Fridays on the BottleBlog will feature a food-related article, wine pairing, or travelogue. Today, Newlywed Wine Manager Mark Ricca tells us how he prepared this fantastic meal for his rehearsal dinner!
Flannery Porterhouse Steaks, Mashed Yukon Gold Potatoes, Brussel Sprouts Roasted with Bacon and Onions
When planning my wedding with my fiancée, we decided that we'd get the most enjoyment and value by preparing the rehearsal dinner ourselves. ("Ourselves" actually meant "me.") I reached out to my friend Bryan Flannery of Bryan's Fine Foods in Corte Madera, California. Bryan, a Master Butcher who is taking the butcher's art to new heights, is the source for some of the best beef in the country. This was going to be, more or less, a sit-down dinner for about thirty guests and I wanted to serve a meal that was both simple in preparation, and of outstanding quality. Bryan suggested Porterhouse steaks cut 2 1/2 inches thick, which I would sear over a mesquite fire and then finish in a hot oven. These could then be carved off the bone and served quickly. For the side dishes, in keeping with the theme "Simple, But Delicious," I chose my best straightforward mashed potatoes recipe, and oven roasted brussel sprouts tossed with hickory smoked bacon and sweet onions. These were foods that, once prepared, could be held in an oven until everything was ready.
The plan was fairly simple. I would do 90% of the cooking at my home where the charcoal grills are (yes, I need two), searing the steaks, making the mashed potatoes, and roasting the sprouts. Because our house simply isn't big enough for a crowd that big, we would then transport the meal to my future in-laws' home.
Bryan would ship eight steaks, weighing approximately 3 lbs. each, to my home the day before the dinner. I did my shopping that day. 15 lbs. of potatoes, 10 lbs. of brussel sprouts and 1 ½ lbs. of bacon would all be transformed into a feast for a hungry crowd of family and friends. I started by prepping the brussel sprouts, onions and bacon. These would be the easiest and quickest to reheat, so having them done first and then cooling off afterward was not a concern.
Everything really is better with bacon.
I'll put this into more realistic quantities for those who might want to prepare it:
-1 lb. Brussel Sprouts, trimmed at bottom and cut in half
-3 oz. Bacon (4-5 strips or equivalent of slab) diced large
-4 oz. Sweet onion (Walla Walla or Mayan) julienne cut (this is about ¼ of a large onion.)
Pre-heat the oven to 400F. In a deep sauté pan, sweat the bacon and cook until crisp. Add the onions and sauté until they begin to brown. Mix all the contents of the sauté pan with the brussel sprouts. Season lightly with salt (accounting for the saltiness of the bacon) and generously with black pepper, and put them into a roasting pan, and then into the oven. Roast at 400F for approximately 20 to 25 minutes or until the sprouts are cooked and browned. This should serve 3-4 adults.
My mashed potato recipe in more realistic quantities:
-2 lbs. Yukon Gold potatoes, washed and cut into large pieces.
Place the potatoes into a sufficiently large pot, cover with cold water, and add 2-3 Tablespoons of good quality salt such as sea salt or kosher salt. Start with 2 Tablespoons and stir the pot. If the water tastes slightly salty, like weak seawater, proceed to bring the potatoes to a boil. The idea here is that, with potatoes, you want the salt to cook into them. Ideally you don't need to add any more salt when you whip them.
-1 pt. Whole milk
-½ lb. Unsalted butter
Put the butter and milk into a saucepan and when the potatoes are close to boiling, heat the dairy products over medium heat. Do not allow them to boil, but only melt and become hot.
Boil the potatoes until they are just tender enough to be mashed with a fork. Drain them in a large colander and allow them to steam dry for a few minutes. If you are going to whip the potatoes by hand, return them to the pot they were boiled in, or put them into the bowl of a mixer. Using a ladle, add the hot dairy product to the potatoes and whip taking care not to splash. (Hey!!! It's Hot!!!) Add the butter and milk until you reach a desired consistency. Check for seasoning, adding salt if necessary and pepper. I use black pepper but if the appearance of black pepper bothers you, go ahead and use white.
The finished potatoes were put into large foil pans and covered and held in my oven at 200F until the steaks were seared and we were ready to leave.The steaks Bryan sent were GORGEOUS!!! These were Prime midwestern steaks from grain fed cattle. I blotted them dry and seasoned them generously with coarse sea salt and coarse fresh ground black pepper.
As I had mentioned, each of these weighed approximately 3 lbs. and would feed three adults easily. I fired up both of my Weber kettles with hardwood charcoal. Once the coals were ready, I added lumps of mesquite wood. Putting on four steaks per grill, I seared the meat and then put the lids on the grills to lower the heat and prevent flare-ups. Because these steaks are so well marbled and rich, I like to cook them to medium rare so all that fat melts and bastes the meat. I took them off the grill to let them rest for about 20 minutes or so, and we were ready to roll.
I managed to get a couple of ounces of Burgundy truffles to shave over the top of the carved meat just to take it all to a higher level (as if that were necessary). Hopefully you only get married once!So, what did we drink with all this beefy madness, you ask?
I ended up bringing an assortment of red wines. My personal favorites were the Villa des Anges Cabernet Sauvignon, a Cab from the southern French region of the Languedoc Roussillon that is very attractively priced for how really good it is, and a Januik Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. I really love Washington state Cabs. They really give Napa Valley a run for the money and this particular one kicks butt.
Dinner was a huge success. We could not have achieved the quality of food for the same money in a restaurant and I love the challenge of cooking for large groups.
If you are looking for contact information for Bryan Flannery, please email me at mricca@joecanals.net.
I met Alison in March 2008 in New York City. I was a blogger for a wine column on a big New Jersey newspaper web site and one of her importers reached out to me to see if I’d like to do an interview with her. Of course, I happily agreed and they set up a fantastic dinner at the W Hotel's Icon Restaurant in mid-town NYC. Her people arranged a wine dinner with three of her wines so that I could taste them and talk with her about the winery.
Basically, they don't use any chemicals and all of their farming practices are meant to give back to the earth instead of destroying it, so that over time, they continually reuse and renew their natural resources. Usually when I start to hear this, I get nervous about the quality of the wine, but the three wines I tasted were amazing.
Several months ago, Alison let me know when she was going to be in town and we booked her immediately. On Tuesday, October 19th, Alison showed up an hour early and was ready to go. Within an hour we practically sold out of all her wines! A Joe Canal’s first! This was the first time I’ve seen customers coming in just for her. She was charming and gracious and introduced everyone to her wines. Most customers were familiar with Evolution and fell in love with her other wines as well. Alison signed almost 4 cases of wine and was able to make it to the city in time to see her first Nets game at the Garden.
Cabernet Sauvignon: Not to be confused with Canterbury Tales, which is a collection of stories written in Middle English by Geoffrey Chaucer at the end of the 14th century (a wonderful read), the Cabernet Sauvignon grape is a variety that thrives in all warm parts of the world. It's a rather tannic* grape, so it's often blended with more mild grape varieties to cut down on the harshness. Cabernets are versatile and, in a general sense, the less expensive cabs tend to be fruitier and more medium bodied, while their more expensive counterparts are rich and full-bodied*.
Merlot: Straight out of Wine for Dummies, the Merlot grape has "deep color, full body, high alcohol, and low tannin." If you've ever seen the movie Sideways, Merlots are for some reason joked about frequently in the wine world, but they're really a delicious wine with a lot of potential. Because of the low tannins, they're easily blended with other varieties and help balance things out. By itself, it's a simple wine that's easy to drink.
Pinot Noir: Most often found in pure form rather than blended with other grapes, Pinot Noir generally produces a strong wine that's high in acid, but low in tannin. However, depending on if it's been aged in oak barrels, that can raise the tannin level and cause the wine to have a more woodsy/earthy taste to it, rather than fruity. 
Shiraz: Shiraz is a confusing one. French wines made from Shiraz (or Syrah) grapes tend to be fuller-bodied and have a lot of tannins. They also tend to have very strong, and sometimes strange aromas like tar or burnt rubber. However, Australian Shiraz wines are quite different, with a medium body, and very fruity. I think it's fascinating how the same grape can yield such vastly different wines when grown in different climates.
Zinfandel: Zinfandel grapes product a wine that is very dark and very rich, and contain medium to high tannins. A very aromatic wine, Zinfandels tend to have a berry or jammy scent to them.
Put the ribs aside and combine the remaining ingredients in a 5 1/2 or larger dutch oven. Bring the seasoned beer broth to a simmer and add the ribs, adjusting the heat as necessary to return the pot to a simmer and maintain it. Simmer the ribs slowly with a partial cover for at least three hours. Test doneness by removing a rib from the pot and sticking a fork in the meat. If the fork turns easily and the meat seems like it will shred, the meat is ready.
This dish brings together some of my favorite flavors that play well together, or as I like to refer to them, the five Ss: Sweet, Spicy, Smoky, Salty, Sour. In the right proportions they do wonderful things for rich meats like this, so what wine to pair with something so intense?
As we’ve shown, winemakers and other industry VIPs regularly visit us at both Joe Canal’s locations. Sometimes, the travel schedules of those VIPs don't allow for invidual store visits, but they host gatherings that are limited to industry professionals. Such was the case on Wednesday, October 13th, where Veuve Clicquot Senior Winemaker Cyril Brun hosted a tasting. 
The tasting included Veuve’s classic yellow label Brut, Non-vintage Rose, Demi-Sec, and Le Grande Dame, paired with foods from shellfish to pumpkin cheesecake.
I was discussing my wine explorations with a friend the other day, and he asked if I "knew my grapes." He said that when he first started getting into wine, it helped him a lot to learn about the different kinds of grapes that go into the different kinds of wines, that way he could order a bottle at a restaurant that, even if weren't familiar with the winemaker, could be fairly certain he would enjoy.
Chardonnay: The Chardonnay grape is, by far, the most common white wine grape in the world. It's easy to grow, so it's in vineyards all over the world. The grape itself is rich and full-bodied, and the wines are generally dry. A great majority of Chardonnay wines are aged in oak (aptly called "oaked wines") so the familiar toasty, "Chardonnay taste" that many white wine lovers identify with and love, is actually the oak coming through, not the grape itself. 
Riesling: Most Riesling grapes (but not all) come from Germany, and the wines that come from them are almost never oaked. There's a misconception about Riesling wines that they're a sweet wine, and while a lot of them are sweet, that is not always the case. Rieslings, unlike Chardonnays, are light-bodied, crisp and refreshing.
Sauvignon Blanc: This is a high-acid, "herbaceous" grape. Another term used to describe it that I related to a little better was "grassy." Sauvignon Blancs tend to be reminiscent of vegetables or minerals, but sometimes they can be fruity. Usually they're oaked, but sometimes they're unoaked. That's not confusing at all, is it?
Pinot Gris: See those purple grapes over there? Yeah, they're white. The "Gris" part of Pinot Gris means grey in Italian, and it's believed that this grape mutated from the Pinot Noir grape, a red variety. Pinos Gris wines are low acid, medium-to full bodied, and most of the time aren't oaky. Although sometimes they're described as having a peach peel or orange rind scent, most Pinot Gris wines have a neutral aroma. Pinot Grigio wines also come from this grape, so they'll have similar characteristics.
The Wolftrap Syrah 2009 – Western Cape, South Africa
Apple Blossom
We pulled up in front of Bodegas Muga where we were greeted by Jesus Viguera, export manager for the estate. A very casual and affable man, he brought us inside to cool off from the midday heat. This was our sixth day in Spain and temperatures had been climbing steadily all week into the mid and upper 80s. Jesus gave us a quick tour of the winery including something you don't see very often these days, a cooperage. Muga has three full time coopers employed making all the oak barrels for the winery.
It gets better.
We moved into a classroom like room to taste through her wines. The wines themselves are labeled Vega Sindoa in reference to the valley where the vineyards are located. Here are my notes on the Vega Sindoa Chardonnay.
We stepped out of the classroom onto a patio into a warm sunny Sunday afternoon. Platters of grilled sausages and glasses of Vega Sindoa rose' were passed, and what was this? The ice cubes in the rose were made from the rose itself. Brilliant.
Vineyard tours are unfortunately all pretty much similar, so yeah, we went out into a field and looked at grapevines. What was different here is that in the vineyard we visited was a shelter that had existed before SUVs or even cars for that matter were common in the area. That meant that laborers needed a place to eat and sleep in the vineyard when the workload demanded.
Immediately after landing at Denver International Airport, the first thing on their agenda was to try the legendary New Belgium Fat Tire on tap. They both agreed that it’s definitely one of the most balanced and easy-drinking beers they’ve tried. It doesn’t get too malty or hoppy and stays simple enough to be thirst quenching and pleasing to drink. After checking into the Brown Palace Hotel Tom and Ryan ate dinner at the Ship Tavern on the first floor of the hotel. Despite the fact they were famous for the prime rib, Tom couldn’t pass on pairing an Odell’s 90 Schilling (a roasty, nutty amber ale) with fresh Rocky Mountain trout and almondine. Ryan paired Great Divide’s Titan IPA with a filet mignon. “To me, IPA’s and good steaks are the best combination.” –Ryan Broderick
After dinner, they relaxed at a nearby bar and sampled a few beers that aren’t often on tap in Jersey. They drank and snacked at the Cheeky Monk Belgian Beer Café, one of the “coolest” restaurants they have been to. There, they met three great brewmasters: Sam Calagione (Dogfish Head Brewery), Bill Covaleski (Victory Brewing), and Greg Koch (Stone Brewing Co.). They enjoyed tasting each respective breweies’ versions of Saison du Buff and noticing the differences between them, despite the recipes being the same.
Other highlights: Dogfish seemed to have had the longest line in the entire event, as they were pouring a lot of brewpub-only beers, such as Portamarillo, an imperial porter fermented with Brazilian rapadura sugar, and GraintoGlass. Troegs’ “Flying Mouflan” won the award for best Barleywine style. Goose Island won the bronze medal for their Bourbon County Stout, a bourbon-barrel aged imperial stout, which Ryan declared as“…probably the best stout I’ve ever tried.” Founders was pouring their Canadian Breakfast Stout, which is an entirely different monster from KBS, but outstanding in it’s own right. On the Canadian Breakfast, Tom said, “Aging a coffee stout in maple bourbon barrels tastes as good as it sounds – it was the smoothest stout I’ve ever tried.” Russian River Brewing Co. was also a hotspot of the fest, and the brothers tried Pliny the Younger – easily the best IPA Tom has ever had.
Drinking wine is easy.
Earlier this week, I was walking the aisles of Joe Canal's, and my eye was drawn to a white wine with a pretty label that looked very familiar to me. I pulled out my notes from the festival, and lo and behold, next to the Four Sisters Niagara, I had written "Yes! Delicious + sweet. My favorite!" I picked up a bottle, and I'm really looking forward to enjoying it with a roasted chicken or lobster dinner.
Four-packs, sixpacks, bomber bottles, 12-ounce singles and now growlers.
Count the two Joe Canal's Discount Liquor Outlets on Route 1 in Iselin (Woodbridge) and Lawrenceville among those establishments with taps dispensing take-home draft in proprietary growling-bulldog-monogrammed glass. Refill prices range from about a fin to 16 bucks depending on the brand of beer.
"Craft and microbrews are popular to begin with. They're getting more so," Brenner says. "There's as much interest in the different styles and regions where they come from, as we see in the wines. Folks are talking about it; they're exchanging notes, and it's a lot of fun."