sitting down to dine with the great Kings of the twelfth through sixteenth
centuries. Imagine the large, long, rectangular table with endless piles of
wild game, suckling pigs, racks of beef, fruit, breads, etc… and there
seated in the middle is the King himself, sipping a Grand Bordeaux
Cabernet from a golden-jeweled cup. As he sets down his majestic cup of
wine, he pounds his mighty fist upon the solid oak table and in a loud
booming voice pronounces, “Let the feast begin!” Then of course, we
proceed to grab everything we can get our grubby little hands on and
make pigs of ourselves shoveling gobs of food down our throats and
slurping down troughs of Cabernet Sauvignon.
Okay, perhaps a dinner enjoyed with a stately Cabernet today is a bit
more sophisticated than this scenario, unless of course your surrounded
by family, but drinking Cabernet with dinner does conjure up an image of
grandeur or Kingliness. After all, you’re drinking the King or all Red
wines, right? This wine deserves a giant slab of Tyrannosaurus Rex or at
least a big ole’ slice of Besse’ the Cow.
Cabernet Sauvignon has probably without a doubt, more flavor profiles at
its disposal than any other grape variety. Cherry, black cherry,
blackberry, cassis, blueberry, green olives, bell pepper, eucalyptus, bay
leaf, mushrooms, chocolate, vanilla, cedar, mint, tobacco, leather and
oak. You could probably list at least a dozen more to choose from. With
this wide array of flavors to choose from, Cabernet has to be a sure thing
with virtually any food item, right? Wrong! In fact, it is quite the
opposite. How could that be you ask? Tannins! Cabernet Sauvignon is
loaded with Tannins and they play all kinds of havoc with most food items
that we eat. Only the thickest and heartiest of foods can stand up to
Tannins in heavy doses. Perhaps that is why the first food we think of
when matching Cabs to dinner is steak. Think about this for a second.
Hot tea has a lot of rough tannins that scrape the top of your mouth.
Would you serve a delicately broiled fish with a hot cup of tea? The tea
would overpower the delicacy of the fish.
Here is an interesting twist on the whole topic of Cabernet Sauvignon vs.
food, many food and wine critics alike would agree that older aged
Bordeaux wines are among the best food wines in the world. How is this
possible? As the Cabernet ages in the bottle over several years of time
presumably, those rough tannins start to mellow and fade, leaving a wine
with all of those wonderful flavor profiles behind. It is then that the wine
comes into its own and is able to match up with an endless variety of
foods. Patience is the key to enjoying great Cabernet Sauvignon wines.
Unfortunately, patience is not something that a lot of us possess and we
want to drink our prize right now! There are some things you can do to
help you get the most out of enjoying Cabernet Sauvignon with dinner.
For instince, try to select a Cab that is at least five years from the vintage
date. This being 2004, you would look for a Cab that comes from the
1999 vintage, which by the way, in California was great and in Bordeaux,
France, it is not. Then, rather than pouring the Cab into the glass right at
dinner time, open it up and pour a little out into a glass or if you have a
decanter, pour all of it into the decanter at least a half hour before you
intend to serve dinner. This will let the wine breathe and soften up those
harsh tannins a little before you eat. Do this and I am sure you will get
more out of your experience with dinner and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Above all else, don’t be intimidated about serving Cabernet Sauvignon
with dinner; after all, you should be serving a great Cab with a meal fit for
a King!
Here are a few recipes to get you off and running:
Dallas Secret Wine Society
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Recipes
Sauvignon on the palate.
¾ cup coarsely chopped pecans, toasted
1-cup water
1 ¼ teaspoons salt, divided
6 (4-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cooking Spray
¼ cup finely chopped shallots
1 (8-ounce) package presliced mushrooms
4 cups cooked egg noodles
Chopped Parsley (Optional)
Place pecans in a food processor; process until smooth (about 1 minute), scraping sides of bowl once.
With processor on, add water and ¾ teaspoon salt; process until smooth, scraping sides of bowl once.
Sprinkle chicken with ½ teaspoon salt and pepper
Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add chicken; sauté 3
minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm.
Add shallots and mushrooms to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until mushrooms are tender. Stir in pecan
cream; bring to boil. Cook 1-½ minutes. Place 2/3 cup noodles on each of 6 plates. Top each serving
with 1 chicken breast half and 1/3 cup sauce. Garnish with parsley, if desired.
© Copyright Southern Progress Corporation, 2000. All rights reserved.
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped shallots
¼ cup red wine (Cabernet Sauvignon)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil (1 tablespoon dried)
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 large veal chops (about 1 ½ pounds)
Sauce
2-½ tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped shallots
1 ½ cups sliced crimini or shitake mushrooms
1 teaspoon green peppercorns, chopped
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
½ cup red wine (Cabernet Sauvignon)
1 ½ cups beef or chicken stock
¼ ounce dried morel or porcini mushrooms (rehydrated in cold water, drained, and halved)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil (1 tablespoon dried)
½ tablespoon Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon cornstarch mixed with ½ teaspoon cold water
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Garnish with chopped fresh basil
To make marinade, combine all ingredients in a nonreactive mixing bowl and whisk thoroughly. Place
veal chops in a glass and top with marinade. Refrigerate, covered, for 3 to 4 hours. Remove from
marinade and pat dry.
To make sauce, in a large sauté pan or skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Add shallots and crimini
mushrooms and sauté until shallots turn golden, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add green peppercorns, vinegar,
and red wine and simmer until liquid is reduced by half. Add stock and morels and continue reducing
until reduced by half. Add basil and stir in mustard and cornstarch mixture to thicken slightly. Sauce
consistency should coat the back of a wooden spoon. Season to taste.
Prepare a hot charcoal fire. Grill veal chops for 8 to 10 minutes. Turn and continue grilling for another
7 to 8 minutes, until veal is medium-rare of cooked to desired doneness.
To serve, place veal chops on plates. Top with sauce. Garnish with chopped fresh basil.
peas. Ask the butcher to ”tunnel bone” the lamb. He should remove all the bones except the shank
bone. The stuffing goes into all the spaces left by the bones. You can buy a butterflied lamb leg, stuff
it and tie it but the cooking time will be at least 30 minutes less. Use an instant-read thermometer
inserted in the thickest part of the leg. When the lamb reaches 125 F for medium rare, it is ready.
2 leeks, white part only, chopped
2 cups sliced spinach
½ cup chopped fresh herbs (mint, rosemary, thyme and chives)
1-cup fresh breadcrumbs
2 tbsp melted butter
1 egg
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 boned leg of lamb, about 5 lbs
2 tbsp flour
2 cups beef or lamb stock
2 tbsp port
1. Preheat oven to 450 F.
2. Combine together leeks, spinach, herbs and breadcrumbs. Add to food processor along with the
butter and egg. Process until combined. Season with salt and pepper. Use the stuffing to fill the lamb
where the bones were removed, pushing it down to the shank. Tie the lamb to hold its shape and keep
the stuffing from falling out.
3. Sprinkle the lamb with salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Place on rack and roast
for half an hour then reduce heat to 350 F and roast one hour longer or until desired degree of
doneness.
4. Take the lamb out of the roasting dish and cover with a tea towel. Rest for 15 minutes to let the
meat relax before you carve.
5. Drain fat out of the pan, leaving 2 tbsp but leave all the little bits that form on the base. Add
flour to pan and whisk in. Add the stock a little at a time whisking to the boil. Add port and simmer a
few minutes. Season with salt and a little more black pepper to taste.
6. Serve the lamb in slices on top of the white beans with gravy.
Creamy White Beans with Garlic and Sage:
A traditional Italian recipe that is a perfect foil for the lamb. Use cannelini or other kinds of beans
such as navy or pea beans. Some beans take longer to cook than others, depending on their age.
Keep cooking until they are very soft. The garlic and the juice unite to make a wonderful sauce. Salt
toughens beans if added too early, so season the dish just before serving.
2 cups dried white beans
2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup chopped onions
6 cloves garlic, cut in half
2 tbsp sage leaves
salt and freshly ground pepper
GARNISH:
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp chopped Italian parsley
1. Soak beans overnight in water to cover by 2 inches. Drain beans and rinse.
2. Heat oil in pot on medium heat. Add onions and cook for 5 minutes or until softened. Add garlic
cloves and sage leaves, stir with onions then add beans.
3. Pour in water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to boil, reduce heat to medium-low and cook covered
for 30 minutes. Uncover and cook another 30 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally or until beans are
soft and a thick sauce has formed. Add more water if necessary. Season well with salt and pepper.
4. Before serving drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with parsley.
1 tbsp pimeton (Spanish paprika)
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground allspice
1 8-pound point-cut brisket
Sauce:
¼ medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp chile powder
2 cups canned whole peeled tomatoes in puree
½ cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
½ cup distilled white vinegar
¼ cup whole-grain mustard
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1. For the brisket. Preheat the oven to 250 F. Combine the spices in a small bowl. Put the
brisket in a shallow roasting pan and rub both sides with the spice mixture. Slow-roast until the top is
browned and crusty and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part registers 200 F,
about 10 hours. You don’t need to baste or turn the brisket-just leave it alone. After a few hours,
once a good amount of drippings and crispy bits have pooled in the pan, spoon them off and reserve
1/3 cup-with the bits-for the sauce.
2. For the barbecue sauce. Heat the reserved drippings in a medium saucepan over medium
heat. Add the onion, garlic and chile powder and stir until the onions and garlic are lightly browned,
about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes with the puree, brown sugar, vinegar, mustard, Worcestershire
sauce, salt and pepper to taste and bring to simmer. Whisk occasionally until the sauce is deep red
and a bit thicker, about 5 minutes.
3. Transfer the brisket to a cutting board, cover loosely with foil, and let it rest for 15 minutes.
Slice the brisket against the grain and arrange the slices on a serving platter. Serve with the
barbecue sauce.