the other is not cheese
this is the moment in which the developers turn a bug in the previous game into a full-fledged feature for the sequel
This production made me laugh so hard. Here in the states we call this a grilled cheese or toasted cheese sandwich. Normally it is made with American cheese (that's the official name of the cheese), or alot of times with colbyjack or sharp cheddar. We in the midwest rarely use Monterey jack cheese straight.
And they put mayonnaise on it and they ate it with mustard instead of ketchup... Not a lot of research went into this...
@@SusspenceB the whole default to American mustard gin, has to be seen to be believed
oh, how I have missed these! Please also bring back Mail time!
In America we use proper fake cheese and we call them “grilled cheese sandwich’s”
American cheese singles are not the same as real cheese but they melt better
The "imitation American cheese" from Top Gear-USA special
Yea, doesn't 'American Cheese' refer to 'milk product' 'cheese' slices?
And interesting fact, an AUTHENTIC 'Philly Cheesesteak' actually uses CHEESE WIZZ!
@@StreetPreacherr this is true… I don’t understand why but they use “cheese wiz”
@@StreetPreacherr no it doesn’t. What you’re calling “American Cheese” is not allowed to be sold in the USA as cheese. Real American cheese has been made for 300 years on this continent and it sounds like you’ve never had it.
Complete with mis-placed apostrophe.
I am very familiar with Monterey Jack, it's right up there on a par with Budweiser.
I know you are giving us yanks the stick but all you Brits should know that there is an EPONYMOUS cheese that is generally the default cheese over on this side of the ocean. :D
Yet it's not cheese, just vegetable oil and chemicals, which cheese, doesn't contain.
@@Jeff.78 American cheese IS cheese. That yellow stuff you buy from the big corporate concerns isn't American cheese.
@@Jeff.78 That's not true. The primary ingredient is cheese, usually cheddar.
@@Jeff.78 that’s a Kraft single. You have never had real American cheese.
I must say as an American, I don’t really see Monterey Jack often. Maybe more of a West coast thing. However we all use “American” Government cheese. Comes presliced, but in a massive block. Lovely on toast.
That is not what I would call a Classic American Grilled Cheese. But still a great video.
I love you guys, please do more videos
I' m relieved that you didn't choose Kraft Singles here, but Monterey Jack is more a California cheese, so I'm not sure you can call it stereotypically American. We do use it a lot in California, but I don't see it on hamburgers and such here unless I specifically request it. I use a mix of Cheddar and Monterey Jack in my "grilled cheese" sandwiches, as we call them, but have never heard of using mayonnaise on them like that. Might have to try it though! Not mustard though. 😆
James is an awesome guy; I truly loved his Toy Stories series.
When the first episode was on, I was killing time in a sad air-bnb. James making a cheese butty saved my sanity.
BTW, use a slender knife to cut cheese, less surface area for it to drag on.
Or use a cheese slicer
James: "I'm not an expert on cheese."
Also James: *has brought out Monterey Jack cheese in response to a request to use American cheese*
Me, an intellectual: "Indeed."
James, Monterey Jack is not the cheese they put on sandwiches, it's plain old "American Cheese". Monterey Jack is different, and by the way we do have cheddar, Swiss, Colby, provolone, cooper, etc. that comes in slices. Monterey Jack is not really American cheese, but things do go better with cheddar.
we need a james may rifling through drawers compilation
There’s literally a cheese called “American” James. How is Monterrey Jack the most American cheese??
As Brits, there's only so low you can go
If it's "Monterrey" then it's Monterrey Juan. 🙂
@@Novotny72 Not when it comes to food, I've seen bri'ish "food"
Because the only "American" cheese you can buy in a UK supermarket is Monterry Jack. Otherwise it would be a competition between two cheddar cheese sandwiches . . .
@@ffwast oh child let's be honest; you've never even left your state.
I love this channel. and Mr May!
American here, I've almost never had Monterey Jack cheese. Cheddar seems to be the default here in my opinion.
It's not the typical kraft American, but monterrey jack (a form of processed mozzarella) is used in many things for its browning and low moisture purposes. Chipotle uses a processed mixture of sharp white cheddar and monterrey jack for its cheese blend.
Yeah cheddar is American
"Does it melt, will it melt??" Put a freaking lid on your pan!!! 😂
The only cheese for a grilled cheese should be Kraft singles cheese. Nothing else is cheese for a grilled cheese besides council issues kraft singles lol
Interesting approach, I always toast each side of the bread first on their own, then put the cheese between the 2 toasted sides together, bring it back to the pan and then toast both remaining sides. By the time the sandwich is toasted on both sides, the cheese will have melted
Any particular reason why you would opt for the most difficult way to slice it imaginable, as opposed to just laying it flat and taking strips off the end?
12:47 "diarrhea is slightly better than dysentery" 😂😂
Lucy took a bite out of a cheese sandwich. That’s some real character growth right there.
Lurpak spreadable butter is margarine, not actual butter.
I am a simple man - I see James May, so i klick on it.
I am another simple man
Basically what Lucy was making was grilled cheese. However I never heard of Monterey Jack being used. Usually we just go to the grocery store and get Kraft or similar processed cheese. Where are you going to the deli and get sliced American cheese buy Land O'Lakes or similar. And then you have a nice bowl full of tomato soup yum. Except there's one thing that was wrong you don't put the mayonnaise on grilled cheese sandwich. No wonder why it burnt
James May ages like fine wine.
James: 🧀
Toasted cheese sandwiches made in an air-fryer are is one of my favourite things at the moment.
I weep for this generation.
Wow, you are so original. You should be a conservative politician with that fresh wit! Oh man! You must be a Hollywood writer, just whipping out zingers...kudos, man. This was amazing work. Scathing social commentary wrapped in layer upon layer of sophisticated analysis with academic and social references so perfectly intertwined, truly the work of a stunning intellect, such as the one you must, indeed, possess!
I think I may have overdone it.
Not all of us are mentally handicapped
That shelf in the back is pretty much identical to the ‘British food’ aisle at my local supermarket.
Cheese
Cheese
Cheese
Cheese
Cheese
Cheese
They are a f*cking LEGENDARY trio, can't we like declare them the rulers of Earth of smth?
When you are asked for cheese in the States, it is usually American cheese, which is processed yellow cheese or cheddar cheese. Unless it's nachos or something odd, we don't use monterrey jack cheese. Don't know where you were that kept giving you jack cheese. ick.
❤🇬🇧 cue the sound of France, Italy and Switzerland, laughing with us Brits at the poor old mercans.😅
Time to send them some Kraft Singles
They already have them in the UK.
Send them what they don’t have: real American cheese.
Mr May. Your greatest work, catagorically, is NOT placing cheese on a table and declaring Cheese. That is merely the entry drug.
IMO the best James May content is anything he did with Oz Clarke.
I've said it before and I will say it again, even if in vain. We NEED another James May/Oz Clarke collaborative project
When I think "American cheese" I think specifically of Kraft Singles. Which is basically edible orange plastic and therefore the most American thing possible.
Pre sliced, processed, artificial AND slices individually wrapped in plastic, can't get much more American than that!
You’re a victim of marketing then. What you’re calling “cheese” is no such thing, technically and legally. And the sad thing is you probably don’t know about real American cheese.
“After patenting a new method for manufacturing processed cheese in 1916, James L. Kraft began marketing it in the late 1910s, and the term "American cheese" rapidly began to refer to the processed variety instead of the traditional but more expensive cheddars also made and sold in the U.S.”
@@lookoutforchris I'm not American. American cheese as noted socially, stereotypically & internationally is either Kraft Singles or Cheeto Dust. That is America's legacy.
Yessss
have you tried that welsh cheese, it`s called "colliers" and it`s bootiful..............🤗🤗
Never heard of Mayo on the outside of the bread and then grilled. Nor have I ever heard of Monterey Jack cheese being used on a grilled cheese sandwich. But, hey, always a first.
It wasn't grilled it was fried
From a food science perspective, mayo on the outside of the bread functions as an egg wash, and can give pretty solid results when it's not, you know, burnt.
The addition of Will. Especially since I have been watching manlab. If Simmy came back.... you would have to declare a national holiday for viewers of James May content
as someone who lives in canada and has been making grilled cheeses since the age of 9, the struggle was hilarious to see
I mean, how many ways can a toasted or grilled cheese sandwich go wrong
I will never understand how one hates cheese.
How did you all come up with Monterey Jack and NOT AMERICAN CHEESE?!?!? This video has to be remade with American Cheese.
Hehe this made me smile.Lucy is lovely. I think they maybe should've maybe watched a video of someone making said sandwich before hand.
When I think of American cheese, what I am really picturing is “pasteurized cheese product” aka craft singles or velveeta…aka not real cheese 😂. As an American I typically stick to cheddar
I could watch James for hours