A Meal With Friends
I invited some friends over to my college apartment to break bread and drink some wine. I planned out a delicious 5 course meal and spent the afternoon prepping for the night. The 3 appetizers I choose to do were mashed potatoes, baked asparagus with Hollandaise sauce, and king crab legs. The first entree is my go-to weeknight dinner: Taiwanese beef noodle soup. I also selected two beautiful cuts of prime steaks - one ribeye and one strip. While cooking, I was sipping the rest of a Chianti bottle that made a previous appearance on this blog. I rated the wine pretty poorly in that post, but the 3-day opened bottle must have changed the wine a bit as the flavors were more pleasing and multi-dimensional. Anyways, here is how I cooked each dish:
Mashed potatoes: While I brought salted water to boil, I peeled and quartered 2.5 lbs of Yukon Gold potatoes. I added them in when the water was a rolling boil and cooked for 18 minutes. In a sauce pan, I added 5 tablespoons of salted butter with 1/2 cup of milk. I then mashed the potatoes and added the liquid mixture to taste (I used about half of the mixture).
Baked Asparagus: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. After trimming the undesirable asparagus ends, toss with olive oil until fully coated. Season generously with kosher salt and ground peppercorns. Top with Parmesan cheese and bake for 15 minutes. I then zested some lemons and squeezed the juice over the asparagus.
Hollandaise sauce: Melt half cup of butter in a sauce pan. Meanwhile, add 3 egg yolks, a tablespoon of lemon juice, a dash of Dijon, and a pinch of salt and cayenne pepper to a blended. Blend for 15 seconds, slowing incorporating the butter.
King crab legs: I bought cooked legs from the store, so I just heated by steaming for 5 minutes. Serve as is.
Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup: I follow this recipe from The Woks of Life. I meal prep this all the time, freezing portions in mason jars. Instant pot makes this recipe fool-proof!
Ribeye and NY Strip Steaks: Season generously with kosher salt and let it dry brine in fridge for 4 hours. Add a generous amount of garlic powder and ground peppercorns. Vacuum seal and sous vide the steaks for 2 hours at 130 degrees. Remove from water put in fridge for 30 minutes to cool down. Open the seal and pat the steaks dry. In a pan, heat avocado oil until almost smoking. I like to sear the fat on the sides first so I hold the steaks sideways and let a nice crust develop - about 30 seconds. Sear both sides of the steak and do not touch them for 45 seconds until you flip. Turn down the heat and add fresh rosemary and half a stick of butter. I use garlic compound butter — I buy these from my local grocery store. Baste the steaks for 1 minute on each side and remove from heat. No need to rest a sous vide steak. Cut and enjoy immediately.
Unfortunately, I couldn't get a picture of the crab legs because they were gone before I remembered to take pictures! Anyways, enough of that, let’s get to wine pairings!
I started the night off with a sparkling wine. After all, who doesn’t love sparkling wines? Here is my report on this wine:
Name: Montelliana Prosecco Treviso Extra Dry N.V.
Variety: Glera
Region: Prosecco di Treviso, Veneto
Country: Italy
Price: $13
Wine Critic: "Fresh and frothty with hints of pear and citrus fruit and balanced freshness." - Bronze, International Wine Challenge
Wine Folly: From "Wine Folly: Magnum Edition: The Master Guide" by Madeline Puckette and Justin Hammack, it is noted on page 361 that Prosecco is created with Glera grapes. It is semi sweet and semi acidic. It is noted that this type of grape pairs well with spicy foods as well as cured meats. Dominant aromas include hints of green apple, pears, and honeydew.
My Thoughts: Today I am drinking a white sparkling wine from Veneto in Italy. I love opening sparkling wine and champagne bottles and this was no exception. First impressions: not very dry. This bottle advertises itself as a dry wine and but I think it is a little sweet. Aromas of pear and especially apples. The finish was clean but short. Fruit forward and somewhat creamy and rich. The bubbles were nice and built up a nice layer which made it fun to drink. The taste is alright but I do not think I will buy it again. There is nothing wrong with the bottle, it is just not my thing.
I paired this with the king crab legs and asparagus. The pear and apple taste from the wine was great with the sweet crab meat. The bubbles were a great contrast to the soft crab meat. I am a little disappointed this wine was not very dry as advertised since I think it would have been even better with the crab meat. All in all, I think the wine was fantastic with crab meat. However, I think this wine was not good with the asparagus. The tasting notes just clashed. Where crab meat benefits from green apple sourness that the wine offers, a creamy Hollandaise sauce and cheesy asparagus does not pair well together. I think I will try a sauvignon blanc next time since the citric-sweet element probably complements the asparagus better.
I give it a 70/100.
Next up, I decided to open up a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon. Here is how it went:
Name: Meiomi Cabernet Sauvignon
Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: California
Country: USA
Price: $26
Wine Critic: "Deep garnet color. Blackberry plum and slight oak on the nose. Dry, high acidity and tannins, medium alcohol and a full body. Lots of blackberry and plum makes this wine taste sweeter than it is." - J.B. (Feb. 11, 2022).
Wine Folly: From "Wine Folly: Magnum Edition: The Master Guide" by Madeline Puckette and Justin Hammack, it is noted on page 221 that cabernet sauvignon is perfect for rich meats and dishes with high flavors. It has a big body and high in tannins. Dominant aromas include hints of cinnamon and cherry.
My Thoughts: It is delicious but I was surprised by the taste. I do not think it tastes like a cabernet sauvignon at all. It is very sweet. I think this wine is delicious but definitely not what I was expecting. The tannin level was not there, and it did not taste like a high alcohol wine. I smell blackberries and vanilla. It is very smooth and has a nice long finish. The sweetness really sits in my mouth and it is very pleasant. This bottle is definitely not what I think of when you mention cabernet sauvignon, but I really like it and will probably buy this one again.
I paired this with mashed potatoes and beef noodle soup. The mashed potatoes did not really change when paired with wine. The sweetness did not add nor subtract from the taste. This website recommended I try mashed potatoes with the cab, so I was dearly disappointed at the result. The Wine Folly book recommended high flavor dishes, so I was skeptical when this site recommended a subtle-tasting dish like mashed potatoes. Turns out the book was right, and I will not be pairing cabernet sauvignon with mashed potatoes again.
With the beef noodle soup, I really enjoyed this wine and so did my friends. The spicy, sweet, and umami dish paired well with this sweeter wine. Cabernet Sauvignon has lots of spices and I used similar spices like cinnamon, fennel, cloves, and star anise. This pairing went very well together and since this dish frequently makes an appearance for me, I will be experimenting with different cabernet sauvignons in the future.
I give it an 84/100.
Last up is this interesting wine from Bota Box. Here are my thoughts:
Name: RedVolution by Bota Box
Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: California
Country: USA
Price: $19
Wine Critic: "Enjoyable to drink especially for a boxed wine. Good value. Medium full-bodied with rich fruit flavors. Not too dry or sweet." - N.L. (Apr. 17, 2020).
Wine Folly: From "Wine Folly: Magnum Edition: The Master Guide" by Madeline Puckette and Justin Hammack, it is noted on page 221 that cabernet sauvignon is perfect for rich meats and dishes with high flavors. It has a big body and high in tannins. Dominant aromas include hints of cinnamon and cherry.
My Thoughts: It is delicious and exceeds expectations for what I bought. This box was $19 which works out to just under $5 per 750ml bottle equivalent. It does not taste like a $5 at all. It really embodies a good new world cabernet sauvignon. The wine is very smooth and has a pleasant finish. It is light, not too sweet and not too dry. In fact, I am surprised but how low the tannin was for the color it had. The wine is very ripe and fruit forward; definitely the California terroir at work. There is a little vanilla and cinnamon aroma. I think this is a great sipper.
I paired this wine with steak. I think it did really well together. The acidity was just good enough to complement the meat. Steak is pretty heavy and this California Cabernet Sauvignon was surprisingly light which was not what I was going for. In the future, I will need an old world cab or a spicy Zinfandel. My plan was for the charred meat to contrast with the tannin of a strong wine but this box did not have the tannin I was looking for. That said, I still think the pairing was amazing. Neither the meat nor the wine overpowered the other. I wish the wine was a little less sweet but overall I had a great experience.
I give this bottle an 81/100.
My roommate enjoying the beef noodle soup and wine
All in all, I think this dinner event was a success! My friends and I had a great time eating good food and drinking different wines. I definitely learned a lot and I will take this knowledge going forward to do more wine pairings.