Classic Steak and Cabernet Pairing

I feel very lazy writing this post...this dinner literally took 15 minutes to cook and required hardly any preparation, but its dinners like these that create the foundation for my blog! Isn't the best meal one that you can enjoy with a bottle of wine within an hour after you get home from work?

The Meal
We stumbled upon a New York Strip Steak on sale at the store. The cut was so thick it was big enough to feed two people. I made the accompaniments to this huge chunk of meat simple and GREEN--a simple green salad and frozen veggies. If you're really hungry, you can whip up some mashed potatoes to go with this dish, but, like I mentioned earlier, I was too lazy this time around.


The Wine
Nothing sounded better with meal at the time than a BIG, rich, classic California Cabernet Sauvignon. To live up to the meat's texture, I suggest picking a Cabernet from Napa Valley--most of them have a big enough body and great depth to pair with a big steak. The Cab I chose was 2004 Meyer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley ($30, can be found at Total Wine & More). Unfortunately I think my bottle had passed its time--there were hardly any tannins left and the cork crumbled into the bottle (fail). But I've had this wine before and I can tell you it is a great wine usually with the structured tannins and velvety depth I was looking for with this meal.
Other options--I'm a fan of Washington State Cabernet Sauvignon with steak as well, they can be a little hot at times but will ultimately provide the strength needed to pair with steak. If you want to venture to imported wines, I'm a great fan of Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon or Argentinean Malbec.

Grilled New York Strip Steak and Sides
How easy is this recipe? Generously season the steak with salt and ground black pepper on both sides. Grill for about 8-10 minutes for medium doneness. Doesn't that look DELICIOUS?

While the steak is cooking, whip up a simple green salad--I cut romaine, carrots, tomatoes, and green onions and topped it with cheese and a store-bought vinaigrette. Try to stay away from a creamy dressing such as ranch or blue cheese as that may overpower the wine.

My second side was frozen veggies heated in the microwave and topped with a nice dollop of butter! Again, lazy, but this was the fastest dinner to whip up. The final product was visually appealing (lots of green on the plate); the only thing I wish I had in the pantry was some fresh french bread to go with this meal. When doing your own version of this meal, be creative and get adventurous. So many different sides will go with steak, but the easiest pairing will always be Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Enjoy!

Valentine's Day Dinner Pairing

Herb Roasted Rack of Lamb, Mandarin Orange Salad, Sauteed Asparagus paired with California Zinfandel

For Valentine's Day, I wanted to make my honey something really nice--and it turns out that this meal didn't take any time at all, it just takes a little prep work. In about a half hour, you can have a fancy meal that looks like you spent hours to prepare.

Wine Pairing

My boyfriend chose the wine for this meal since it was a special occasion--2006 "Captain's Reserve" Zinfandel from Rubicon Estate, Napa Valley. The dark, jammy, blue fruit really complemented the herb-marinated lamb, but there are many other pairing options available for this meal. I suggest a Bordeaux blend from either Bordeaux, France, or a domestic Bordeaux-inspired blend. Cabernet Sauvignon is always a safe choice with lamb too; it really accentuates the various marinade flavors as well as the juices from the meat. If you're celebrating something special, a great glass of bubbly (such as Brut Champagne) will start the meal off perfectly with the salad.

Herb Roasted Lamb Chops

2-4 Lamb Chops or Rack of Lamb, or however much you need (1 chop per diner is fine)
4 crushed garlic cloves
1 Tbsp fresh rosemary leaves (or a few sprigs)
1 Tbsp olive oil
kosher salt
ground black pepper

The night before, combine olive oil, rosemary leaves, and crushed garlic in a large freezer bag. Generously season lamb chops with salt and pepper, and place in the marinade. Flip the chops a few times every couple hours so the marinade sets in properly.

NOTE: these chops can marinate as little as one hour but the overnight marinade really made a great impact.

Dinner time: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat 2 Tbsp of olive oil in a skillet over med-high heat. When heated, add the lamb chops and sear about 3 minutes each side. Immediately transfer the chops to the oven and cook about 10 minutes (for med-rare). Let sit 5 minutes, then eat immediately.

Asparagus
One bunch of asparagus (about 10 sprigs)
Olive oil
basil
garlic powder
seasoned salt
pepper


While the chops are searing, heat about 2 Tbsp olive oil in a separate skillet. Add asparagus; generously season with basil, garlic powder, seasoned salt (or just salt) and pepper. Cook until tender (I like them a little crunchy).

Mandarin Almond Salad

I got this recipe from Allrecipes.com--it takes only about 15 minutes to make and is a great start to this meal. This salad would be great paired with a sparkling dry (Brut) wine.

1/2 head romaine lettuce
1 can mandarin oranges, drained
3 green onions, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp white sugar
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1 Tbsp white sugar
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
ground black pepper to taste

In a large bowl, combine the lettuce, oranges and green onions. Heat 2 Tbsp sugar with the almonds in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook and stir until sugar starts to melt (it took a while for the sugar to melt for me but once it melted, it was done super quickly, so keep an eye on it and stir frequently so it doesn't burn). Let cool on a plate for 10 minutes.

To make the dressing, combine the red wine vinegar, olive oil, 1 tbsp sugar, red pepperflakes and black pepper in a lid-fitting container. Shake until sugar is dissolved. When ready to serve, toss the lettuce with the salad dressing until coated. Transfer into a serving bowl and top with the toasted almonds. 


Final Note--This made a really great meal--my boyfriend treated me to chocolate-covered strawberries for dessert and we paired them with a tawny port. I wish I had made a potato with this meal, however, since our wine was a little strong and we needed something to soak it up. At least serve some rolls or french bread with this meal. Enjoy!