Grilling season is in full swing, so if you feel like treating yourself and your favorite guests to a date night in your backyard, strut your inner chef-sommelier with a perfect pairing on a warm summer night. At the mere mention of steak for dinner, many consumers run for the nearest cabernet sauvignon as a go-to wine pairing, and while that鈥檚 not wrong, there is also a little-known grape to consider.
Once virtually nonexistent outside of Spain, mencia 鈥 referenced in the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and northern Portugal) as 鈥渏aen鈥 鈥 is swelling in popularity here in the U.S. according to the SevenFiftyDaily, an online magazine dedicated to the beverage industry. Mencia has long been overshadowed by the tempranillos and Riojas of the same regions, but there is something special about this wine, especially when it鈥檚 hot out. Yes, we know that cabernet sauvignon tops the charts in terms of volume of wine purchased here in the U.S., so why not consider this hidden gem as an off the beaten path choice?
Chilling it ever so slightly will only enhance your love for it as a patio wine, and it proves itself to me over and over as a great food wine for anything you want to put on a charcoal grill. The hints of smoky minerality along with juicy cherry, the tart dryness of cranberry or hibiscus, while still sporting clean aromatic almost herbal quality make this wine feel like something special alongside the dish below.
The best part is that most of these ingredients are fresh, in season and available at the local farmers market this weekend. While there are a few steps to this recipe, much can be done ahead of time so that the only thing left to do is grill. As always, taste each element below with the wine to see how different each of them influences its flavor, and then try all of the bites together. Follow that bite with a sip your delicious mencia, and cheers to enjoying a delicious summer evening with something fresh!
Garlic spread (bagna cauda) with cauliflower
- 4 (or more) cloves of garlic
- 4 oz. fillets of anchovy
- 6 fl. oz. olive oil
- 2 oz. unsalted butter
- Freshly ground pepper and salt to taste
Pour the olive oil into a small saucepan. Slice garlic, and add to oil over low heat. After 3-5 minutes, add the anchovy fillets and butter, continuing to simmer very gently for 6-8 minutes. Remove from heat, puree and season with a bit of ground pepper and salt to taste. Set the spread aside as you will toss this with the roasted cauliflower when the time is right. Prep 1 head of cauliflower by removing the center stalk and breaking down into florets. Toss with small amount of olive oil, salt and pepper, and roast in 400-degree oven for about 30-40 minutes until tender but not soft. Remove from oven, and toss with garlic spread. This can be left at room temperature and warmed in a foil pan on the grill when steaks are nearly done.
Sweet pea puree
- 1 1/4 cup frozen sweet peas (1/4 cup set aside after blanched)
- 8 fl. oz. vegetable stock
- 3 tbsp. unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- Pinch of kosher salt
- Juice & zest of 1/2 lemon (keep separate)
- 3 tbsp. heavy cream
- 1/4 lb. fresh snow peas
- 1 1/2 oz. fresh mint leaves (chiffonade at serving time)
Pour vegetable stock into a medium sauce pot, and put on medium high heat. Bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer. Add the frozen peas to the stock along with a pinch of salt, and cook until bright green in color and tender (about 2 minutes.) Remove the peas from the stock with a slotted spoon (reserving liquid for puree), and place them in an ice bath for 5 minutes, until they're at least room temperature. Place the peas (reserving 1/4 cup cooked peas for later) into a blender with melted butter, heavy cream, olive oil, lemon juice and a generous pinch of kosher salt. Blend until smooth. If the pur茅e is too thick, add reserved stock, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the pur茅e reaches smooth velvety consistency. This can be placed aside.
To finish: when ready to serve, gently heat pea puree, fold heavy cream and spread onto a small shallow platter. Lightly saut茅 fresh snow peans in olive oil and pinch of salt. Remove from heat, and toss with lemon zest, mint leaves and fresh whole sweet peas. Spoon over puree.
Steaks
- 4 center cut sirloins at least 1鈥 thick
- Kosher salt
- Course ground black pepper
Prepare a charcoal grill; bring steaks to room temperature. Generously coat with salt and pepper, and grill at 450 degrees for 1 1/2 minutes on one side and about 45 seconds to 1 minute on the second side for mid rare. Pull from grill, and let rest.
汤头条app
Lincoln Land Community College offers credit programs in Culinary Arts, Hospitality Management and Baking/Pastry, and non-credit cooking and food classes through 汤头条app Community Education.
Cooking or food questions? Email epicuriosity101@llcc.edu.