Steak Marinade

Beautiful autumn days signify rewards of summer plantings.  On a recent visit to the farmer’s market, I found a bountiful booty of fruits and vegetables. Why not feature something local?  There is often so much talk about buying locally grown product – Olathe corn, Colorado lamb, Haystack goat cheese, Palisade peaches, and vine-ripened tomatoes. If there was ever an opportunity to feature local, September is the month to do it.  It just so happened, that J.P. from his family owned and operated Cottonwood Cellars paid a visit to our store.

Joy Wine and Spirits features many great Colorado wines, but Cottonwood is unique because they have good wine at a very reasonable price, and they are one of a handful of Colorado wineries that bottle Lemberger.

Lemberger is a late ripening Austrian grape varietal that is rapidly becoming Colorado’s grape.  As a lighter red wine it is designed to accompany pork, since most reds are too heavy, and whites are too light to pair with the "other white meat."  As such it is very universal with food, and can be paired with almost anything. Despite being a red, it can also be slightly chilled, making it a great warm weather red.  The climate in Colorado is similar to that of Austria, high altitudes and snowy winters, therefore the grape grows really well here, producing great fruit every year, and never succumbing to the cold winters. 

The root-stock for these vines came from Washington State, where Lemberger is a favorite wine among the locals. 

The 2005 Olathe Winery Lemberger has an aromatic nose of red fruit, followed by an earthier, spicy mid (it spends 9 month in barrel and at least one year in the bottle) that finishes with tart acidity.  It is a wonderful match for this month’ recipe with a great balance between the body of the pork and that of the wine, and the somewhat spicy, tart, cranberry finish, compliments the sweet bourbon peach sauce.

If one wants to go “green” one should try a local wine.  With our dry climate, Coloradans are lucky to have vineyards with relatively few pests, therefore wineries like Olathe, can farm without the use of fungicides and pesticides.  Olathe also adds just a minimum amount of sulphites to stabilize the wine upon bottling, but not nearly the allowed limit.  Obviously there is a lot less transportation involved. 

But most of all, give Colorado wine a try, if you haven’t had one in a while because they taste really good.   With each new vintage, the wines are much more consistent, wineries are learning about their terroir and which varieties work best and winemakers are racking up years of experience. Joy Wine and Spirits sell a great selection of Colorado’s best ….and if you still are not convinced, come into the store to sample Colorado wines on October 3, 2009 from 4:30 to 7:00.

Marinade Recipe:

Ingredients:  (It is recommended to use fresh herbs for best results)

1 Tablespoon Salt

2-Teaspoon Pepper

2 Tablespoon Minced Thyme

2 Tablespoon Minced Rosemary

2 Tablespoon Minced Parsley

1 Tablespoon Minced Shallot

1 Teaspoon Minced Tarragon

½ Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Method:

Take all of your fresh herbs and mince them into small pieces. Once all herbs are minced appropriately mix all herbs with salt and pepper. Combine these ingredients with the extra virgin olive oil and then refrigerate. It is best to make the marinade 24 hours prior to marinating the meat. This is so all of the herbs can infuse with the olive oil for full flavor.

Once you have chosen the cut of meat you prefer place in the marinade. Make sure the meat is completely covered with marinade and refrigerate for 24 hours.

Then grill to your desired temperature.

Gourmet’s Steak Sauce Recipe:

Ingredients:

1 Lb Shallot

2 Tablespoon Minced Garlic

1-Quart Beef Broth

1 Bay leaf

1 Cup Burgundy Cooking Wine

1 Sprig of Rosemary

1 Sprig Thyme

Salt

Pepper

¼ Lb Butter

1/3 Cup Flour

1 Tablespoon olive oil

Method:

Pre-heat Oven to 275°

Toss Shallots with 2 Tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and a pinch of salt. Make sure that the Shallots are well coated with the olive oil. Place the Shallots and olive oil in the oven and Roast for 1 ½ hours or until golden brown. Once the roasting is complete let the shallots cool down. When the shallots are cooled down cut them into quarters and set aside.

On the stovetop get a saucepan hot keeping the stove temperature at medium-to-medium high. Once the pan is hot add 1 Tablespoon of olive oil and 2 Tablespoons of butter. Sauté the minced garlic until brown. Once your garlic is sautéed add all of your quartered shallots and continue to cook for about 4 minutes. Now your are going to add 1 cup of cooking wine to the saucepan and cook until the liquid is reduced by half. During this time be sure to continue to stir the mixture so it doesn’t burn to the bottom of the pan. Once the liquid has reduced add 1 quart of beef broth.

De-stem your sprig of Rosemary and Thyme and add to the pan along with your Bay leaf. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer for ½ hour.

After the reduction has simmered strain out all of the herbs. The only thing you won’t need is the bay leaf you can throw that away. The rest of your herbs you are going to puree together using a blender or a food processor which ever is easiest for you. When pureeing the herbs add a little bit of the liquid to the blender so it mixes well. In increments add a little bit of the pureed blend back into the saucepan with the liquid and bring to a boil.

In a separate pan make a roux. Melt ¼ lb. of butter then whisk in 1/3 cup of flour slowly until mixed thoroughly.

Add the roux to the saucepan a little bit at a time until your sauce has reached desired thickness.

You can serve the sauce on the side or drizzle over the steak which ever is your preference.

Bon- Appetite