Epoisses, the cheese, is produced in our local town…Epoisses! People who live around here will tell you unequivocally that there is no better cheese on earth than ‘their’ Epoisses. And we heartily agree. It has one weakness though: it doesn’t travel well. Epoisses is a whole milk soft cheese that is washed with marc de Bourgogne as it ages to keep it from developing a skin. When it is ripe and ready, it is a real delice. But as it gets a little too old it becomes ammoniated and too strong. But more and more, we’re seeing Epoisses in good condition far away from its native Burgundy. If you find it in your specialty market, (we have seen it in Whole Foods on the east coast) look for a moist, brandy-colored skin. It should fill its box, and not have shrunk away from the sides. Avoid dark orange, slimy skin. And sniff it to be sure it does not smell of ammonia. Other smells are ok, though … it can be pretty pungent. The family-run restaurant in the center of Epoisses, ‘La Pomme d’Or’, devotes an entire tasting menu to this Burgundian delight. There they serve a sautéed hanger steak (what the French call ‘onglet’ or ‘la piece du boucher’–literally, the piece the butcher keeps for himself!) with this simple, delicious Epoisses sauce. The sauce here is made in the saute pan. But if you are grilling your steak, just melt a spoonful of the cheese on top of the hot meat. It’s a great combo, and just too good! You may have to do some explaining to get an American butcher to give you this exact piece of beef–there is only one in every cow. It’s located just below the tenderloin. If you do find it, it is best ‘butterflied’ against the grain. It’s not the most tender morsel, but is really flavorful. Failing this, choose your preferred cut.