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May 3, 2018

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Bordeaux and steak combo a gastronomic delight

Isacs is the founder and CEO of EnjoyGourmet, a leading gourmet digital (www.enjoygourmet.com.cn) and print media company in China. He has authored over a dozen wine and food books including the awarded ISACS Guides and other gourmet books and is a wine consultant to governments, wine regions and organizations. He also hosts wine events for leading organizations and companies throughout China. Contact John via jcolumn@enjoygourmet.com.

For many professional and amateur chefs, knives are beloved treasures. The Chinese chopping knife caidao is a perfect example. As featured in today’s iDEAL section this versatile tool can be used to chop, dice, slice and crush. Personally, when I think of knives I think of meats and when I think of beef I think of red wines. Therefore, this week I’ll introduce some wine and beef classics.

Few gastronomic experiences can match great steaks accompanied by Bordeaux red wines.

The two are quite simply made for each other. Different cuts of steaks, like the different regions of Bordeaux, each have their own distinct characteristics, so not surprisingly red wines from some regions, or sub-appellations, of Bordeaux are best with certain cuts of steak. Here are a few recommendations.

Rib eye is the most fatty and juicy of premium steaks so this cut demands an equally rich and robust red wine. The right wine should have ample tannins to cut through the fat and facilitate digestion while also offering plenty of dark fruit flavors to embellish the savory beefy flavors of the steak.

In essence, the wine acts as a sauce to the steak and no additional adornment except for some sea salt and fresh black pepper are needed.

Some of the best wine solutions come from the St Estephe appellation of Bordeaux, a region renowned for its concentrated, structured and tannic wines. The region has five chateaux on the 1855 Grand Cru Classe list: Cos d’Estournel, Montrose, Calon-Segur, Lafon-Rochet and Cos Labory.

Vis-a-vis to neighboring chateaux in Pauillac and Margaux to the south, these wines were reasonably priced but today they’re all quite pricey. Fortunately, St Estephe is also home to some of Bordeaux’s best Cru Bourgeois wines. One great example is Chateau Meyney.

Chateau Meyney is one of the oldest estates in the Médoc that started making wines in the 1660’s when the estate was a convent.

Today this chateau makes wines the equal of many 1855 Grand Cru Classe wines. It’s a divine wine for rib eye steaks. One of the distinguishing factors in this wine’s style is the relatively high percentage of Petit Verdot, in some vintages approximately 10 percent. This smallest of Bordeaux grapes gives Meyney wines superior color, structure and punch.

The New York strip is considered the classic steakhouse cut with a rich, full flavor and a pleasant chewy texture. Some of the best red wine companions to this cut come from Pauillac. Wines from this sub-appellation combine power with extraordinary complexity and balance, making them superb companions to New York strip steaks. The trio of Pauillac first growths, Chateaux Latour, Lafite-Rothschild and Mouton Rothschild must be mentioned but they also carry a price tag to match their great reputations.

An excellent alternative that’s eminently more affordable is the fifth growth Chateau Haut-Bages Liberal.

As the name infers, the tenderloin is the tenderest of all steaks. Sometimes referred to as fillet mignon, this lean cut lacks the rich beefy flavors of other premium cuts and therefore is often accompanied by rich sauces or prepared with other ingredients like foie gras.

This delicately flavored steak benefits from a smooth and subtle wine. Predominantly Merlot wines from the sub-appellation of St Emilion offer a combination of generous ripe black and red fruit with soft tannins that make them the ideal partners to tenderloin steaks. Two of my favorite reasonably priced, premium reds from this region are Chateau Haut-Brisson and Chateau Paran Justice.

Vintages matter when choosing Bordeaux wines. The best recent vintages are 2016, 2015, 2010 and 2009. Excellent older Bordeaux vintages include 2005, 2004, 2003, 2001, 2000, 1996, 1995, 1990, 1989, 1983 and 1982. The next time you’re savoring a steak, pick a good Bordeaux chateau from these vintages and you’ll be in for a special treat; but I’d be seriously in remiss if I didn’t mention another beef and wine pairing classic from a different region of France.

Burgundy’s own beef specialty

Sometime during the Middle Ages, a braised beef dish using the local wine of Burgundy started gaining acclaim throughout the kingdoms. The earliest examples were hearty stews made by peasants that used the occasional leftover scraps of beef that were discarded or stolen from the nobles.

The tough nature of these beef chunks necessitated long cooking and over time the dish evolved into one of the signature dishes of the region.

The legendary chef Auguste Escoffier was the first to publish recipes of the dish and helped to make Boeuf Bourguignon famous beyond the borders of Europe. The modern rendition of the dish uses higher-quality cuts of beef, ideally the famous Charolais beef from Burgundy, that are braised in full-bodied Burgundy red wine. Bacon or lard, vegetables, herbs and other seasoning are also part of the recipe and traditionally the dish is cooked slowly for up to two days. The result is one of the world’s most savory and delicious beef dishes that demands the companionship of a high-quality Burgundy red wine. My personal favorite is Boeuf Bourguignon with a hearty Chambertin from a top producer. But many other top Cote de Nuits reds or robust Cote de Beaune reds like Corton are equally good companions to this classic beef dish from Burgundy. As with Bordeaux, stick to the better vintages, which in Burgundy means the good 2016, 2015, 2014, 2012 vintages and especially the great 2010, 2005 and 2002 vintages.

Where to buy in Shanghai

Varieties: The red wines of St Estephe are primarily blends of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.

Key term: The word backbone is used to describe wines with strong and balanced tannins, acidity and alcohol.




 

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