Red Butte Hatch Chili: Utah's Award-Winning Spicy Cheddar
This smoky, spice-rubbed cheddar from Beehive Cheese brings the heat of New Mexico's famous Hatch chiles to the high desert of Utah.
Estimated Reading Time: 4 min
If you've ever wondered what happens when Utah's pristine dairy country meets New Mexico's legendary chile harvest, Red Butte Hatch Chili has your answer. This isn't your typical grocery store pepper jack. Created by Beehive Cheese Company in the mouth of Weber Canyon, this award-winning cheddar transforms authentic Hatch green chiles into something that's become their second-best seller nationwide. What started as a seasonal collaboration with a local Utah grocer has evolved into a year-round sensation that's earning international recognition. The secret lies in the marriage of rich, Jersey-Holstein milk from a single family farm and those distinctive smoky chiles that can only grow in New Mexico's volcanic soil.
The Utah Terroir Behind the Cheese
Beehive Cheese sources all their milk from Wadeland South Dairy, a fourth-generation family operation in Warren, Utah, just ten miles from the creamery. This isn't just about proximity, though that certainly helps with freshness. The closed herd of Jersey and Holstein-Friesian cattle graze on alfalfa grown near the Great Salt Lake's saline marshes, creating milk with a distinctive mineral complexity.
The Jersey cows contribute exceptionally high butterfat content and those large fat globules that give the cheese its golden hue and rich mouthfeel. Holstein-Friesians provide volume and balanced protein ratios. Rather than standardizing this seasonal milk to uniform specifications year-round, Beehive adjusts their recipes dynamically to work with nature's variations.
Pro Pairing Tip: The high butterfat from Jersey milk makes this cheese an exceptional melter. Try it in queso fundido or mac and cheese where those rich dairy fats can really shine.
The Hatch Chile Difference
Not all chiles are created equal, and Hatch chiles are in a league of their own. Grown exclusively in New Mexico's Hatch Valley, these peppers develop their signature smoky sweetness from the region's intense sun, hot days, and cool nights. The volcanic soil adds an earthy depth that simply can't be replicated elsewhere.
Beehive tumbles roasted Hatch chiles directly into their Irish-style cheddar base during production. This creates pockets of smoky, vegetal flavor throughout the paste without overwhelming the dairy's natural sweetness. The heat builds slowly and comfortably rather than delivering an aggressive burn.
The Spice-Rubbed Rind
What sets Red Butte apart from other chile cheeses is its hand-rubbed exterior. The wheels are coated with ground coriander, dried red chiles, spices, and canola oil. That coriander brings a bright, lemony note that provides brilliant contrast to the rich, meaty flavors of the cheese. It's this interplay between smoky warmth, citrusy brightness, and creamy sweetness that creates such a sophisticated flavor profile.
Cave Aging in Utah Blue Spruce
Red Butte spends up to 12 months maturing in Beehive's humidity-controlled caves, longer than their standard Promontory cheddar. The aging racks are constructed from Utah Blue Spruce, which contributes to the local microclimate and supports the biochemical reactions of ripening.
This extended aging is crucial for allowing the volatile compounds from the chiles and spice rub to thoroughly permeate the dense cheese matrix. The result is a semi-hard cheese with moisture content between 32.5% and 36.0%, giving it excellent structural stability while maintaining that creamy breakdown on the tongue.
Terroir Tales: The cheese is named after Red Butte Garden at the University of Utah, cementing its connection to the local landscape and culture of the Salt Lake basin.
Technical Specifications
Red Butte Hatch Chili is made with pasteurized cow's milk and vegetarian-friendly microbial rennet, making it suitable for lacto-vegetarian diets. The pH ranges from 4.95 to 5.30, with water activity between 0.90 and 0.95. Each 28-gram serving provides 7 grams of protein, 9 grams of total fat (6 grams saturated), and 185-200 mg of sodium.
Ingredients: Pasteurized cow's milk, salt, cheese cultures, microbial rennet, roasted Hatch green chiles, coriander, dried red chiles, spices, canola oil
Storage and Spoilage Signs
Store Red Butte between 33°F and 42°F. If vacuum packaging swells due to temperature fluctuations, don't panic. This "gassing off" is normal bacterial respiration producing CO₂. Simply remove from blown packaging and rewrap tightly.
Superficial white, blue, or green mold can be safely brushed away due to the cheese's low moisture content. However, discard immediately if you see orange, red, black, or pink mold, or if the surface becomes slimy or develops putrid odors.
Perfect Pairings
For wine, try Old Vine Zinfandel whose peppery, smoky undertones harmonize beautifully with the Hatch chiles, while the wine's acidity cuts through the rich dairy fats. Grenache from Dry Creek Valley works similarly, with the spice rub coaxing out white pepper and red berry notes.
White wine lovers should reach for off-dry Riesling, whose stone-fruit sweetness mitigates the capsaicin heat while high acidity cleanses the palate. Champagne's effervescence lifts the savory, smoky flavors while providing a clean finish.
Beer-wise, clean pilsners and light lagers act as efficient palate cleansers, while blonde ales offer sweet, bready malt that complements the buttery richness and lemony coriander notes.
Pro Pairing Tip: On a charcuterie board, pair with fatty cured meats like Genoa salami or soppressata, plus acidic elements like pickled jalapeños or cornichons to balance the rich mouthfeel.
Award-Winning Recognition
Red Butte Hatch Chili has earned serious accolades in the global cheese community. In 2021 alone, it took first place at both the World Cheese Awards and Utah Cheese Awards (where it also won Best in Show), plus third place at the International Cheese and Dairy Awards.
What started as a seasonal specialty for Harmons Neighborhood Grocer became so popular that Beehive made it a permanent offering. You can find it at Murray's Cheese inside City Market here in Pagosa Springs, where the high-altitude climate actually helps preserve its complex flavors.
Pronunciation Guide
Red Butte Hatch Chili is pronounced "red BYOOT hach CHIL-ee," with emphasis on the "BYOOT" for the geological formation that inspired the name.
Whether you're melting it into a smoky mac and cheese, adding it to your next burger, or savoring it on a charcuterie board with a glass of Zinfandel, Red Butte Hatch Chili represents the best of American artisanal cheesemaking. It's proof that when you combine exceptional local milk with authentic regional ingredients and patient cave aging, you get something truly special.
Sources and Further Reading
- Beehive Cheese Company - Official producer information and recipes
- World Cheese Awards - International competition results and judging criteria
- Culture: The Word on Cheese Magazine - Artisanal cheese industry coverage
- TasteAtlas - Global food heritage and regional specialties
- Park City Magazine - Local Utah food culture and producer profiles
