Aged Bordeaux can be quite reasonable if you know where to look. Here we take a look at a bottle of Saint-Émilion Grand Cru paired with an extremely simple and delicious skirt steak preparation with leeks and mushrooms.

Today’s wine was provided as a sample by Big Hammer Wines, with whom I have an affiliate relationship. No compensation was received for this article, but this post does contain affiliate links, from which I might receive a commission at no cost to you. All opinions are my own.

I’ve long held that Bordeaux needs to be taken down a peg. By that I don’t mean that we should all start insulting the region, but just that it’s often seen as pretty highfalutin because of the fame of its top-tier Chateaux. The history of these houses is pretty amazing, but their prices are imposing, to say the least. The problem is that despite the fact that these uber-famous wines make up less than 5% of the total production, they overshadow all the wonderful wines that you can find at really great prices –– people kind of forget they exist!

I’ve already shared a couple of posts on this theme, including a post entitled Faux Fancy Bordeaux that I wrote earlier this year, in which I shared the opinion that BDX is a particularly good choice if you like aged wines. There are really great options out there for aged Bordeaux if you know where to look. Today, I have another bottle for you and it’s paired with a super simple recipe

We covered the basics on Bordeaux here and here, so if the region is completely new to you, I invite you to check out those posts.

Saint-Émilion

Name: Skirt Steak with Roasted Leeks and Mushrooms
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 52 min
Ingredients: 1 ½ lbs skirt steak; 1 tsp shiitake mushroom powder; 1 tsp dried rosemary; 1 tsp salt; Pepper, to taste; Olive oil; Butter, to serve (optional); Flaky fleur de sel or Maldon sea salt, to serve (optional); For the leeks and mushrooms; 1 lb mushroom (oyster mushrooms used here); 4 leeks, whites and light green parts only, thoroughly cleaned and thinly sliced; Salt, to taste; Pepper, to taste; Olive oil

Welcome to the Right Bank! Merlot is the star of the blend here, often with Cab Franc in the supporting role, in contrast to the Left Bank, where Cabernet Sauvignon tends to get the top spot in the blend. This is due to the fact that the climate and soils (which we'll take a look at in a moment) are different. The Right Bank is cooler since it's further inland and the moderating effects of the ocean, and Cab just doesn't ripen quite as well in most places here as a result.

Interestingly, while the Left Bank, with its grand Chateau enshrined by the 1855 classification, is more famous today, the Right Bank is far older. There have been vineyards on the Right Bank since Roman times, whereas most of the Left Bank had to wait for Dutch engineers to come and drain their swampy land in the 17th century and make it farmable. Today, this is an excellent area to look for wine values.

Map borrowed from WineFolly.com .

Saint-Émilion, with its Romanesque architecture and many ruins, is often described as the prettiest town on the Right Bank. It was also part of the route to Santiago de Compostella, so many travelers have passed through here over time. The town’s long history and cultural importance led it and its vineyards to be named as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999.

Image borrowed from Wikipedia.

This is also an area of small farms, as opposed to the large grand estates of the Médoc on the Left Bank. The town lies just a few miles north of the Dordogne, near the point where the river spills into the Gironde estuary, after completing its journey from the hills of the Massif Central.

There are three main vineyard areas, geologically speaking, as laid out here by Wine Searcher:

The most significant is the limestone plateau on which Saint-Émilion town is located, and the slopes around it. Most of the very top vineyards and châteaux are located here, within a mile of the town (Cheval Blanc and Figeac again provide two notable exceptions to the rule).
Immediately south of the limestone plateau is the alluvial, sandy plain which slopes gently down to the banks of the Dordogne. Few wines of any note are produced here, and none of the Grand Cru Classe properties are located here.
In the northwestern corner of the Saint-Émilion area is an ancient alluvial terrace, formed by glacial activity at the very beginning of the Quaternary period roughly 2 million years ago. This boasts the same free-draining 'gunzian' gravels as are found in the best properties of the Graves and Médoc, which explains why the two most famous châteaux here (Cheval Blanc and Figeac) are able to grow and ripen both Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. This terrace – known as the Graves de Saint-Émilion – continues westwards into neighboring Pomerol, and underpins the vineyards of such revered estates as Le Pin and Petrus.

Saint-Émilion also has a Grand Cru appellation (today’s wine is an example), under which wines are produced under slightly tighter regulations than regular Saint-Émilion wines. However, this has been the subject of a lot much controversy since its inception as the rules are widely regarded as being way too loosey-goosey to really be indicative of any major quality shift. As a result, there’s twice as much Saint-Émilion Grand Cru wine is made each year than regular Saint-Émilion. Somewhat confusingly, there is also a classification system, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Classé; which confers grand cru classé and premier grand cru classé status on the top-tier wines from Saint-Émilion.

For a more in-depth description of the Sanit-Emilion's quality tiers and classification system, please check out this post by Jeff at FoodWineClick.

Château Roc de Candale

Image borrowed from VOS Selections.

Magali and Thibaut Decoster are the owners of Château Roc de Candale, along with three other estates, Clos des Jacobins and Château La Commanderie. They purchased Château de Candale in 2017, which is located in a desirable area east of the Saint-Emilion’s limestone plateau.

Each of the properties has a different character. Roc de Candale sits on silty limestone clay soils which helps to make the wine more approachable in its youth. The wine is always predominantly Merlot with a splash of Cabernet Franc, although the exact amount might vary a bit (5 to 10%). The land is farmed sustainably with no herbicides or pesticides, although copper and sulfur treatments are used.

ABV: 13.5% | Average Price: $28 | Find additional details here and here.

The Wine and Pairing

On the day we opened the Château Roc de Candale Saint-Émilion Grand Cru 2010 it showed a nose of notes of black cherry, blackberry, licorice, and cedar. These notes were joined on the palate by tobacco, lots of herbs, and a dusting of cocoa and black pepper. It had smooth, fine tannins, medium acidity, medium body.

It was a pretty classic Bordeaux. I always get an interesting mix of herbs and spice, and since it had a few years on it, the notes of tobacco and earth were elevated. I wanted the accompanying dish to complement all of that, but not to overwhelm. I came up with an incredibly simple dish to accomplish it all.

I had splurged and purchased some Wagyu skirt steak from a very good butcher here in Oakland, Clove and Hoof. It was a lovely piece of meat and I wanted to let it shine simply. I just rubbed it with some herbs, shiitake powder, and salt and pepper, and then broiled it for a few minutes on each side. I served it with a slick of butter and a sprinkling of flaky fleur de sel on roasted leeks and mushrooms. I always think mushrooms work wonderfully with an aged wine and their earthiness matches that in the wine and then somehow helps to bring out more of the fruit. Meanwhile, leeks mirrored the herbal components in the dish. The meat just completely melted in our mouths and wine and the food danced together beautifully.

I decanted this wine in advance to separate it from any sediment and to give it a chance to open up, which helped quite a bit. Even though this wine is intended for earlyish drinking and has a few years on it already, I still think it could go a few more.

Partnerships

This wine was sent to me as part of a collaboration with Big Hammer Wines. They offer fine wines at discounted prices. Find more details here. While this particular bottle is sold out, you will find other bottles of Bordeaux, including many aged options, at very reasonable prices.

You also find a curated list of my selections here. Use the discount code NICOLE15 for $15 off any purchase. (Limit to 1 use per customer.)

The glasses in the photo are also the result of a collaboration. These are Dragon Glassware’s Aura Wine Glasses. Click here to see their selection and use the code NICOLE10 for 10% off.

Steak, Skirt Steak, Mushrooms, Leeks. Easy Dinner

Dinner

Servings: 3 to 4

By: Nicole Ruiz Hudson

Skirt Steak with Roasted Leeks and Mushrooms

Prep Time: 10 MinCooking Time: 5 MinInactive time: 37 MinTotal Time: 52 Min

Ingredients

For the Skirt Steak

1 ½ lbs skirt steak
1 tsp shiitake mushroom powder
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp salt
Pepper, to taste
Olive oil
Butter, to serve (optional)
Flaky fleur de sel or Maldon sea salt, to serve (optional)
For the leeks and mushrooms

For the Leeks and Mushrooms

1 lb mushroom (oyster mushrooms used here)
4 leeks, whites and light green parts only, thoroughly cleaned and thinly sliced
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
Olive oil

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°F.
Mix together the shiitake mushroom powder, rosemary, salt, and a generous pinch of pepper. Rub the mixture on the steak. Set aside while the vegetables cook. Note: You can also place the rub on steak several hours in advance or overnight and keep it in the fridge. Remove the steak about 30 minutes before you plan to cook it to allow it to come up to room temperature.
Toss together the leeks and mushroom in a thin layer in a baking dish. Drizzle with 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper.
Place the baking dish or roasting pan in the oven and roast for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the leeks have started to soften, tossing halfway through the cooking time.
If your roasting pan has a rack inset, add it to the pan, or if not use a separate pan or baking sheet. Place the steak on the rack Switch the oven to the broil setting and place the pan near the broiler. (If you’re using separate pans, place the one with the steak near the broiler, and keep the vegetables further down in the oven.) Broil the steak for about 4 to 5 minutes per side for medium-rare to medium (130–135°F).
Remove the pan from the oven. Allow the steak to rest for about 10 minutes. While the steak rests, taste and adjust seasoning on the vegetables. Finish the steak with a light dab of butter and sprinkling of flaky sea salt. Slice the skirt steak against the grain and serve with the mushrooms and leeks.

https://www.sommstable.com/2021/11/chateau-roc-de-candale-saint-emilion-and-skirt-steak.html

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @thesommstable on instagram and hashtag it #sommstable

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And if you're looking for more on BDX, check out these posts:

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The rest of the French Winophiles (#Winophiles) will be exploring Affordable Bordeaux for the holiday season. Check out their posts here:

Sparkling Wine Secrets: Cremant from Bordeaux Paired with Bisque, Gourmet Grilled Cheese from Gwendolyn at Wine Predator
How to Balance Quality vs. Price in Bordeaux Starting with Saint Émilion from Jeff at foodwineclick
Cru Bourgeois: Welcoming Wines for Experts and Novices Alike from Susannah at avvinare
Château Roc de Candale Saint-Émilion with Skirt Steak and Roasted Leeks from Nicole at Somm's Table
Chateau Haut Guillebot with Mini Cheeseball Truffles for Thanksgiving from Terri at Our Good Life
Bay Scallop Chowder and a White Bordeaux Wine from Wendy at A Day in the Life on the Farm
Spiced Pork Tenderloin with a Cherry Sauce with an Affordable Bottle of Bordeaux: Chateau des Mille Anges 2016 from Camilla at Culinary Adventures with Camilla
Getting Good Bang for Your Bordeaux Buck from Cathie at Side Hustle Wino
Bargain-hunting for a Côtes de Bordeaux celebration wine from our host Linda at My Full Wine Glass

Additional Sources and Extra Reading:

Fontanafredda Barolo and Braised Short Ribs with Mushrooms

There are certain wines that start to call to me once the weather outside turns chilly. Barolo definitely falls into this camp for me.

I think my association with Barolo (or Barbaresco, or any Nebbiolo-based wine) as a sweater weather wine has only been strengthened after having visited the region in the early fall last year. Greg and I spent a few days touring the little mountain villages of Piemonte in September, and the region’s rustic beauty was absolutely enchanting. However, even in early September, when most of the rest of northern Italy was still quite warm, I found myself reaching for a sweater in the evenings more often here than in the other regions we visited.

View from Tenuta Montanello B&B in Castiglione Falletto.

The view from our room at Tenuta Montanello, our B&B in Castiglione Falletto.

The food here reflects the climate with lots of rich and savory dishes. Partially thanks to the proximity to the French border, you find more butter in use in the cooking here, but it likewise suits the hearty, comforting fare. The region’s truffles are also famous, which play into the warm, earthy palette of flavors. Umami galore!

Nebbiolo, the grape behind Barolo and Barbaresco (i.e. Piedmont’s most celebrated wines, named for the communes they come from), fits in perfectly against this backdrop. It suits the weather and the food perfectly. Nebbiolo tends to produce wines that are high in both tannin and acid, which ideally complements the rich, meaty dishes that are so common here; cutting through the richness with its acidity, tannins smoothing out against the meat.

Moreover, the flavors in the wine tend to mirror the savory qualities of the food. The quintessential description for Nebbiolo is “tar and roses.” Add to this cherries, leather, anise or licorice, earth, mushroom, and herbs. Personally, I also tend to get slightly bitter notes that range from orange peel to quinine. All of these elements smooth out and integrate when you enjoy it as part of a hearty Piemontese meal. In fact, I’d say Nebbiolo feels incomplete without food. It kind of doesn’t taste right unless you have something a little bit rich or fatty to nibble on alongside it.

The grape does have a few drawbacks . . . depending on how you look at it. All that tannin and acidity take a long time to unwind and relax, so many Nebbiolo based wines can be really tight, wound up, and harsh when they’re young. The flipside to this is that many of these wines can age for a lllllllloooooooooooonnnnnnngggggggg ass time. Ten+ years is no problem at all for a good Barolo or Barbaresco, and many can keep on going for decades on top of that. Wines from more modernist producers that age in their wines in new oak barriques will tend to be more supple earlier on. There are also producers playing with techniques or making earlier-drinking Barolos/Barbarescos using non-oak techniques as well.

Borgogno Barolo Riserva 2003 & Lleiroso Rbera del Duero 2009.

We had this Borgogno Barolo Riserva 2003 for a combined birthday celebration last year and it was showing beautifully. It coulda kept on going.

Nebbiolo is also kind of a fussy grape to grow, which contributes to the hefty price tag that accompany Barolo/Barbaresco. It’s also kind of a homebody. It does not like to travel. When it’s grown elsewhere, most of the time, it just doesn’t taste like itself.

So why bother with any of it? Because when Nebbiolo is good, it’s F-ing awesome! When everything comes together, the wines can be sooooooo spectacular; complex wines of contemplation that are also amazing at the table. The tannins and acid smooth out and give way to structured, sculpted wines that can have finishes that go on an on. The wines can broadcast their terroir, along with layer upon layer of flavor.

Also, did I mention truffles? They go so well with truffles.

THE WINE & PAIRING

Note: This wine was sent to me as sample. However, no other monetary compensation was received and all opinions are my own.

Greg and I opened the Fontanafredda Barolo 2013 shortly before leaving on our trip to Italy as a “let’s get excited!” treat. It certainly did the trick! We didn’t get to actually visit this winery on our trip, but we did drive by the vineyards several times. The letters F-O-N-T-A-N-A-F-R-E-D-D-A dot the hillside, so there’s no mistaking it. (We did visit several other wineries in Barolo and brought back several bottles, so we can look forward to seeing those in 10 years or so. 😉)

Fontanafredda had a rather romantic beginning. The land was purchased in 1858 purchased by Vittorio Emanuele II, the first king of Italy, to produce wine for his personal use. He later registered the entire land parcel under the name of Rosa Vercellana, the king’s mistress with whom the king was madly in love. Rosa later became the king’s wife and was assigned the title of “Countess of Mirafiore and Fontanafredda.”

The property today covers over 122 hectares (301 acres), with 100 hectares (247 acres) of vineyards. It is quite large, making it all the more impressive that all of the winery’s vineyards will be certified organic starting with the 2019 vintage. Owners Oscar Farinetti and Luca Baffigo Filangieri together with chief winemaker Danilo Drocco have long been committed to sustainability, and they began the process of converting all estate-owned land to organic farming in 2016. As of 2019, they will be the largest certified organic producer (CCPB certified) in Piedmont.

On the day we opened the bottle Greg and I picked up notes of strawberry leather, kirsch, orange skin, pink and red flowers on the nose, along with savory elements of tomato leaves and stems. Anise and clove spice joined in on the palate, along with some dried pomegranate, muted potpuri, and a smattering of herbs and underbrush.

One of the interesting things about Barolo, for me at least, is that while the wines tend to be full in body with a lot of flavor, there is also a sleek element to them that blends delicacy with the rusticity. The “tar and roses” description captures this idea for me. They’re gripping, but perhaps not as heavy in the mouth as one might expect. This one felt even a little lighter in body than most, despite the medium+ alcohol. The wine had medium+ to high acidity, and medium+ tannins that were integrated but grippy. Opening the bottle in advance and letting the wine get some air definitely made a difference. The wine kind of plumped up and rounded out allowing more of the fruit to come forward.

Braised meats and ragùs are pretty classic pairings for Barolo, and that’s pretty much what we were in the mood for. I ultimately decided to braise some short ribs in a mushroom sauce. This is fairly straightforward, but I decided to add a few spices, etc., to try to mirror some of the flavors in the wine: a pinch of clove to play up the light spice in the wine; a smattering of herbs; porcini powder to deepen the earthy flavors; and a pinch of orange peel to reflect that note in the wine. I also decided to experiment with adding a splash of Angostura Bitters, since I found something in the wine reminiscent of this flavor. Typically, you don’t want to mesh a bitter wine with a bitter food as they’ll intensify each other, but the tiny splash used here isn’t really enough to make the sauce actually taste bitter. I figured it was an easy way to add deeper complexity to the sauce, and it does completely blend in, just hanging out in the background. If you don’t have some of these things around, don’t sweat it at all. It’s really not a big deal and the sauce will still be absolutely delicious without them.

I decided to put my slow cooker to work on this while I went about my day. You can absolutely make this in a braising pan or a Dutch oven in your oven as well, or even on your stove top – you’ll just need to add more liquid in the pan with the short ribs. Try doubling the amount of liquid. Alternatively, adding enough liquid so that it comes up about ½ to ¾ the way up the short ribs, is a good starting point. Put in the oven at 350°F for about 2 to 2 ½ hours or until the meat is fall off the bone tender.

Risotto seemed like a good accompaniment, but I was in the mood for a grain with a heartier flavor than rice. Barley came to mind and I happened to find a recipe on Smitten Kitchen that fit what I had in mind; I just swapped out a few ingredients for items I had on hand.

Braised Short Ribs with Mushrooms and Barley and Bean Risotto.

This was about as soul satisfying a meal as one could hope for! The combination definitely brought out mushroom and meaty notes in the wine. Greg noted that the aftertaste in the food matched the flavors in the wine seamlessly. He then oh-so eloquently added that the flavor “ascends as acidity [in the wine] carries it through and refreshes the palate.”

PRO TIPS

If you don’t have the patience or shelf space to wait a decade to drink your bottle, you do have several options.

    •    Get some air in there: Decant – I’ll decant a Barolo/Barbaresco a few hours before I intend to drink it. As oxygen mixes with the wine, the wine will start to open up. The air will take some of the edges off the tannins and acid making the wine feel more supple, and the flavors will begin to integrate. If I’m planning on serving the wine for a nice dinner, I’ll open it up and decant it at lunch. Many wine reps have even told me that they’ll open a bottle a day in advance to have it show at it’s best for sales calls the next day.

    As with everything though, not everyone agrees on decanting. I’ve been told by more than one wine professional or winemaker that they prefer not to decant, usually because they like to see how the wine evolves. Do as you like! Personally, I’ve had too many bottles that I tore into too quickly, only to have the last sip be leaps and bounds above the rest.

    •    Double it up – Need to speed things up further? (Oh no! You forgot to open the bottle at lunch and your guests are about to arrive!) Try double-decanting the bottle. This is just what it sounds like. Pour the bottle out into one container, then pour it out a second time. If you clean out the first bottle of sediment, you can just pour the wine back into its original bottle.

    •    Meh! Who needs this?! – Don’t want to bother waiting or decanting? Look for a Langhe Nebbiolo or Nebbiolo d’Alba. These are more regional appellation, so it’s not as location specific as the wines from a specific commune like Barolo or Barbaresco. However, the wines also don’t need to stick to same long aging requirements as Barolo or Barbaresco (38 and 26 months respectively for the basic versions, 62 and 50 months for the Riservas). Often they’ll be made from the same grapes that go into higher end bottlings, but they’re being made for earlier release. They tend to be fruitier and are ready for drinking much sooner. Roero is another good area to look for. Bonus: These wines are a lot cheaper too!

OTHER POSSIBILITIES

The winery recommends this wine with big red meat dishes and medium or mature cheeses. Barolo with a simple steak is also pretty freak’n delicious.

Pietro Rinaldi Monvigliero Barolo 2008 with steak and roasted mushrooms and cauliflower.

Wine Folly has a substantial list of pairing suggestions for Nebbiolo, but amongst the most interesting to me is a suggestion to have it with the brown sauces found in Asian cuisine. Noted and will try!

Looking for other wines to pair with this that won’t break the bank? (Believe me, I don’t blame you.) We’ve enjoyed some our leftovers with Dolcetto, another Piedmontese option. Searching out more inexpensive Nebbiolo (see description above in pro tips) options is a good way to go. I think an Etna Rosso from Sicily would also show many of the qualities I was trying to bring out here.

Brunello would be another baller alternative. You should generally have good results with earthy wines from other parts of Italy and Europe. Here are few other recipes paired with Italian reds for inspo:

Cooking to the Wine: Fattoria del Cerro Vino Nobile and Spicy Salami Tomato Pasta
Cooking to the Wine: Borgo Scopeto Chianti Classico with Italian Meatloaf and Pasta Pomodoro
Cooking to the Wine: Vigneti del Vulture Aglianico del Vulture with Braised Oxtails
Cooking to the Wine: Fontanafredda Barolo and Braised Short Ribs with Mushrooms
8 & $20: Braised Chicken Thighs in Mushroom Sauce
8 & $20: Chicken and Spinach Lasagna Rolls

THE GEEKY DETAILS

Taken from the tech sheet.

Grape variety: Nebbiolo
Ageing: 2 years in barrel – 12 months in bottle
Vineyard: Fontanafredda Vineyard in Serralunga d'Alba
Aspect: South and southwest.
Soils: Calcareous marl and clay. This plot of land constitutes a border between soils of Helvetian and Tortonian origin. The result is a soil with transitional characteristics, with clayey marls and layers of clayey sand.
Vinification: The vinification process occurs in stainless steel vats at controlled temperatures. At the end of the fermentation, the new wine stays in contact with the grape marcs for about one month. The entire aging process occurs in medium and large oak casks for two years, followed by twelve months in bottles.
Recommended serving temperature: 16–18°C ( approximately 61–64°F)
Alcohol content: 14% vol.

MONEY TALK

Wine Searcher has the average price for this bottle at $39. While this may seem pricey, it’s pretty standard for an entry level Barolo. (*Sigh.* The price tags on these wines are lamentable, but it makes sense when you factor in that that finickiness of the grapes and the aging time required.) It’s still a Solid Buy.

Pan-Seared Skirt Steak with Shiitake-Wine Reduction paired with Hanna Winery Malbec

I recently shared a post about a wonderful lunch I attended at Hanna Winery as part of the 2017 Wine Bloggers Conference.

During the course of that lunch, it became very clear that owner Christine Hanna is interested in wine pairings and cuisine almost as much as she is in wine. We attendees were even gifted a copy of her cookbook The Winemaker Cooks: Menus, Parties, and Pairings. It is full of elegant yet simple recipes that are organized into seasonally appropriate menus. Along the way, she offers wine recommendations for each recipe, as well as insights, info, and wine tips throughout the book. As soon as I saw the book, I was excited to dive in and cook from it. Moreover, I was really interested to chat with her about her winery, experiences, and of course, wine pairing. (Check out my email conversation with Christine here.) Hanna actually only has about 10 acres of Malbec total, and makes 600 cases of their Flagship version, and 300 cases of their Reserve.

Before we all sat down to eat lunch that day, we had a chance to taste some barrel samples of upcoming releases. I was intrigued by their Malbec, not the least because you still don’t see a ton of it in California. According to Christine and Jeff Hinchliffe, the winemaker at Hanna, this has at least partly to do with Malbec’s tendency to shatter (aka coulure)–essentially this is when grape clusters fail to develop into maturity. (Check out this article on VinePair if you’d like to know more. If the grapes don’t grow, the yields on plantings will be lower than ideal.

Since I was tasting it from the barrel, the wine was still a bit rough around the edges. Nonetheless, it had a lot of dark fruit notes that were rich, but nonetheless, very bright. There were plenty of tannins, but even at that stage they were starting to smooth out. I decided to buy a bottle of an earlier vintage to bring home. In the lead up to this post, I asked Chris to make a recommendation on a pairing from her book.

Hanna Winery Malbec Alexander Valley Red Ranch 2013

THE PAIRING

Chris suggested her recipe for Pan-Seared Hanger Steak with Porcini-Merlot Reduction as a good match for the Hanna Malbec Alexander Valley Red Ranch 2013 (SRP $34). This seemed perfect to me–Malbec and steak are such a classic combo.

I followed the recipe pretty closely to how it is written in the book, with a couple of small adaptations. My local grocery store was all out of porcini mushrooms and hanger steaks, so I swapped in shiitakes (recommended as an alternative in the book anyways) and skirt steak instead.

The hanger and skirt cuts actually both come from the diaphragm of the cow, but the skirt steak is a little less flavorful and a little tougher. Given that, I decided to tenderize the meat a bit by pounding it with a meat mallet (always a great way to get out stress), and then let it spend some time in a simple marinade.

If you’d like to make the recipe as prepared in the book, simply use hanger steak and skip step one; just remember to salt and pepper the steak.

I decided to make this steak feast for a group of friends. In fact, we were celebrating our friend Toni’s birthday (check her out at ToniSicola.com and CultivatedWellBeing.com), so it seemed like a perfect time to try this recipe out. Since it was a fairly large group, I doubled the quantities given here. (Actually, I made about 5 lbs total of steak.)

To make it easier to serve for a party without getting stuck in the kitchen the entire time, I did everything (mostly) ahead of time through the mushroom prep in step 3 below. When we were about ready to eat, I reheated the mushrooms and returned the steaks to the pan for the final 2 ½ minutes per side, working in batches.

Alongside the steak I served roasted veggies–carrots, yellow squash, and potatoes–individually roasted at 425°F with a little olive oil, salt, pepper, herbs, and a little squeeze of lemon on the carrots and squash to finish things off. I also served some sautéed collard green with garlic and topped with bacon.

The combo was a crowd-pleaser. One friend commented, ‘I can’t pick it apart, but they do go really well together.’ I’ll go ahead and pick the wine apart a bit. The wine had all that rich fruit I recalled–lots of boysenberry, blackberry, and raspberries–with light hints of licorice spice, pepper, smooth tannins, and that bright streak of acidity I had found so appealing. (Note: Hanna is out of the 2013 Malbec tasted, but do currently have a very few cases of the Reserve 2014 Malbec. The 2015 Flagship is available as well.

In the book, Christine recommends Cabernet Sauvignon to pair with this dish–which makes sense as Cab and steaks are also a classic combination. Since we were a large group, one bottle of wine with dinner was not going to be enough, so we had a chance to try a few more wines with the steak. Among them was a Cab and a really rich Merlot, both from California, and both definitely also went really well. However, what I particularly liked about this Malbec was that while it had plenty of rich, ripe fruit and enough body to match the weight of the steak, it also had a streak of orange peel freshness that was really uplifting to the palate and kept it all from feeling heavy.

Pan-Seared Skirt Steak with Shiitake-Wine Reduction

Adapted from The Winemaker Cooks by Christine Hanna. Serves 6.

INGREDIENTS

2 lbs to skirt steak, trimmed of any extra fat or silver skin
1 to 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
½ tsp shiitake mushroom powder
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
4 to 6 oz shiitake, porcini, or cremini mushrooms, or a combination
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
½ cup red wine (Chris recommends Merlot in the book. )
¼ cup beef stock

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Lay out the skirt steaks on a cutting board and pound with a meat mallet to tenderize. Place the steaks in a bowl and top the Worcestershire sauce, shiitake mushroom powder, and sprinkle pinch of salt and pepper. Rub the mixture into the steaks and allow them to marinate for at least an hour.

2. In a large, heavy sauté pan or frying pan, heat the oil until medium-high heat until shimmering. Remove the steaks from the marinade and pat dry if necessary. Working in batches if necessary, add to the steaks to pan and sear in the hot oil until browned, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to plate.

3. Add the mushrooms to the pan and return to medium-high heat. Add the garlic and stir to combine. Add half the wine, deglaze the pan, making sure to scrape up any browned bit of meat. Cook the mushrooms for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the remaining wine and the beef stock. Return the steaks to the pan, cover and cook for 2 ½ minutes on each side for medium-rare. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve the steaks drizzled with the pan sauce and mushrooms.

Photo credit on all pictures: Greg Hudson

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This month the Wine Pairing Weekend Crew is celebrating women winery owners and winemakers. We’ll be discussing our discoveries on Twitter on Sat. Feb. 10. Join us by following the hashtag #WinePW between 11-12 EST / 8-9am PST.

Camilla from Culinary Adventures with Camilla brings the bubbles with > The Effervescent Nicole Walsh Dishes On Ser And Being a Woman (in Wine) & Sparkling Rosé of Nebbiolo + Fusion Street Tacos.

Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm shares > Women Winemakers~~Introducing Burgdorf Winery.

Jane of Always Ravenous is > Celebrating Merry Edward's Winemaking Journey with a Winter Feast

David from Cooking Chat brings us > Tuscan Kale Pasta with Elisabetta's Vernaccia.

Susannah at Avvinare shares > Crociani Rosso di Montepulciano and Turkey Chili For A Cold Winter's Day

Gwendolyn from Wine Predator explains > We're with WALT: owner Kathryn Hall, Winemaker Megan Gunderson Paredes.

Lauren at The Swirling Dervish is running with the wolves for > Donnachiara Montefalcione - Five Generations of Wine, Wolves, and Women in Campania.

Plus a podcast with Lori from Dracanea Wines > Ep. 39 Dracaena Wines on Wine; Cindy Cosco

For another beautiful California wine from a female winemaker right here on SommsTable.com, check out Cooking to the Wine: Bouchaine Rock'n H Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir with Blackened Five-spice Duck.

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