Grilled Mole Marinated Steak Paired with 2010 Barboursville Vineyards Reserve Virginia Barbera

When developing a recipe or wine pairing, much of the fun for me is found in discovering an inspiration for the meal.  In other words, finding a theme, purpose or other cohesive thought for the meal.  In this case, the motivation comes from the soon arriving Cinco de Mayo.

According to Wikipedia, “Cinco de Mayo is celebrated nationwide in the United States and regionally in Mexico, primarily in the state of Puebla, where the holiday is called El Dia de la Batalla de Puebla.  The date is observed in the United States as a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride, and to commemorate the cause of freedom and democracy during the first years of the American Civil War. In the state of Puebla, the date is observed to commemorate the Mexican army's unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, under the leadership of General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín. Contrary to widespread popular belief, Cinco de Mayo is not Mexico's Independence Day—the most important national patriotic holiday in Mexico—which is actually celebrated on September 16.”

Imagine my shock when I read this and found that it was not a celebration concocted by Corona and Jose Cuervo!  Regardless of origin, Cinco de Mayo was the inspiration for this meal and pairing.  Chef Sue and I started throwing around ideas which were quite opposed.  I focused on coastal foods dominated by a variety of seafood, while Chef Sue went directly to the interior.  In the end, Chef Sue exerted her Alpha dominance and I conceded knowing that a return to Mexican inspired seafood will not be far away.

Chef Sue’s creation featured a mole sauce as the heart of the meal.  I love mole and was pleased with her decision.  On top of that, she executed the mole perfectly.  In my mind, preparing an exceptional mole is all about balancing the heat from the chile with the chocolate.  If either is out of balance, I would judge it as inferior.  Chef Sue’s recipe strikes the perfect balance.

To accompany the mole marinated grilled steak, we prepared grilled corn basted with a spicy cream sauce, asparagus grilled in a pouch with lemon and olive oil, and new potatoes boiled then tossed in olive oil and simply seasoned with salt and pepper.  In combination, this entire meal is a very simple preparation featuring the natural flavors of fresh vegetables with Mexican inspired sauces bringing focus to our culinary celebration.

The pairing for this meal was a bit of a challenge.  With grilled steak and mole at center stage, selecting a full bodied red was the easy part.  My concern came when considering the piquance of the mole.  I decided to go with a fruit forward approach and hopes of the fruit flavors balancing the heat while echoing the chocolate component of the mole.

My wine selection was the 2010 Barboursville Vineyards Reserve Virginia Barbera.  In general, Barbera is an exceptionally food friendly wine with good acidity, low tannins, and flavors of raspberry, blackberry, cherry and vanilla notes depending on fruit yield and ripeness, oak treatment, and climate.

We found the 2010 Barboursville Vineyards Reserve Virginia Barbera an excellent example of a classic Barbera.  It was wonderful.  It was beyond wonderful - I was simply gushing over this wine.  Here are the tasting notes from the winemaker:

“A full bodied red wine with intense raspberry, cherry and anise aromas and flavors. an overlay of vanilla precedes a direct and well rounded finish.  This wine is well structured and has good aging potential.”

I would like to say more, but these notes directly reflect our experience.  The intense fruit flavors were well balanced and a true joy.  Although the winemaker suggests this wine has good aging potential, it is drinking exceptionally well now.  Go ahead and try to keep it in your cellar for a while - I dare you!

I was exceptionally pleased with the pairing...the balance was perfect.  However, as we discussed the pairing, Chef Sue commented that the wonderful fruit flavors in the wine could have stood up to a more aggressive approach to the mole.  In other words, Chef Sue thought the wine would have complemented the mole with even more piquance and deep chocolate flavor.  I can’t disagree, but I was nothing but smiles with each sip and morsel.

Recipes

Mole

Ingredients

• 1 green pepper
• 1 red pepper
• 1 ½ medium onions
• 2 medium tomatoes
• 1 can chicken broth
• 1/4 cup sofrito (Latino soup base)
• 1 teaspoon hot chili powder
• 4 ancho chile peppers

Preparation

1. Halve the peppers and clear seeds.
2. Peel and halve the onions.
3. Halve the tomatoes.
4. Place all vegetables on a sheet pan and place under the broiler until skin on the peppers begin to char.  Let the peppers cool and peel the skin.
5. In a pot, add the chicken broth, sofrito, ancho peppers, salt and pepper to taste and 1 teaspoon hot chili pepper.  Bring to a boil.
6. When the stems of the ancho peppers loosen from boiling, remove stems.
7. Add broiled vegetables to the pot.  Continue to cook for 10 minutes on a low boil.
8. Pour ingredients of the pot into a blender and blend until smooth.  Add ¼ cup of dark chocolate chips and blend to incorporate.  Adjust seasoning.
9. Marinate steaks in mole for at least one hour (up to 4 is best).
10. Reserve a cup of the mole for your dinner guests to use at the table.

Cream Sauce for Grilling Corn

Ingredients

• ½ stick butter
• ½ package of cream cheese
• pinch of hot chili powder
• salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Microwave butter and cream cheese 30 seconds at a time, stir and repeat until you have a paste.  Incorporate chili power, with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Place corn on grill and baste exposed side with the sauce.
3. Flip corn and baste the other side.
4. Continue to grill until corn just begins to char.  Serve immediately.

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

Open Faced Steak Sandwich Topped with Sautéed Celery Root and Leeks Paired with 2006 Benziger Family Winery Sonoma County Merlot

For quite some time now, I have wanted to construct a pairing that featured pureed celery root.  Unfortunately, the celery root has not been available for several weeks (at least while I was visiting the grocery).  Well, I found celery root yesterday, and came close to making the celery root puree.  I say almost because as I looked at the stock in the fridge I found a leftover steak from the weekend grill-fest and decided to do something with it – and include the celery root.  The result was an open faced steak sandwich with a mound of sautéed celery root and leeks, oh, and a little cheese to hold the mound of flavor in place.

This wonderful little sandwich is rich in umami and layered with the aromatic celery flavors from the celery root and just a touch of piquance from the cayenne.  Warming the leftover steak in the beef broth was a key part of the process which “rehydrated” the steak and made things nice and juicy.

These flavors were joyously complimented with dark and vibrant flavors of blueberry and pepper supported by soft tannins in the 2006 Benziger Family Winery Sonoma County Merlot.  This Merlot is silky smooth and perfectly echoed the flavors in the sandwich.

I have to admit that like the dish, the pairing was not planned in advance.  Similar to the steak, the 2006 Benziger Family Winery Sonoma County Merlot was a leftover – we tapped into this bottle the night before to enjoy just a taste of our recent shipment from Benziger Family Winery.  We joined the Benziger Family Winery wine club during our January trip to California, and were ecstatic to find this Merlot living up to the wonderful experience we had while visiting the winery in Sonoma County.  We thoroughly enjoyed every wine we tasted, and I highly recommend you give them a visit at www.benziger.com.

Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 leftover steak sliced in to 1/4 to 1/2 inch strips
• 1 loaf of par baked bread (or make your own from scratch)
• 1/2 medium sized celery root coarsely grated
• 1 leek chopped
• 2 cups beef broth
• 1 cup grated cheese (your choice of cheese, but I recommend something mild)
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Finish baking the par baked bread, in my case it was 15 minutes in a 375 degree preheated oven.
2. Coat the bottom of a small pan with olive oil and place on medium high heat.
3. Add leeks and cayenne pepper.  Sauté for about one minute.
4. Add the grated celery root and sauté until tender.  Season with salt and pepper then remove from heat and set aside.
5. If you time this right, your bread should be done now.  Remove from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes.
6. In a medium sauce pan, bring two cups of beef broth to a simmer.  Just before you are ready to assemble the sandwich, add the steak strips to the broth and warm through.  The idea is simply to warm the meat, not cook it.
7. Cut the bread into 1 inch or so slices.  In my case, the steak made three sandwiches which miraculously meant three slices.
8. Assemble the sandwich by laying slices of steak across the bread, adding a stack of the celery root and leek sauté and lightly coating with grated cheese.
9. Place the sandwiches on sheet pan and place under the broiler until the cheese melts. 1-2 minutes.
10. Remove from broiler and plate with a small saucer of the beef broth (for dunking bread).
11. This is somewhat of a “vertical” sandwich, so bring along a fork and knife.

My apologies for the lack of photography with this post.  It was a last minute thought and last minute happy coincidence.  However, if you give this pairing a go the next time you have a leftover steak in the fridge, I’m confident it will make up for the lack of pretty pictures.

In vino veritas, buen provecho.

Craig

Coffee and Beer Marinated Steak with Truffle Parsnips Paired with 2004 McClean Vineyards Estate Private Reserve Paso Robles Syrah

Welcome to a special Memorial Day weekend edition of Craig’s Grape Adventure.  I don’t normally post on the weekend, because my handy Google Stats tell me that most of you are enjoying a bit of escapism while at work during the week.  No worries, I won’t let your little secret out.

Grilling is a time honored tradition in the U.S. over the Memorial Day weekend.  In case you have not yet completed your menu for the weekend, this pairing may provide an interesting twist on the traditional.  Chef Sue and I tested it last night with absolutely mouth watering results.

In the interest of full disclosure and appropriate credits, this recipe comes from Whats Cookin – Food With Taste.  I highly recommend you sign up for their free newsletter that conveniently shows up in your inbox twice a week with some deliciously unique recipes.  Thanks a bunch to the folks at Whats Cookin for an endless stream of inspiration.

It goes without saying that Chef Sue and I cannot take any recipe at face value.  In this case we stayed pretty true to the Whats Cookin recipe for Coffee Steaks Under the Influence, but made a few modifications mostly out of convenience and a little intuition.  Follow the link for the original recipe.  I have parenthetically noted our modifications in the recipe at the end of the post.

The Food

I was drawn to this recipe out of idle curiosity – a coffee and beer based marinade – really?  My curiosity was rewarded with a wonderful blend of flavors.  Although the marinade and the rub include a number of ingredients, the coffee was clearly the headliner.  The coffee, toasted on the surface of the steak was a perfect addition to the steak.  It was not overwhelming and added a very pleasant nutty coffee note to each bite.  This earthiness melded perfectly with the truffle parsnips chosen to fill out the plate.

The Pairing

Normally I would discuss the wine a bit before getting to the pairing.  However, in this case I am simply too anxious to get to the heart of the matter.  The pairing was spectacular.  We have already established that the steak and parsnips feature a wonderful nutty earthiness with plenty of umami to bring smiles to the faces of even grumpy old men.  The 2004 McClean Vineyards Estate Private Reserve Paso Robles Syrah precisely complemented these flavors with deep flavors of chocolate (chocolate and coffee – YES!) plumb, and a pleasant spiciness which added a delicious peppery coating to the steak.  At $28 per bottle, this wine is well worth every penny to pair with the fruit of your grilling efforts.

The Recipe 

Coffee Steak Under the Influence

The following recipe is presented in it's original form. Chef Sue's modifications and other notes are parenthetically noted.

Ingredients

• 12 ounces heavy beer. I used Yuengling Black And Tan, but any dark preferably craft beer will work.
• 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon Crystal Hot Sauce
• 3 boneless strip steaks (1 1/2 to 2 pounds), trimmed of fat (Chef Sue chose London Broil cut in Barney Rubble thickness - honestly, use your favorite steaks, its all good.)
• 3 tablespoons fine ground dark roast coffee
• 1 tablespoon pure chile powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne, or more to taste
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil

Preparation

The Night Before: Mix the beer, Worcestershire sauce and Crystal Hot Sauce in a large freezer zipper lock bag. Put the steaks in the bag, seal it shut, then refrigerate overnight. (Chef Sue combined ALL the ingredients in the marinade - they all made sense in the marinade and she could not resist the temptation. Rather than marinade overnight, Chef Sue let the steaks marinade for about 4 hours.)

Grilling Day: Mix the other ingredients in a bowl. Take the steaks out of the marinade, discarding the marinade. Pat dry the steaks with paper towels, then dampen with vegetable oil. Coat the steaks with the spicy mix, patting in gently with your fingers.

Pre-heat the grill. If you’re using a propane grill, high heat is good. Grill the steaks until they have a dark crust. Two minutes on each side for medium rare (depending on thickness of steaks). Four minutes per side for medium. (As designated grill master at our secret Potomac lair affectionately known as the Crab Shack, my grilling method is slightly different. Because we used the Barney Rubble cut (think hugely thick Brontosaurus steaks), I grilled on high heat with my tried and true process of 2.5 minutes, rotate 90 degrees for another 2.5 minutes, flip for 2.5 minutes, then rotate 90 degrees for another 2.5 minutes. This process results in those oh so beautiful grill branding marks and beautifully pink medium rare steaks. The timing is completely dependent on the steak thickness which may require some minor adjustment. Use a meat thermometer and adjust your grilling time to get an internal temperature of 130 to 140 degrees F. Legal disclaimer: USDA recommends a minimum internal temperature of 145 degrees. If grilling steak to 130 degrees is the riskiest activity in my life, I can live with that. For my palate, the more you head in the direction of well done, the greater the loss of flavor. When you remove the steak from the grill, allow to rest for 5 minutes before slicing/plating. The internal temperature will continue to rise during this resting period and the juices will redistribute throughout the steak ensuring a plump juicy piece of meat.)

Truffle Parsnips

Ingredients

1. 4 medium parsnips (cleaned, pealed and cubed)
2. 3 small red potatoes (cubed)
3. 1/4 cup cream cheese
4. 2 oz. butter
5. Truffle salt to taste
6. Green onions (chopped as garnish)

Preparation

1. Boil parsnips and potatoes until fork tender.
2. Mash parsnips and potatoes in a bowl along with the cream cheese and butter.
3. Season with truffle salt to taste.
4. Plate and garnish with green onions.

Enjoy your grilling, and have a great Memorial Day weekend.

In vino veritas, buen provecho.

Craig