Check out our more recent addition (with up-to-date reviews) of Great Wines When You’re Grilling 

 

For our third and final installment of Great Wines When You’re Grilling, we’re going to focus on a lot of people’s favorites: beef and lamb. A wonderful, juicy piece of red meat can be heaven on a warm summer evening, so we’d like to share some of our favorite recipes and tips for making the dishes the best they can be. And, of course, we’ll talk about our selection of wines that can be paired with each recipe. When it comes to red meat, we’ll be focusing on Cabernet and rich red blends since they have the body to stand up to the rich, fatty character of the cuts. After all, what’s a summer cookout without great wines to match, and red meat with a supple red wine is a classic combination.

.

Asian BBQ Beef Wines

Our Asian BBQ beef recipe comes from the good people at San-J Sauces. They’ve got a lively marinade that perks up your taste buds and doesn’t let them down until the last bite. The sauces has some pizazz, so a wine with a bit more body and a somewhat robust character makes for a fine pairing. Our panel selected four bottles that will do the trick nicely (click on the wine to read its review):

Scheid Vineyards 2006 Claret

Epiphany Cellars 2007 Gypsy

Bernardus 2007 Marinus

Sagebrush Annie’s 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon

San-J BBQ Beef

Ingredients

1 ½ pounds boneless beef sirloin, sliced into ¼-inch strips
1 ½ cups San-J Asian BBQ Sauce
6 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tablespoons fresh ginger, grated
8 green onions, thinly sliced
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 Tablespoon Asian chile oil
1 Tablespoon toasted sesame oil
2 Tablespoons sesame seeds
1/8 cup fresh cilantro, minced
6 servings steamed white rice

Preparation

Place the steak in a rectangular glass pan. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the San-J Asian BBQ Sauce, garlic, ginger, green onions, sugar, chile oil, sesame oil, sesame seeds and cilantro and mix thoroughly to combine. Pour the marinade over the steak and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours or up to 8 hours.
Heat a grill on high heat. Once the grill is very hot, remove the beef strips from the marinade and place them on the grill, cooking about 2 minutes per side or until cooked through. Serve over white rice.
Makes 6 Servings

 

Drunken Skirt Steak Wines

Our next recipe comes to us from the Peju Winery kitchen. If you’re simply not a plain steak person or you prefer to save a bit of money by not purchasing the thickest, richest cuts, this skirt steak might be right up your alley. Because the dish has some sweeter characteristics to its flavor, a lush, more fruit-driven wine provides a nice compliment. The Peju Merlot is excellent with the dish, but if Merlot isn’t your thing, our panel has some other recommendations, too. (Read each wine’s review by click on it.)

Peju 2007 Merlot

Raymond  Lot. No. 7 Blend

Raymond 2008 Family Classic Cabernet Sauvignon

Sagebrush Annie’s 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon

Wente 2009 Charles Wetmore Cabernet Sauvignon

Loma Linda 2008 Petite Sirah

Fess Parker 2008 The Big Easy

Coquelicot Estate 2006 Mon Amor

 

Drunken Skirt Steak

Recipe Compliments of Chef Richard Perot of The Peju Kitchen

Recipe serves 8

Ingredients:

1 cup dark rum

½ cup cold coffee

1 cup soy sauce

½ cup wild flower honey

1 stick cinnamon

2 juniper berries

5 whole cloves

1 tablespoon toasted whole cumin seeds

2 tablespoons Sriracha Thai chili sauce

1 tablespoon toasted whole coriander

4 sprigs thyme, whole

1 Fresno chili, sliced

½ bunch mint, chopped

½ bunch cilantro, chopped

2 lbs skirt steak

Directions:

  1. Combine all ingredients, marinate for 12 hours.
  2. Grill on mesquite charcoal.

Note: Marinade can be used for any of your grilling favorites.

 

Steak Wines

Most of us here at Food & Beverage are of the mindset that a steak is best when prepared in a simple fashion. Why add extra ingredients and flavors when a good, hearty steak is close to perfection on its own? Of course, the key is to cook the steak just right. Luckily, Chef Thomas Dritsas has some great tips for how to cook up your cut of meat perfectly. With steak, of course, Cabernet is king. Thus, we’ve selected some classic examples of the varietal, along with a superb Cab & Barbara blend from Ruby Hill Winery. (Read our review for each wine by clicking on it.)

Ruby Hill 2008 Intesa

Round Pond 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon

Caymus 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon

Raymond 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon

Sagebrush Annie’s 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon

Vina Robles 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon

Summit Lake 2007 Emily Kestrell Cabernet Sauvignon

Star Lane 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon

 

THE SIMPLY PERFECT STEAK

Corporate Executive Chef Thomas Dritsas, Del Frisco’s Restaurant Group (http://www.delfriscos.com/)

PREPARATION TIME: 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

The Steak

1 ea. Ribeye, Prime Grade, 16 oz

1 tbsp. Salt, Kosher

½ tbsp. Black Pepper, Fresh Ground

1 oz. Butter, Drawn

PREPARATION

1. Preheat your grill to 500 degrees.

2. Take your steaks out prior to your grill heating and let the steak come to room temperature.

3. Once the grill is properly heated place the steak on the hottest area of the grill.

4. Cool the steak for 3-5 minutes on the first side for a medium rare, 6 to 8 minutes for medium and further time for a further done steak.

5. Once time is up and the surface sugars are caramelized flip the steak and place back in the hot area and repeat times for desired temperature.

6. Once the steak is cooked to desired temperature remove from the heat and rest on a plate or platter and loosely cover with aluminum foil.

7. Let the steak rest for 3 to 5 minutes to carry over cook and for the juices to come back to the center.

8. Brush steak with warm drawn unsalted butter before serving and enjoy the Perfect Steak.

Serves 1 to 2.

The Perfect Steak Tips:

1. Find a reliable source to purchase good quality beef from. Make friends with the Butcher and discuss his recommendations for various cuts he would cook.

2. Let your steak come to room temperature before introducing the steak to a heat source. When a cold protein initially comes in contact with a hi heat source the protein constricts yielding and tough piece of meat.

3. Season your steak generously with kosher salt & pepper before cooking, the salt and pepper will aid in bringing out the natural flavors of the steak.

4. Preheat your grill prior to cooking to insure the proper searing of the steak to insure surface sugars are caramelized, adding complexity to your steak as well as sealing in the juices of the steak itself.

5. After cooking a steak to your desired temperature, let it rest and let the blood come back to the center. Notice when you cook and immediately slice a steak that you end up with the blood exiting the steak quickly leaving the steak dry and flavorless.

6. Lastly finish your steak by brushing it with a bit of melted butter to take the edge off the seasoning as well as adding a slight richness to the steak.

 

Grilled Lamb Wines

Lamb is a very versatile dish when it comes to paring wines. Its juicy, rich flavors cater very well to supple reds, and because lamb is a bit lighter than steak, there’s not the same need for body and tannins in a wine. It means a wider range of wines can be a good match, so our panel selected red varietals and blends which weren’t too hearty but smooth and flavorful. We recommend a few Syrahs along with a hand-full of wines comprised of Bordeaux varietals that we feel compliment our favorite lamb dish, which also comes to us from Chef Thomas Dritsas.

Murrieta’s Well 2008 The Spur

Fenestra 2008 Malbec

Harmony Cellars 2008 Merlot

Coquelicot 2007 Estate Syrah

Coquelicot Estate 2007 Back Seat Brunette

Morgan 2008 Syrah

Sevtap 2009 Mi Amor

ButtonWood 2007 Hawk Red Blend

 

GRILLED LAMB CHOPS WITH PARSLEY-GARLIC CHIMICHURRI

PREPARATION TIME: 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

Parsley Garlic Chimichurri Sauce

1 ea. Flat Leaf Parsley

6 ea. Garlic Clove, Peeled

3 tbsp. Onion, Yellow, Minced

5 tbsp. White Vinegar

5 tbsp. Water, Cold

1 tsp. Salt, Kosher

½ tsp. Oregano, Fresh

¾ tsp. Red Pepper Flakes

½ tsp. Pepper, Black, Fresh Ground

1 cup. Olive Oil, Extra Virgin

Lamb Chops

4 ea. Lamb, 3 oz Chops

1 tbsp. Salt, Kosher

½ tsp. Pepper Black, Fresh Ground

PREPARATION

1. For the sauce place all ingredients in a tabletop blender and pulse the mixture till the ingredients become chopped not pureed.

2. Once sauce is done transfer to a plastic container and hold for use of the sauce for the preparation of the lamb.

3. Choose some great quality lamb chops from your local butcher.

4. Look for domestic Choice to Prime grading on the meat to insure great flavor and juiciness.

5. First start by preheating your grill, you will want to heat the grill 500-600 degrees. This will allow the chops to be seared locking in its juices as well as caramelizing the surface.

6. Then while the grill is preheating take out your lamb chops and let them come to room temperature, this will eliminate the shock the protein would get going from a cold to hi heat source rendering the lamb tough.

7. Then season the lamb chops on both sides with the kosher salt and black pepper.

8. Once the grill is heated place the chops close to each other on the grill and start cooking.

9. With a brush mop the chops on the side facing up with some chimichurri. This side will be flipped when the first side is done.

10. Cook on first side for 2 to 4 minutes for a medium.

11. Once time is up flip the lamb chops over and start cooking the side basted with the chimichurri for 2 to 4 minutes.

12. Repeat mopping the side that was first cooked down with some of the chimichurri and the brush.

13. Finish cooking the chops to your desired doneness and when the chops are done brush both sides one again with the some of the chimichurri before transferring them to a platter and lay to rest for 3 or 4 minutes. Resting the chops will allow the juices in the each chop to come back to the center and render a flavorful, juicy product.

14. Once the chops are ready arrange them on a platter and drizzle some chimichurri on and around the chops.

15. Serve the lamb chops with some slices of vine ripe tomatoes simply dressed with the chimichurri so drizzle some of the sauce on them as well.

16. Serve immediately.

Serves 1 to 2.

For more, check out our other posts on Great Wines When You’re Grilling: Seafood plus Chicken & Pork.