Slow Smoked Pork Shoulder with a Barbecue Rag Sauce

Hello friends.  Today we are going a little off script.  No photos, no wine pairing (although I will offer some suggestions).  Yesterday, Chef Sue smoked a pork shoulder basted with a barbecue rag sauce that was absolutely heavenly.  Although we did not intend this as one of our normal wine pairings (and therefore no photos and no wine pairing assessment), the smoked pork shoulder was just too good to keep to myself.

If you decide to try this preparation, there are a number of wines that I would recommend.  Here is my list of potentially good choices:

• Pinot Noir
• A red Bordeaux or a Bordeaux style blend
• Syrah/Shiraz
• Cabernet Franc
• Chenin Blanc
• Chardonnay
• Sauvignon Blanc

Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 bone-in Pork shoulder
• 2 cups cider vinegar
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon coriander
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper for rag sauce
• Salt and pepper for seasoning the pork shoulder

Preparation

1. Preheat smoker to 200-225 degrees
2. Generously season pork shoulder with salt and pepper and place in smoker.
3. Combine all non-pork ingredients to make a basting sauce also known as a rag sauce (the masters of BBQ often apply their basting sauce with a new clean rag mop or kitchen rag – hence a rag sauce).
4. Every half hour, brush basting sauce over the pork shoulder with a basting brush or your choice of clean rag.
5. Continue cooking in smoker until you reach an internal temperature of 170 degrees.  Plan on approximately one hour per pound.
6. Allow pork shoulder to rest, covered with a towel, for ½ hour.
7. Serve with any leftover rag sauce on the side.

In vino veritas, buen provecho.

Craig

Mole Marinated Flank Steak with White Wine Cilantro Sauce Over Celery Root Hash Paired with 2009 Barboursville Vineyards Virginia Reserve Cabernet Franc

Are you a seasonal wine drinker?  I don’t mean seasonal in the sense that there is a season for drinking wine, but rather a season for drinking different types of wine?  I am a seasonal wine drinker.  Over time, I have found my tastes shifting with the seasons.  For example, summer is often filled with Sauvignon Blanc, dry Rieslings, and other light, acidic and refreshing wines.  Spring and fall tend toward medium bodied Chardonnays, red blends, and Pinot Noir.  During winter, I find myself drinking full bodied reds; Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Syrah, and hefty blends.

Although this winter was, and remains ridiculously mild (highs in the low 80s over the last couple of days), I remain in winter drinking wine mode.  On top of that, I still have a long line of “winter” wines reserved for wine pairings.  I have a lot of work ahead of me before winter is officially ended.  With this in mind, I donned my creative culinary tocque and was inspired to create a mole marinated flank steak with white wine cliantro sauce over celery root hash paired with a 2009 Barboursville Vineyards Virginia Reserve Cabernet Franc.

At first blush, this appears to be an odd construction, but let me explain my thought process.  As you would guess, the flank steak with a mole marinade features deep rich flavors along with the contrast of strong piquance.  For additional balance, I decided to introduce some acid and brighter flavors.  A white wine sauce came to mind first, then I added the cilantro to further brighten the flavors while remaining consistent with the Mexican theme.  Finally, I completed the dish with a celery root hash.  I originally conceived this as celery root pancakes, but in the end went with a “looser” hash approach that worked nicely from a texture perspective.

Admittedly, these flavor combinations are difficult to get your head around.  Logically, it kinda-sorta-maybe-works, but up until plating time, I was haunted by fear that I was creating a colossal failure.  My fears were little more than creative insecurity.  The meal was fantastic, and the combination of contrasting flavors and balance worked better than I could have imagined.  Sigh of relief!

From the start, this recipe was conceived with the 2009 Barboursville Vineyards Virginia Reserve Cabernet Franc in mind.  Here are some notes from the winemaker:

“This vineyard’s renown for Cabernet Franc rests on the most consistent critical acclaim for any varietal red wine produced in the Eastern United States, but to be fair, this distinction comes from the ground. We grow the most diversified array of Cabernet Franc clones in the region - 4 from Bordeaux, 1 from the Loire - offering a wine-making palette of matchless permutation and subtlety. At the same time, the vineyard has so well established our Merlot, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Sauvignon, that the Cabernet Franc Reserve is never less than the most elegant exemplar of the varietal in any vintage. The House red wine at The Inn at Little Washington, it responds to a knowing demand for a characterful, intriguing, and refreshingly well-bred wine for dining, and indeed for conversation with friends who delight in fine wine for its own sake.”

Tasting notes from the winemaker:

“Dark garnet core, brilliant clarity in the glass. Intense, effusively luscious flavors of ripe red berries with caramelised notes of fig, cherry, and plum, elegantly woven together in barrel. Long-finishing and tannically vivid, yet with a remarkably soft palate.”

I would be challenged to improve on these tasting notes.  I would only add that “tannically vivid” should be interpreted as you might expect - this wine is not a wilting flower.  And as the winemaker states, this wine is very drinkable now, will likely peak in 2013, and will sustain for another three to six years.  The boldness of this wine was perfect for the pairing.  A lesser wine would not have stood up to the piquance of the mole, and yet play a welcome complementary role to the brighter flavors of the white wine cilantro sauce.

I remain very impressed with each and every bottle I open from Barboursville Vineyards.  Their wines are available at their online store, and I encourage you to visit.

Recipes

Mole Sauce

Ingredients

• 4 ½ cups chicken stock
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 3 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 ½ tablespoons chili powder
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 ounces unsweetened dark chocolate, chopped or shaved if you have a few extra minutes
• Sugar to taste

Preparation

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat.
2. Add onion, garlic, oregano, cumin and cinnamon - sauté until onion is almost tender, stirring occasionally.
3. Mix in chili powder and flour, stir for 3 minutes.
   Gradually whisk in chicken broth.
4. Boil until reduced by half, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium low.
5. Whisk in chocolate; season with salt and pepper, if desired.
6. Whisk in sugar as desired to reach a balance with the heat of the chili powder. This is a matter of taste. I used three tablespoons.
7. When cooled, the sauce will thicken.
8. Season a 2 pound flank steak with salt and pepper, then generously coat with the mole.
9. Place on a plate, cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least one hour. The longer the better. If you have a vacuum sealer, this is the best approach (and the one I use for nearly all marinades).
10. Preheat your broiler for a few minutes, place your flank steak on a broiler pan, and sear both sides (3 to 4 minutes).
11. Slice into 1/4 inch strips across the grain.
12. Serve over celery root hash and top with white wine cilantro sauce.

White Wine Cilantro Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 large onion thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 cups dry white wine (a wine with strong acidity like a Sauvignon Blanc is the best choice)
• 1 bunch of fresh cilantro (stems removed and finely chopped, leaves coarsely chopped)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Add onion to preheated olive oil in a sauté pan over medium high heat. Sauté until onions are tender.
2. Stir in garlic, wine, and cilantro stems, and continue for another 2 minutes over medium high heat.
3. Season to taste, add cilantro leaves and keep on heat for another minute.
4. Remove from heat and serve over flank steak.

Celery Root Hash

Ingredients

• 3 peeled celery roots
• 1 medium onion
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup matzo meal
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil.

Preparation

1. Grate celery root and onion by hand or the grating blade of your food processor.
2. Place grated celery root and onion in a strainer to drain excess liquid.
3. Once drained, gently press out more of the liquid, add to a bowl with 4 beaten eggs, matzo meal, salt and pepper.
4. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with a coating of vegetable oil.
5. Spoon the mixture into skillet and turn occasionally to achieve a general browning.
6. To use all the mixture, you will likely cook several batches. You will need to add oil on occasion.

In vino veritas, buen provecho.

Craig

Red Wine Pepper Steak over Asian Potato Pancakes Paired with 2009 Barrel Oak Winery Reserve Virginia Cabernet Franc

With Peking duck on the menu earlier last week, I decided to stick with the Asian theme for this pairing and prepare my interpretation of pepper steak and an Asian influenced potato pancake.  I am a huge fan of potato pancakes and appreciate them for their flexibility in adapting to nearly any ethnic cuisine with just a few amendments – your creativity is the only limitation.

My pepper steak preparation diverges from many of the recipes you will find by the addition of water chestnuts, three varieties of peppers, and substitution of stewed tomatoes and red wine for the more traditional beef broth.  The Asian influenced potato pancakes uses a common approach with the addition of scallions, cilantro, and wasabe powder.  These modifications led to a sauce intended to complement the wine pairing, and potato pancakes that add a distinct Asian flavor rather than the more pedestrian flavor of a plain potato pancake.  Our dinner crowd was pleased with the results. 

My pairing choice for this meal was the 2009 Barrel Oak Winery Reserve Virginia Cabernet Franc. And just for fun, Golf Buddy Steve brought a 2009 Rosenblum Cellars Vintner’s Cuvee California Syrah. With two wines to compare and contrast with the meal, our fun was easily doubled. Part of our delight came from dissecting the meal and all the possible combinations of food components and wine. But first, here are some tasting notes:

The 2009 Barrel Oak Winery Reserve Virginia Cabernet Franc starts with a bold perfume laden nose that belies the the full body and deep flavors of black cherry sprinkled with cracked pepper. The long and satisfying finish returns to the floral perfume found in the nose with a hint of smoke and oak.

The 2009 Rosenblum Cellars Vintner’s Cuvee California Syrah winemakers tasting notes: Dark and rustic, our 2009 Syrah Cuvée shows a distinctly old-world profile. Classic Rhône-style characteristics of meat, leather and spice are married with the native richness of California fruit. Black-cherry and currant aromas carry meaty soy notes and high spices in the nose. The intensity of the fruit comes through on the palate, with juicy layers of boysenberry, cassis, dark plum and a touch of anise. This smooth, succulent palate is wrapped up with grippy tannins that hold the flavors for a lengthy, satisfying finish.

While both wines were an excellent choice for the pairing, as we looked at different components of the meal, we found the Cabernet Franc with a slice of beef was the best choice. On the other hand, a forkful of potato pancake (with peppers, onions, and water chestnut) paired best with the Rosenblum Syrah. With a fully loaded fork containing each of the dish components, both wines worked equally well.

If you care to view this pairing as a bi-coastal wine throw down, our conclusion was a pleasurable draw.  While many believe Virginia wines continue to seek a distinct identity, I am convinced there are plenty of gems to be found.  I plan to find each of these gems and have already discovered several wineries hitting home runs across their portfolio.

Recipes

Pepper Steak

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds top sirloin beef cut to roughly 2-3 inch strips 1/4 inch thick
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 2 medium onions, sliced thin
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1 cup red wine
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 stalk celery, sliced
• 1 green bell peppers, sliced thin
• 1 red bell peppers, sliced thin
• 1 yellow bell peppers, sliced thin
• 1 (8 ounce) can sliced water chestnuts, drained
• 1 can stewed tomatoes
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch

Preparation

1. Slice the beef.
2. Heat olive oil in a skillet on medium high and add onion and garlic. Sauté until onion is tender.
3. Remove onions and add beef strips until browned.
4. Add remaining ingredients, stir to incorporate all ingredients, and simmer for 30 minutes.

Asian Potato Pancakes

Ingredients

• 4 large potatoes. I prefer to scrub them and leave unpeeled.
• 1 large onion
• 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 5 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro
• 4 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons wasabe powder
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 9 tablespoons vegetable oil

Preparation

1. Using grater or food processor, coarsely grate potatoes and onion.
2. Transfer to colander, allow to drain. Then press to force out remaining liquid.
3. Transfer mixture to large bowl, add eggs, scallions, cilantro, flour, salt, wasabe powder, and pepper. Stir gently to combine.
4. In large nonstick skillet over moderate heat, heat 3 tablespoons oil until hot but not smoking.
5. Drop 1/2 cup portions batter into pan and gently flatten each into 4-5 inch diameter pancakes.
6. Fry, turning once, until well browned on both sides.
7. Fry remaining pancakes adding oil as necessary.
8. Keep warm until ready to serve.

In vino veritas, buen provecho.

Craig