Smoked Pork Butt Spicy Apple Compote Spaetzle and Bacon Wrapped Sweet Onion Paired with 2009 Frei Brothers Reserve Russian River Valley Pinot Noir

For the first time, Chef Sue recently prepared smoked pork butt in our beloved smoker located at our secret culinary lair on the Potomac River.  In short, I was delighted.  I was beyond delighted - every tasty morsel was enough to make my eye roll back in my head deliriously.  Most of this delectable treat was donated to a community event, which left me begging for more.  My begging paid off.

Returning to our secret Potomac lair this weekend, Chef Sue put two eight pound pork butts on the smoker.  This is a time consuming process, but well worth the wait.  And like an impending snow storm, the anticipation is a good part of the fun.  Chef Sue's process involves 24 hours of brining, eight hours in the smoker (one hour for each pound) and basting once per hour while smoking.  The result is other-worldly.

Commonly, smoked pork butt is converted to pulled pork for barbecue sandwiches, but I prefer enjoying this wonderfully tender and juicy meat in it's primal smoked form, treating it like any other large cut of meat and carving off large slabs of mouth melting goodness.  Are you getting the hint that I love this stuff?  I do.  I love pork, and it loves me back.

After the prior weekend's experience with Chef Sues smoked pork butt, I was committed to a wine pairing and sharing this porky love fest with you.  The first task was completing the meal.  Chef Sue and I huddled, threw out a few options and eventually settled on adding a touch of piquance and sweetness with an apple compote, spaetzle, and a bacon wrapped baked sweet onion (is it possible to have too much pork? - I don't think so).

Next I moved on to the wine selection.  My thought process started with a medium bodied wine to match the body of the pork, moderate acidity to balance the fat, and prominent fruit (pork and fruit is a natural combination in my mind), and a touch of earthiness or oak to echo the smoke flavor in the pork.  With this criteria in place, I still had the decision of going red or white.  The balance was tipped in favor of a red when I decided to go in the direction of earthy flavors to add depth rather than oak as a direct mirror of the smoked meat.  I settled on the 2009 Frei Brothers Reserve Russian River Valley Pinot Noir.

The wine answered my desires wonderfully with rich flavors of dark berries and plum, moderate acidity, and pleasant earthy notes.  The pairing worked nicely, but I have two minor reservations with the wine.  First, I would have liked a touch more acidity.  The winemaker appears to have sacrificed acidity for a velvety smooth mouth feel.  Second, the alcohol content is high and is not hidden behind the strength of the fruit.  Although the pairing was very good, these two aspects make it less than perfect.  We enjoyed the wine and would buy it again, but with the acidity and alcohol levels, I would not intentionally compose another pairing.

Recipes

Smoked Pork Butt

Ingredients for Brine

• ½ cup coarse salt
• 1 cup cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 4 cloves garlic
• 24 ounces beef broth
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 5 pound bag of ice

Preparation

1. Combine all ingredients in a pot over medium heat and stir until all ingredients are incorporated.
2. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
3. Thoroughly clean a small cooler (small enough so brining liquid covers the meat, yet tall enough to accommodate a 5 pound bag of ice) and add pork butt, pour brining liquid over the pork, then add a 5 pound bag of ice.
4. Keep in cooler for 24 hours.

Ingredients for Basting Liquid

• 1 cup cider vinegar
• ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• ½ tablespoon red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

Preparation

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir.
2. Preheat smoker to 200-225 degrees F.
3. Place pork butt in smoker, fat side up.  Smoking time is 1 hour per pound of meat.
4. Baste the pork but with a clean rag or brush every hour.

Spicy Apple Compote

Ingredients

• 1 apple diced 
• water to cover the apples
• 1 squirt lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• dash of cayenne pepper
• pinch of salt

Preparation

1. Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan over low heat.  Stir occasionally until apple is tender.

Bacon Wrapped Sweet Onions

Ingredients (per serving)

• 1 Vidalia onion
• 2 slices of thick cut bacon
• 1 pad of butter
• salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Peel onion and cut one end to provide a flat surface that lets the onion stand on it’s own.
2. Cut flat the opposite end of the onion, then carve out a small well to hold the pad of butter.  I leave it to you to choose the size of your pad.  I love butter and was generous.
3. Wrap the onion in two strips of thick cut bacon and hold in place with toothpick(s).  Season with salt and pepper.
4. We wrapped the onion in foil and placed in a preheated oven (350 F) for about 30 minutes.
5. Alternatively (and the way we intend to do it next time), place the onions on a broiler pan that should add more texture to the onion.  The process would work equally well on a grill off direct heat.

Spaetzle

Ingredients (per serving)

• 1 cup flour
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Preparation

1. Mix the dough several minutes until glossy. The dough should be wetter than brownie batter but not as wet as pancake batter.
2. Bring water to boil in a large pot.  Reduce heat so water is just under a boil.
3. Place a portion of the batter on a cutting board (a smooth glass board works best) and spread until about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thickness.
4. Using a pastry knife or other flat edge, scrape off the batter, 1/4 inch or less into the water.
5. Allow to cook until the spaetzle floats.  Remove, keep warm, and repeat with remainder of batter.
6. Alternatively, you can take finished spaetzle, brown in a skillet with butter and finish with cheese.

In vino veritas, buen provecho.

Craig

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

Thanksgiving Wine Pairing Recommendations

If you are planning a traditional Thanksgiving feast, wine pairing can be a daunting challenge.  Why such a daunting task?  Simple – Thanksgiving meals are typically overflowing with a tremendous variety of flavors including sweet, savory, buttery, acidity, a variety of vegetables, turkey, and ham – all complicated by varying preparations.

So where to start?  You could focus your pairing on the meat, the sauces, or the sides.  This remains challenging with the variety of flavors on the table.  One approach to Thanksgiving wine pairing is the tried and true traditional pairings.  These consist of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and sparkling wines.

Any of these traditional thanksgiving wines will provide solid results.  But what if you want to be more adventuresome?  Another fun approach would be to have multiple wines.  Yeah!  More wine!  Using this method, you might consider a variety of wines to pair with different parts of the meal.

Here are a few recommendations to consider for the traditional trio and the less trodden path:

• Although you may not be a fan of oaky Chardonnay, the buttery components of the meal form a nice balance with a nicely oaked Chardonnay.  Look for one with healthy acidity.
• Think Riesling to complement the sweet components of the meal.
• If you decide on the tried and true Pinot Noir, focus on fruity bottle with some spice.
• Syrah – the spiciness, acidity, and fruit will work with most of the meal with the exception of the sweet dishes.
• Pinot Gris offers nice acidity to balance the richness of many dishes.  The pronounced fruit and heftier body distinguish it from Pinot Grigio.  Stay away from the Pinot Grigio – it will not stand up the most of the meal.  The same is true of most Sauvignon Blancs – they will fall flat with their relatively light body.
• If you decide to go with Champagne or sparkling wine – don’t go cheap – you need a wine with some healthy yeast, body, and nutty flavors to complement the turkey and the vegetables.
• The highly versatile Viognier is a great choice to pair with a variety of vegetables.
• If you have a heavy fried component such as a fried turkey – avoid the reds.  The combination could feel like a lead balloon.
• If you smoke your turkey or ham, an oaky Chardonnay is a good complementary choice, but a smoky red with a medium body such as a Merlot, Grenache, Syrah or Shiraz (nice fruit contrast) would complement the smoked meat while offering a pleasant fruit contrast.
• If your menu includes a spicy glazed ham, match it with a moderate alcohol Zinfandel.  The normal high alcohol levels of Zins can not only lead to more expressive family conversation, but can intensify the spice in an undesirable way.  A Rioja, Tempranillo, heavier bodied Pinot Noir or a Syrah would also be a good choice.
• Pumpkin Pie and Apple Pie – try a Muscat, lightly effervescent Moscato , White Port, or Tawny Port.
• For a chocolate based dessert, a Ruby Port or a Late Bottled Vintage Port will make you smile.

Live on the edge.  Go with the non-traditional approach, and pair your feast with several wines.  Experiment a little and let your holiday guests enjoy a diversion from the traditional one wine fits all formula.  Always remember balance is the key – we don’t want the wine to upstage the feast, nor do we want it to be a footnote.

At the request of my children, we will be drawing outside the lines for Thanksgiving. Our meal will be no less diverse, but will be entirely drawn from the rich culinary tradition of Italy.  Be sure I will share all the fun details.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Craig

Steak Tartare and Bacons Sauteed Brussels Sprouts Paired with two Pinot Noirs and a Tempranillo

Since releasing my eBook - Craig’s Grape Adventure – Loving Life with a Skillet and a Corkscrew - I took a small break from posting new pairings.  However, I was still cooking, pairing, enjoying, and have a number of great recipes and wines lined up in the on-deck circle.  The pace of life (meaning work) is picking up dramatically, but I hope to get back on schedule.

Steak tartare, tuna tartare, salmon tartare, and all the rest of the brothers, sisters, and cousins in the extended tartare family are among my favorites.  I love the basic and distinct flavors these dishes highlight.  Last year when I was working in Israel and Jordan, I went on somewhat of a steak tartare binge.  We would routinely hold “business meetings” at the American Colony Hotel in Jerusalem.  I did not expect to find steak tartare on the menu, but sure enough, it was there - and it was spectacular.  I never got around to sampling the rest of the menu.

Another wonderful experience with steak tartare came from my visits to Ethiopic – an Ethiopian restaurant on H Street NE in Washington DC.  It is prepared with traditional Ethiopian spices and is worlds away (well at least a continent and a big ocean) from my experience in Jerusalem.  If you happen to be in Washington DC, or Jerusalem, I recommend you give these folks a try for a memorable serving of steak tartare.

The trips to the American Colony hotel and Ethiopic inspired me to try my hand at steak tartare.  The result was terrific and I’m glad I did.

Pairing wine with steak tartare presents a broad range of possibilities.  In the raw, steak has a much brighter flavor than when cooked.  Add to this the spicy components and capers - the range of wines can vary from medium bodied and fruity to bold, full bodied, and spicy.  We decided to try the medium bodied end of the spectrum with the intent of matching the body and flavor intensity in complement rather than the contrast of a spicy Shiraz or Zinfandel.  Mission accomplished.

We started with the 2008 Cloudline Oregon Pinot Noir.  We found the tasting notes from the winemaker consistent with our experience.

“On the nose, there is an immediate burst of bright, fresh red fruits, including strawberry and raspberry, followed by an earthy quality. On the palate, the wine has fine texture, soft tannins, good acidity and a strong core of fruit. It is a wine that offers immediate pleasure, on its own, or better yet, in the company of a delicious meal.”

The acidity and distinctive fruit flavors were key in our judgment of success for the pairing.  The body, intensity of flavors and acidity not only make this a great paring with steak tartare, but a great pairing wine in general with a noteworthy range of possibilities.  At $18, it is an excellent value.

We next moved on to the 2008 Xwinery Carneros Napa Valley Truchard Vineyard Pinot Noir.  Tasting notes from the winemaker:

“Bursting with raspberry and red cherry aromas, this austere 2008 Pinot Noir from Truchard Vineyards in Los Carneros is both clean and elegant. This wine offers bright fruit flavors of strawberry, red cherry, and raspberry as well as notes of cola and prune. It finishes with nutty, oaky flavors and offers minerality native to the Los Carneros region.”

We found the the 2008 Xwinery Carneros Napa Valley Truchard Vineyard Pinot Noir to be comparable to the Cloudline, yet a bit more intense, complex, and featuring slightly darker fruit flavors.  The acidity and body were well matched to the tartare and we gave it an enthusiastic thumbs up.  At $25, it is yet another good value and a versatile pairing wine.

Finally, the 2009 Trader Joe's California Petit Reserve Tempranillo.  The 2009 Trader Joe's Tempranillo Petit Reserve is a wine purchased in Virginia, made from a Spanish grape grown in California and sold by a Germany company.  The wine industry is really stretching its geographic legs these days.  Here are the tasting notes from the bottle:

“Our rendition of this native Spanish grape displays distinctive, focused aromas of blackberry and dried currant with a hint of smoke on the finish.”

We found it to be fruity and smooth with a bit of tartness in the finish.  It was not as complex as the Pinot Noirs, and the tartness was not ideal for the pairing.  I would not recommend this wine for your pairing with steak tartare.  On the other hand, at $6 this is an economical daily drinker.

As a final note, we added bacon sautéed brussels sprouts, egg noodles and Swedish meatballs to the menu for a certain someone in the crowd who is not pleased with the idea of raw anything. 
While on the subject of raw, prepare this dish at your own risk.  Regardless of what I say about raw food, seared food, medium rare steaks and anything short of cooking the hell out of something, follow the USDA guidelines for safely cooking meat. Your choice, like mine, to live on the edge with less than fully cooked meats is exactly that – your decision.

Recipe

Steak Tartare

Ingredients

For 2 servings

• Assorted fresh greens (optional)
• 12 ounces beef tenderloin or sirloin
• Worcestershire sauce
• Trinidad pepper sauce (or your favorite pepper sauce)
• Salt
• Black Pepper
• 2 tablespoons drained capers
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1/3 cup minced red onion
• 1/3 cup finely chopped parsley
• 2 egg yolks
• Toast points drizzled with olive oil (optional)
• Extra virgin olive oil

Preparation

1. Finely chop the beef with a very sharp knife - a dull knife is frustrating and results in something more akin to ground beef.
2. Season to taste with Worcestershire sauce, hot pepper sauce, Dijon mustard, salt and black pepper. I used Trinidad Pepper Sauce.
3. Gently fold in the onions, capers and parsley
4. Shape the meat into 2 patties and form a small bowl in the center to place the egg yolk.
5. Center each on a plate - putting on a bed of fresh greens is a nice optional touch.
6. Carefully break the 2 eggs, and gently place only the yolk in the "bowl you formed in the patty.
7. Drizzle with olive oil and serve with additional pepper sauce, Worcestershire and olive oil on the side. Optionally, include toast points.

In vino veritas, buen provecho.

Craig

Chile Verde Paired with 2009 Stoneleigh Marlborough Pinot Noir and 2010 Matua Valley Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc

This pairing marks the official kick-off of the 2011 football season and is the first in what I intend to be a series of finger licking good football food.  All the football fans out there know exactly what I am talking about.  There is a whole class of foods that we fans of the game find nearly enjoyable as the game itself.  Settling down for a Saturday afternoon of college football or a Sunday afternoon of NFL football demands a certain cuisine.  Unfortunately, football food and wine pairing is not the first thing that comes to mind when dreaming of our weekends at the game, or in front of the TV cheering for our favorite teams.  Football (or pretty much any other sport) is usually synonymous with beer.  I like beer, but believe there is an unexploited audience of wine lovers that would enjoy a good football food wine pairing – and I am just the person to fill this void.

To kick off the season, we are starting with chili – a time tested favorite football food.  Never one to draw within the lines, we are flipping the coin in favor of Chile Verde, a favorite dish in New Mexico, Arizona, and Colorado.  The offensive line for this meal is a pair of New Zealand wines which makes great sense – they play the more civilized cousin of US football – rugby.

The quarterback (chef) for this meal was “not so much a football fan” Dawn.  Golf buddy Steve and I were at the wide receiver positions and selected the wine.  After hearing Dawn’s description of the recipe, we decided on a double wide-out pairing with Steve selecting a Pinot Noir, and me selecting a Sauvignon Blanc.  Our selections included a 2009 Stoneleigh Marlborough Pinot Noir and a 2010 Matua Valley Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc.  I chose the Sauvignon Blanc with the idea of balancing the piquance of the recipe.  We hedged our bets, not having previously tasted the recipe, with Steve’s selection of a Pinot Noir with the thought of a better body balance.

Although the bright citrus flavors and healthy acidity of the Sauvignon Blanc did a fine job of balancing the heat of the chili, the heft of the dish overwhelmed the light body of the Sauvignon Blanc.  While enjoyable, the Sauvignon Blanc just could not stand up to the weighty front line of the chile verde.

On the other hand, the 2009 Stoneleigh Marlborough Pinot Noir went toe to toe across the line of scrimmage with the chile verde with perfect balance in body.  This Pinot Noir was not only a well balanced compliment to the chile verde with respect to weight, but was impressively smooth with well integrated tannins and flavors of bright berry fruits with darker berries lingering in the finish with a nice touch of sweetness that worked very well in balancing the mild heat of the chile verde.  While everyone enjoyed both wines, the 2009 Stoneleigh Marlborough Pinot Noir was clearly the best pairing choice.  At $15, both wines are very good values.

For the recipe used by Chef Dawn, follow this link to the Sunset Cookbook.

In vino veritas, buen provecho.

Craig

Hurricane Irene Wine Tasting Aftermath; A Night of Welcome Surprises

My last post, Hurricane Irene Wine Pairing, I wrote about our intention to stare down Hurricane Irene and press on with our wine tasting and hors d’oeuvre pairing.  Our face off paid handsome dividends.  Hurricane Irene did not live up to the forecasts, at least in Washington DC, and we had an enjoyable evening.  Of course, some people in DC did not fare as well as we did – you can see some evidence of this if you visit my photography blog documenting the ill fate of a number of cars in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of DC; “Hurricane Irene Crushed Cars in Washington DC.”

While we had several cancellations in our party (and those who did not come will be appropriately ridiculed for their lack of fortitude), six hearty souls made the pilgrimage, and we were all treated to great wine and memorable pairings.

As a refresher, here were the guidelines for the pairing;

1. Each couple brought a bottle of Pinot Noir and a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc.
2. Each couple paired one of their wines with an hors d’oeuvre.
3. As we progressed through the wines, each hors d’oeuvre was presented by its creator along with the thought process for the pairing.

We started with a Lilliana Conegliano Valdobbiadene Proseco and moved on to the Sauvignon Blancs:

• 2010 Merry Edwards Russian River Valley Sauvignon Blanc
• 2010 Starborough Marlborough New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc
• 2010 Mirassou California Sauvignon Blanc
• 2010 Dog Point Vineyard Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc

And here is the list of list of Pinot Noirs:

• 2008 Benziger Family Winery Russian River Valley Pinot Noir
• 2009 Clark &Telephone Vineyard Belle Glos Santa Maria Valley Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir
• 2010 Cavit Collection Provincia di Pavia Pinot Noir

The pairings included

• Mirasou Sauvignon Blanc paired with cheese stuffed jalapeno peppers wrapped in bacon prepared and paired by Formerly Dawn of Austin and Golf Buddy Steve.
• 2010 Merry Edwards Russian River Valley Sauvignon Blancpaired with mini crabcakes, curry sauce and tomato red pepper tartar sauce by Super Realtor Kelvin.
• Benziger Pinot Noir paired with pan seared New York Strip steak sliders on fresh baked brioche with caramelized onions and horseradish sauce by Chef Sue.

The bacon wrapped stuffed peppers are one of Dawn’s specialties and fortunately, she made a healthy portion.  I say fortunately because there were enough for us to try with each of the Sauvignon Blancs.  The lively acidity and citrus fruit flavors of each Sauvignon Blanc was a perfect pairing to balance the heat and bacon fat goodness of the stuffed peppers.

The 2010 Merry Edwards Russian River Valley Sauvignon Blanc selected by Super Realtor Kelvin was a flavorful surprise that perfectly matched the wonders of crab cake (with a dollop of curry sauce).  The wine was a surprise because it was my first experience with a buttery Sauvignon Blanc.  The characteristic acidity and citrus flavors with notes of peach and melon were present, but the buttery component was a “wow” type experience that demanded the attention of all tasters as they realized this wasn’t your average Sauvignon Blanc.  The butter flavors were a perfect match for the delicate warm flavors of the crab cake while the acidity and fruit played exceptionally well with the curry sauce.  The 2010 Merry Edwards Russian River Valley Sauvignon Blanc will be making my list of favorite wines.

The final pairing, prepared by Chef Sue, was another pleasant surprise.  I have to admit that I had reservations with Chef Sue’s choice of pairing after announcing the 2008 Benziger Family Winery Russian River Valley Pinot Noir.  This Pinot Noir is medium bodied with very pleasant and well balanced flavors of cherry and raspberry.  My fear was that the wine would not stand up to the steak which would normally demand a more full bodied and bold wine.  I was wrong and the pairing worked splendidly.  My theory is that the horseradish sauce brightened the slider which made all the difference in making the pairing work.

A couple of notes are in order with the other wines we tasted that were not paired.  First, the 2010 Dog Point Vineyard Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc was a real treat with rock solid refreshing acidity and big fruit forward flavors that make this a beautiful pairing wine.  This is the second Sauvignon Blanc that will be making my favorite wines list.

Always full of wine surprises, Kelvin’s choice of the 2009 Clark &Telephone Vineyard Belle Glos Santa Maria Valley Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir caught the group off guard – in a pleasant way.  This Pinot Noir is not your run of the mill Pinot.  It was full bodied with deep rich flavors of currant, plum, and dark cherry that you would normally expect from a Cabernet Sauvignon.  The deep ruby color also belied the label of a Pinot Noir.  At first taste, everyone had a “hmmmm” moment as we expected Pinot Noir, but tasted something closer to a Cabernet Sauvignon.  Once we overcame the surprise, the conclusion was clearly one of admiration for a spectacular wine.

As a final note, one of the pleasing revelations over the course of the evening, was Kelvin’s new found interest in Sauvignon Blancs.  Kelvin is a connoisseur of bold Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignons and Chardonnays.  After this evening, he has a new found appreciation and interest in refreshing Sauvignon Blancs.

In vino veritas, buen provecho.

Craig

Softshell Crab BLT, Crispy Pork Belly, Brioche, Calabrian Chili Aioli Paired with 2007 Etude Carneros Estate Grown Pinot Noir

Welcome back to another pairing from Decanting Napa Valley The Cookbook. This pairing of softshell crab BLT, crispy pork belly, brioche calabrian chili Aioli with a 2007 Etude Carneros Estate Grown Pinot Noir is particularly special because I prepared it in honor of Chef Sue’s birthday.  It is also a bit special because we have been anxiously waiting several months for the arrival of softshell crabs.  Meanwhile, the bottle of Etude Pinot Noir has posed in the wine rack taunting me with that familiar Pinot snicker.

With softshell crabs finally arriving, and a event appropriate for this wonderful pairing I was very excited to prepare this creatively conceived dish.  This is one of those magical recipes where I find myself loving every single ingredient.  But before we press on with the full description, I have to mention a few substitutions.  I was unable to find pork belly, so I substituted oven roasted thick cut bacon.  Mache (a type of lettuce) was also prescribed but not available near home, so I substituted red leaf lettuce adding some nice texture and color.  Finally, I was unable to find the calabrian chilies and used dried pepper flakes as a substitute. All the substitutions worked fine, but I really would have liked to have the pork belly – yum!

For the full recipe you will need to purchase the cook book at Decanting Wine Country.  Sorry, but I will tell you a bit about the dish.  Fundamentally it is a reconstructed BLT sandwich with the wonderful addition of a lightly fried softshell crab.  At the base, we start with a brioche lathered with a generous portion of the pepper aioli.  We then stack on the pan seared and oven rendered pork belly (or bacon in my case).  Next comes the thinly sliced grape tomatoes and lettuce and rather than top our BLT with another piece of bread, we finish it off with a lightly breaded and fried softshell crab.

The flavors in this dish are subtle and complimentary.  Even the pepper aioli adds only a small splash of heat and does not overwhelm the will balanced warm flavors from the pork and the crab.  The three featured flavors derive from the pepper aioli, pork, and crab.  Before seeing this recipe, I had never thought of the crab and pork combination.  However, once presented with the possibility, it made good sense.  Neither have bold or dominant flavor profiles, and we all know that pork belly matches well with just about anything – even crabs!  In this case, it worked beautifully and the dish was extremely well balanced. 

Our tasting crew consisting of birthday girl Chef Sue, Gunslinger Teji, Golf Buddy Steve, and Formerly of Austin Dawn, all commented that in each bight, you not only were treated to a wonderfully balanced set of flavors, but that you could taste each individual component without any one flavor bullying another.  From a textural standpoint, this dish has everything you can imagine from the crisp crunch of the brioche and softshell crab, to the fresh lettuce and tomatoes, and finally to the multi textural bacon (the pork belly would have even been better from a textural perspective).

So far, so good.  However, the crowd was skeptical of pairing a red wine with the delicate flavors of the softshell crab.  Fortunately, the Etude Pinot Noir was a light to medium bodied Pinot Noir that made everyone around the table smile in approval.

Here are the tasting notes from Etude Winery:

“Our goal is to produce a distinctly styled Pinot Noir of the highest quality, a wine that can satisfy any 'Burgundian' urge and yet be proud of its California roots. The 2007 Estate bottling offers inviting cool climate aromatics of raspberry, pomegranate and sandalwood with a touch of turned earth. Classically structured, the palate bursts with flavors of sweet frambois strawberries, red cherries and mocha. The lush fruit combined with the baking spice notes from aging in French oak creates a defined Pinot Noir with elegance and length.”

Also from the Etude Winery website are some notes from 2009 when Robert Parker gave this wine 90 points and said “Etude’s outstanding trio of Pinot Noirs begins with the dark ruby/plum-hued 2007 Pinot Noir Estate, which offers plenty of sweet cherry, pomegranate, wood spice, and forest floor characteristics in its round, gracious, expansive personality. Enjoy it over the next 5-6 years.”

In my opinion, the bright red fruit of this wine was clearly the star with a good supporting structure and earth notes to form a nice balance and full mouth feel.  The fruit forward nature of this medium bodied Pinot Noir perfectly complimented the sweet, rich flavors of the pork and crab.  Had the wine featured darker fruits, I don’t believe it would have worked nearly as well.

At $40 per bottle, this is a wine worth trying.  It would be a pleasure to drink on it’s own, but this wine is a brilliant choice for a broad range of paring options.

As you can tell, I am not rushing my way through Decanting Napa Valley The Cookbook.  I believe this is about the 6th pairing from the cookbook.  I’m sure we’ll return to the cookbook soon.  But for now, I will sit back and enjoy another glass of wine.

In vino veritas, buen provecho.

Craig

Glazed Duck Breast Quinoa, Cipollini Onions, Black Trumpet Mushrooms Paired with 2006 ZD Carneros Pinot Noir

I love duck.  I love preparing duck.  I love the way duck plays so well with a number of wines.  But this is not about my infatuation with duck, it is about our latest wine pairing.  This pairing returns us to Decanting Napa Valley the Cookbook. 

When it comes to food and wine we should not be in a rush.  As testament, this is just the third wine paring from my inspiration for this blog - Decanting Napa Valley the Cookbook – since the inception in early February 2011.  I am ok with this pace – so much food, and so much wine to explore, why rush?

With this pairing, I cannot provide the recipe (buy the book) but Photo Buddy John was part of the dinner party – which means that between his photography and mine, we have a bunch of good imagery to make up for a lack of recipe. 

Also in attendance were John’s wife – Super Artist Ji, El Jefe Abel and his wife, Banker Beth, and of course Chef Sue.  It was wonderful having these good friends to share this pairing, but it also presented a couple of challenges – including insufficient range space for 6 duck breasts, quinoa, and sauté of several veggies…all at the same time.

The Food

First I have to admit a couple of substitutions.  I was unable to find cipollini onions (substituted yellow and red pearl onions) and Black Trumpet mushrooms (subsituted a blend three mushrooms).  These substitutions had no bearing on the delight delivered by this meal.  I have already declared my love affair with duck, and to that we added another favorite – quinoa.  Quinoa is an experienced chameleon that assimilates the surrounding flavors while maintaining a delightfully distinct texture that is a fine addition to most dishes.

In addition to the wonderfully delicate gamey flavor of the duck, the dish had a nice balance of acid (sherry vinegar), sweetness resulting from the direct use of honey in the glazed pearl onions, and a honey shallot glaze for the duck.  Everyone was pleased with the duck breast – crispy skin and butter tender.  Similarly the quinoa was enjoyed by all with comments of “nicely sweet, but not too sweet,” and perfectly balanced with the second wine (more on that in a moment).

Another component that added an interesting flavor to the quinoa was the celery root.  This was the first time I had (intentionally) tasted celery root and quite positively the first time I cooked with it.  My response is unconditionally favorable.  It has s concentrated aroma and flavor of celery while adding an earthiness that contrasted nicely with the sweet components of the quinoa.

The Wine

OK, another substitution…actually two.  The pairing from Decanting Napa Valley the Cookbook lists the 2007 ZD Founder’s Reserve Pinot Noir.  We were anxious to prepare this pairing and rather than go through the wait of ordering this wine, we found a bottle locally of 2006 ZD Carneros Pinot Noir to stand in.

The 2006 ZD Carneros Pinot Noir is a full bodied Pinot Noir featuring aromas of cherry, dark fruit and cocoa which is quickly rewarded with deep flavors of black cherry, plum, toasted almond, and a delicate touch from the oak that it communed with for 10 months.

My planning was not the greatest for this pairing.  While we have plenty of wine, I had only one bottle of the ZD Pinot Noir for the meal.  Clearly this would not be sufficient.  I quickly ran to the cavernous wine cellar, found the Pinot Noir section, and nearly became lost finding my way back to the dinning room (OK, the “wine cellar” is the recovered space under the stairs in the basement).  Fortunately, my daughter had gifted us a wine club membership which had arrived just days before. The latest shipment included a bottle of 2008 Rutz Cellars Sonoma Cuvée Pinot Noir.  Thanks Dana!!

The 2008 Rutz Cellars Sonoma Cuvée Pinot Noir is a delightful wine and a great value at $21.  While certainly a nice wine, I will not put the ZD Pinot Noir in the good value category at $50.  The Rutz Pinot Noir, like the ZD, is aged in oak for 10 months and features similar aromas and the same black cherry, and plum flavors with the addition of a hint of cocoa and a delicate touch of earthiness-smoke-oak.  This Pinot Noir is silky smooth which is a wonderful compliment to the terroir and smoke-oak hints.

The Pairing

The pairing was exceptional.  The dark cherry and plum flavors of both wines made a wonderful foil for the sweet honey flavors in the duck and quinoa.  The added smoke and earthiness of the Rutz Pinot Noir intensified that contrast even more.  The contrast seemed to enhance or brighten the flavors in both the duck-quinoa and the wine.

Interestingly, the 2008 Rutz Cellars Sonoma Cuvée Pinot Noir was clearly the star among the two wines.  Our conclusion is that this resulted from three aspects.  First, the ever so slight bitterness in the cocoa flavors contrasted brilliantly with the sweetness in the duck and quinoa.  Second, the hints of smoke, oak and earthiness added a compelling dimension.  And finally, the 2008 Rutz Cellars Sonoma Cuvée Pinot Noir was so silky smooth the impression was immediate and lasting.  This smooth character seemed to work particularly well with the duck – almost as if putting an exclamation point of softness on the extremely tender duck.

Final Words

This pairing also included an impromptu desert paring between a blueberry pie with sorbet and a 2006 Royal Tokaji.  The house was split regarding this pairing.  One half of the table declared a win, while the other half maintained that both were good, but didn’t care for the resulting union.

I hope you enjoyed the additional photographs in this post.  It is always good having Photo Buddy John around to make sure I don’t miss anything and to also take advantage of his very creative perspective.

In vino veritas, buen provecho.

Craig

Pork Stuffed Pork Wrapped in Pork and Roasted Cauliflower Paired with 2009 Caretaker Pinot Noir

In my last post “Pork Stuffed Pork Wrapped in Pork” I shared some photographs of the ingredients that made up last night’s pairing.  As promised, I am back to offer you the blow-by-blow along with recipes for the menu.  Golf Buddy Steve brought the 2009 Caretaker Pinot Noir, and we were joined by Photography Buddy John.

The Food

The pork stuffed pork wrapped in pork is a creation of my wife, Chef Sue.  For this meal, I made some modifications to Sue’s approach which resulted in some wonderful surprises, and “some opportunities for improvement.”  From the flavor perspective, my adaptation was a great success.  This comes from my use of home made sausage rather than pre-made sausage.  This gave me some control over the flavors.  My intent was to heat to balance the sweetness of the pork (particularly the bacon) and the fruit glaze that was added during the last 30 minutes in the oven.  This part worked brilliantly with one exception.  I had intended to add apple and orange to the sausage (see the photos of ingredients from “Pork Stuffed Pork Wrapped in Pork”), but somehow failed to add these important acidic and sweet components.  This was not a critical flaw, but it would have been better had I paid closer attention.

The second improvement applies to the texture.  The home made pork sausage texture was not far from the pork loin texture after roasting.  Gratefully, there was a nice textural difference with the bacon.  The dish could have been improved tremendously by drawing a further distinction between the stuffing and the pork loin.  So here is my recommendation (ok, not mine – this comes from Chef Sue):  If you attempt this recipe, I would follow the directions for making the sausage.  I would then prepare some seasoned bread stuffing (make it from scratch with toasted stale bread, or Pepperidge Farm, your choice) then combine the sausage and bread stuffing with 1/3 sausage by volume and 2/3 stuffing.  Also, when you hydrate the bread stuffing, make sure you prepare it with butter (1 tablespoon per cup of dry bread crumbs) along with your broth or water – the sweetness of the butter will be a noteworthy added flavor.  The addition of the bread stuffing to the sausage will make for a layer a softer texture and therefore contrast nicely with the pork loin and the bacon.

Like the lack of apple and orange, the textural improvement was not a critical flaw, just another opportunity to make a wonderful meal even better.

With respect to flavors, the stuffed pork loin is a matter of balance; fat balanced with the heat of the sausage, the sweetness of the bacon and fruit glaze in balance with the heat in the sausage.  The dominant taste components included sweet, umami, and piquance.  The roasted cauliflower and onion was a nice mild supporting actor for the pork.  Flavors from the cauliflower and onion were a very pleasant nuttiness that was enhanced by the roasting.  The texture was tender yet firm. 

Finally, I highly recommend you try the recipe for the roasted cauliflower.  It is simple, features straight forward flavors and may win over that person in the house who is not a fan of Cauliflower (we saw exactly this happen with Photography Buddy John).

The Wine

Golf Buddy Steve brought a 2009 Caretaker Pinot Noir.  This wine has gained some notoriety through sales at Trader Joe’s.  A quick search of the web revealed our experience with this wine was consistent with all but a few who were not impressed.  Our judges for the evening enjoyed the 2009 Caretaker Pinot Noir, and agreed that the $10 price tag makes this a great value.  This Pinot Noir easily stands up to Pinots for which I have paid $20 to 30.

From a tasting perspective, the 2009 Caretaker Pinot Noir is a surprisingly nice balance of earth and fruit (dark cherry, raspberry, and a hint of plum).  The fruit in this medium body wine is also well balanced with the acid which makes it food friendly.  With a medium body, this wine is able to keep pace with some stronger flavors on your dish.

The Pairing

The pairing worked well and was certainly one of those cases where the sum of the two was better than the individual components.  The best combination was a proportionally balanced small bight that included the sausage stuffing, the pork loin and a bit of bacon followed by a taste of the 2009 Caretaker Pinot Noir.  This became particularly evident when Chef Sue challenged us to taste with just the pork loin and the wine, and then with the stuffing and the wine.  What a tremendous difference.  The Caretaker Pinot Noir with the pork loin was nothing more than ok.  However, combining the spiciness of the sausage with the wine sent sparks flying; the fruit from the wine quickly rushed to the front of the stage and bowed hand in hand with the spice.  There was also a subtle sense that the earthiness was helping with this balance while blending nicely with the sweet nutty and smoke flavors in the bacon.

The conclusion from this little experiment  was that the dominant spiciness from the sausage stuffing was balanced nicely by the dark fruit flavors in the 2009 Caretaker Pinot Noir.  And therefore the pairing was successful.  Anther good choice might be a Zinfandel (dark fruit flavors like this Pinot Noir, and complimentary spice).

Final Words

So once again, you read that I could have done things better.  I’m ok with this.  It clearly demonstrates you are getting the real deal on this blog.  The comments come from our guests, and this is a one take episode (unless I decide to try it again) and the chips fall into place with no Jedi tricks.  I promise that even if I completely blow something, I will let you know, and let you know why (as a warning to avoid my mistakes).  Fortunately this pairing was a success.  My helpful critics were very kind in offering suggestions for improvement.  Honestly, if it were not for the fact that we were intentionally sitting around the table wearing our critic hats, it is unlikely anyone would have said anything other than “delicious.”

Finally, after some further experimentation this week, I am ever more satisfied with my new do-it-yourself lighting rig.  I was happy with the photography before, but am very pleased with the improvements resulting from the addition of nicely diffused light.  Check in at Craig Corl Photography this week to learn more about the construction of my lighting rig and my experimentation to get the most out of this rig.

Recipes

Home Made Pork Sausage

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. pork shoulder
• 1 cup oatmeal
• 3 tablespoons salt
• 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon sage
• 1 finely diced apple
• 1 finely diced orange
• 1 1/2 tablespoon minced garlic
• 3/4 oz. fennel seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons red pepper flakes

Directions

Plug in your Kitchen Aid and find the meat grinder in the back on the bottom shelf just to the right of the oven. I know, you don't use it often, but now I am giving you a reason! Run the meat though the grinder - just once to keep it on the coarser side.

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. This is more sausage than you need, especially if you take my recommendation to combine this with bread stuffing (1/3 sausage and 2/3 bread stuffing by volume). On the bright side, this sausage is so tasty you will want it for breakfast, made into a patty and grilled like a burger, or just about anything else you can imagine. You can use the excess over the next week, or stick it in the freezer for later use.

Stuffed Pork Loin

Ingredients

• 2 to 3 pound pork loin
• 6 pieces of extra thick hickory smoked bacon (or any bacon you want)
• 1/2 cup fruit preserves (cherry, raspberry, or blackberry work best)
• 1/4 cup lemon juice or any fruit juice hanging around in the fridge

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350.

Open your pork loin by beginning a cut about 1/2 inch thick, then sort of spiral around until you run out of loin.  The ideas is to transform a cylindrical piece of meat into something flat that we can wrap around the stuffing.  Trust me when I tell you that you will not be happy if you decide to just open it with a cut like a hot dog bun.

Add the sausage (or sausage stuffing) and roll up.  Wrap in bacon and hold the whole thing in place by spearing some toothpicks through the bacon.  Place in the oven on a sheet pan for one hour.

Heat the preserves until thinned (a minute in the microwave will do the trick), and combine with the fruit juice.  After one hour in the oven remove the pork from the oven, and poor 1/2 of the fruit preserve/juice mixture evenly over the top.  Put the pork back in the oven and repeat in 15 minutes.  Put the pork back in the oven for another 15 minutes or until the internal temp has reached 160 degrees F.  Remove from the oven, cover in foil and let rest for 20-30 minutes.

Roasted Cauliflower and Onions

Ingredients

• 1 large head of cauliflower cut into 1/2 inch thick slices
• 1 large onion sliced thinly
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Combine all in ingredients in a bowl and toss to evenly coat the cauliflower and onions.  Place your happily bathed veggies on a sheet pan and send off to a preheated oven (400 degrees F) for 20 minutes or until golden brown and tender.  For the menu described in this post, the oven was doing some double duty – at 350 degrees F, it took about 30 minutes for the cauliflower to show some nicely browning edges.

In vino veritas, buen provecho.

Craig