OVEN
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GENERAL INFORMATIONIn general, a roast beef and a wine are not all too hard to pair. Many lighter and medium bodied reds works well, and some fuller bodied wines can fit the bill. This being said, a wine that is too sweet or fruity will overpower your roast in flavour and your roast will seem bland. On the other hand if the wine is not fruity enough and too much of its earth elements come through, the wine will sink into the background unnoticed and unappreciated. A wine too soft from lack of tannins will not satisfy the fattiness of the roast and too high in tannins will create a dry aspect to the meal. To avoid the above, it may be important to look deeper into matching a wine with your roast beef. Important to consider is both the cut of the beef as well as the intended and desired cooking results.
The most important aspect to look at when narrowing down a red wine further for your roast is the expected end result of the roast. Is it going to be rarer, medium or well-done? This will be determined by your cooking temperature, cooking time and cut of beef. Certain roasting cuts tend to contain more or less fat which can effect the interaction with the wines tannins as well as cooking outcome of rare, medium or well-done. Regular roasts are produced by cuts such as the rounds, sirloin and rump. These area leaner meat and contain less fat. For this reason, these should be kept to rare or medium cooking, when they are cooked well done they can produce a dryer and less tender roast. When pairing a wine with these roasts, think about the outcome of the cooking, either juicy rare or dry well done, and the lack of fat. Premium oven roasts contain more marbling and fat but produce a more tender roast. These roasts can be cooked anywhere from rare to well done and still retain tenderness. Cuts that fall under premium go by names such as sirloin, loin and rib. You need to think about the fact that these roasts will be fattier and more juicy and tender no matter what the cooking results. depending on your cut you are going to want to cook at certain temperatures and for a certain amount of time to create the best rare to well done outcome. Cooking at a lower temperature will generally produce a rarer roast, as will cooking for shorter periods of time. If the cut and the cooking method aim indicate a more rare or medium-rare roast, then a young red wine, higher in alcohol and tannins is the better suite. This is because a roast cooked to a rarer standard will retain much juice, will be more flavourful and distinct in flavour and texturally more tender. Your younger wines are brighter will fruit and tannins and a roast can stand up to these wines flavour to flavour, juiciness to astringent tannins, tenderness to alcohol and acidity. If that roast is regular cut and/or cooked for longer periods of time or on higher heat, then that red wine needs to have a more delicate, mellowed out side, most likely older and softer in tannins. The flavour of these wines will not overpower the slighter flavour of a roast in this style and the tannins will not be so abrasive to the less juicy meats. In Depth PairingRARE/FATTIER CUT ROAST:
A rarer roast, and a fattier cut is one full of flavour, tenderness and juice, and therefore can handle that younger, fruitier, higher tannins wine. This is where you can play with that medium to fuller body of wine. Almost always, you want to keep your wine drier and not venture towards something too sweet. A dry medium to fuller bodied Cabernet Sauvignon or a Red Bordeaux will work nicely with that juicier roast, especially if accompanied by gravy. Cabernet Sauvignons are the all around go to for red meat. They contain the tart currants and higher acidity and tannins which balance each other well. Red Bordeaux Blends contain those mineral notes that compliment the natural flavour of roast beef and they have the tannins and acidity to a back it up. WELL DONE/ LEANER CUT: IF your roast is heading towards the more well done side or the cut is more leaner, you will want to consider a wine of age or of lighter body, tannins and acidity so that it doesn't overpower your less flavourful, less juicy and less tender roast. Lighter and medium bodied red wines are most likely the best match for this roast. For a roast beef that does not contain any sauce, a Pinot Noir or lighter Red Bordeaux Blend will pair nice. Pinot Noirs are versatile and their light tannins and alcohol coupled with their steady acidity make for a good pairing. European Pinot Noir from the likes of Burgundy to tends to the more earthier flavors while those from the United States focus on the berry fruit characteristics. New Zealand Pinot Noirs tend to have a more spicy and gamey element to them that might suite your roast beef. a Merlot is a fit pair for a roast as well. It contains a softer and more aromatic side that allows it to fit in with your roast that is softer in flavour, less tender and juicy. PEPPERY AND HERBACEOUS ROASTS: For a rare or well done roast that is lathered in a spice rub you might turn to a full bodied Rioja for its spicy and subtle herb qualities coupled with its tendency to produce the plum natured flavours. A Shiraz is always a great option of your spices are kept to a simple pepper note. Shiraz has good tannins and more jammy berry flavours. It is well known for its peppery notes and often carries a smoky nature from oaking. Focus on fuller bodies for rarer roasts and the more medium or even light bodies for a more well done roast. |
POT
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GENERAL INFORMATIONPot roast and Braised beef/roast go through similar cooking techniques of combined dry and moist heat cooking. They produce similar results in your beef and these outcomes tend to produce a less tender but much more flavourful roast than your oven roast. For this reason you can happily enjoy a more boldly flavoured red wine with your pot roast or braised beef. These cooking techniques use liquid to simmer and braise the beef in and often the liquid will contain wine. The French dish "Beef Bourguignonne" is a pot roast specifically using Burgundy wine in the liquid it is braised with. The rule when using wine in the liquid is to then drink the same wine at dinner. But how to choose that wine?
Beyond knowing that you will need a fuller flavoured wine with this fuller flavoured roast, think of two things. First that the fatter the cut of the roast, the fuller the body of wine and the more tannin content you can have. Traditionally, the cut of beef used in pot roast is a chuck, pot roasted because it is considered to tough for regular oven roasting. This being said, many individuals will pot roast not because it is needed but because they want to. many other cuts are therefore pot roasted and your premium cuts tend to be fattier than your regular cuts. Second, it all come down to what the roast is simmered/braised in. Does your flavoring liquid contain spice? does it contain more earthy quailities like mushrooms and potatoes and beets? does it contain a more acidic design with tomatoes? If its stewed beef, look to the broth and the spices, herbs and vegetables that build it. You would follow much the same rules as braising sauce of a pot roast but can go fuller wine since the stew is usually heartier. PAIRING IN DEPTHTraditionally red wine is paired with a braised pot roast but there are successful white wine pairings as well. For a leaner cut, Merlot or Pinot Noir (or blends of the two) are often used for roasts braised in a lighter style. European Pinot Noirs might pair best with a braising liquid of earthy flavors like potato, mushroom and carrot. A Burgundy Pinot Noir is the crown braising wine in"Beef Bourguignonne" and makes a great pairing for braised pot roast. Zinfandel pairs best for a more flavourful roast and Chardonnay is a great white wine to substitute in place of that red.
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References look to:
Matching Food and Wine @ matchingfoodandwine.com
Avoid Bad Wine @ avoidbadwine.com
Delicious Magazine @ deliciousmagazine.co.uk
Canadian Living @ canadianliving.com
Esther Latzke @ library.ndsu.edu
Matching Food and Wine @ matchingfoodandwine.com
Avoid Bad Wine @ avoidbadwine.com
Delicious Magazine @ deliciousmagazine.co.uk
Canadian Living @ canadianliving.com
Esther Latzke @ library.ndsu.edu