MASTER YOUR RECIPE WITH THIS GUIDE
What gives food its flavor are the aromas that travel through your nose to your brain telling you the food tastes sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami. When we bite into our food it releases more aroma and more flavor. The question is, what combinations are going to give us the best flavor profile and why?
I am not a chef, but I do have a working tongue and nose and have a specific memory of when I realized that well-paired food and drink can have an impact on how good a meal is. I am the youngest of six children and therefore my mother’s cooking goals were rather utilitarian at the time. Feed 8 people to fill them up, provide nutrition, and hear as few complaints as possible. It wasn’t until my mid 20s that I was taken to a fancy restaurant where there were actual suggestions of what wine to pair with what food. I ordered the goat cheese ravioli and a 2007 Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc, as the chef recommended. The meal was the most delectable I’d ever had. I know the importance of pairing well, and although my meals can get a little ho hum during the week (I am a busy farmer, entrepreneur and mother of 3), I step up my game when an important holiday meal is on the calendar. Take my suggestions with a grain of salt (or more!) and don’t be afraid to try new things!
Food
Tomatoes are an excellent friend to cook with beef. Not only does the tomato oppose the beef with a citrus and touch of sweetness, but the acidity also helps tenderize tougher cuts.
Enhance the umami flavor by adding Mushrooms. Umami flavoring comes from the combination of amino acid glutamate, and the nucleotides inosinate and guanylate. Mushrooms carry glutamate and beef brings the inosinate and guanylate. Together they bring that earthy savory “Wow” factor.
Asparagus, Peas, Sweet Potatoes, Carrots are all in the vegetable family and will bring different nutrients and textures to your dish. Think about the individual vegetable and what its properties are that will stand out against the meaty flavor of beef. Carrots have crunch and a slight citrusy background to perk up a roast. Peas and sweet potatoes bring out the sweet of any caramelization on the ends of your seared steak.
Grass fed beef in particular is a good match for fruit such as apples, cherries, raspberries, cranberries, raisins, pomegranates, and figs and dates. Many recipes combine savory beef with a mixture of sweet, dried fruit and earthy nuts.
The goal is not to have one big bland dish that is of one flavor but to touch on the other flavor profiles without overwhelming your star, the Beef!
Wine
Red wine pairs best with beef but whether you choose a light Lambrusco, or a full-bodied Cabernet is going to depend on the cut you are cooking.
In general, grassfed beef tends to be leaner than its grain fed counterpart. That does not mean you aren’t going to get those super tender, fatty cuts like a well marbled ribeye or, my favorite, skirt steak. A robust red wine with a lot of tannins would equal the beefiness in a fatty cut while the same wine would over-power a leaner cut with a lighter flavor, like a filet mignon or bottom round roast.
Lean Cuts
- Filet mignon
- Round-top roast and steak
- Round steak
- Shank cross-cut
- Chuck shoulder pot roast and steak
- Sirloin tip
- Top round roast and steak
- Bottom round roast and steak
- Top sirloin steak
- Eye of round roast
Light Red Wines (Pair with lean cuts)
- Lambrusco
- Schiava
- Pinot Noir
- Grenache
- Bobal
- Carignan
- Valpolicella
- Cinsault
- Dolcetto
Marbled & Fatty Cuts
- Flap Steak
- Porterhouse Steak
- Rib steak or roast
- Skirt steak
- T-Bone steak
- New York Strip
- Delmonico Steak
Bold Red Wines (Pair with fatty cuts)
- Syrah
- Cabernet Sauvignon
- Petit Verdot
- Malbec
- Bordeaux blend
- Merlot
- Chianti
Herbs & Spices
No recipe would be complete without the delicate flavor or punch or herbs and spices. Not only are herbs and spices very medicinal, but they also take your food to the next level in flavor. Certain spices like salt, pepper, and definitely garlic go with virtually any savory dish, some are more complementary to beef in particular.
Try Rosemary, Oregano, Thyme and bay leaves for a classic earthy green and spicy profile. The same rules apply with herbs when matching up to beef flavors. Don’t overpower a melt in your mouth delicate steak with pounds of spice. Do feel free to add a strong mix to a beef stew.
Chef Kim from Chef Kim’s Dishes gave us some of her best combinations for your holiday fare:
Holiday Prime Rib- Wet rub of Olive Oil, Dijon mustard, Worcheshire sauce, Chopped Garlic, Rosemary, Thyme, Kosher Salt and Pepper.
Meat loaf- Thyme and Sage.
Crock pot roast- Sprigs of Rosemary, Sprigs of Thyme and whole cloves of Garlic, set and forget. Use this for Pulled beef sliders on snowflake rolls.
Cast Iron Pan-seared Sirloin Steaks- dry rub of dried herbs (Basil, Parsley, Thyme), Olive Oil, Paprika, Cumin and Chili powder and a pinch of Cocoa powder.
If you want to try Chef Kim’s hand-crafted spice mixes for perfectly delicious meals, Visit Chef Kim’s Dishes HERE
Whatever your creation this Holiday season, only one ingredient is going to matter the most, and that is Love. Enjoy your time with friends, family and loved ones for many meals this month and the year to follow!
Kelley