Yesterday we made bison burgers in the late afternoon on an unseasonably warm day in early March. We served them on a bed of lettuce dressed with olive oil and balsamic vinegar on a thick tortilla, topped them with Dijon mustard, aged New Zealand cheddar, and grilled red onions. They were delicious with a 2005 Bordeaux from St. Emilion, most likely a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc.

For lunch today, we heated and served the 2 leftover 1/4-lb burgers, again on a bed of salad greens dressed with olive oil and balsamic, with the aged cheddar and Dijon mustard and Greek yogurt as condiments. This is known as a burger salad at our house, and it’s a frequent use of leftover cooked burgers here, since we usually make and cook 4 burgers for 2 people. (While I undoubtedly could consume twice the amount of meat in one sitting and avoid having leftovers, neither my cardiovascular system nor my figure would be highly appreciative of that, I’m fairly certain.)

With the burger salad, we served a 2007 Albarino, and it was lovely. I would recommend most any medium-bodied white wine with this or similar meals – Chardonnay or Viognier would be delicious. A rose would be phenomenal. My inner oenologist/aroma-flavor chemist understands that the pairing works due to the balance of acid and fat in this pairing. The acidity of the wine complements the acidic elements of the salad, and is cut by the fatty elements of the cheese and meat. The meat acts as a foil to the wine in two respects, the fat contrasts with the acid, and the grilled crust on the burger is a strong flavor contrast to the wine. While perhaps a seemingly non-traditional pairing, the science makes perfect sense. The best pairings are either complementing or contrasting aroma/flavor or textural elements of the food and wine.

Of course, the Bordeaux from the night before (I would serve it slightly chilled) or any other red that would be smashing with burgers would be perfect as well. Wine and food pairing is so easy, so not rocket science. The “drink what you like” mantra could not be more spot-on. Oenophiles have a tendency to take these things too seriously, and I am reminded that sometimes the unexpected or non-traditional pairings are the most interesting, and surprisingly delicious!

So, yes, white wine with red meat. Highly recommended.

Cheers!

Delicious as a tapas dish:

Mix 1/4 cup whole-wheat panko (finely ground) breadcrumbs, 2-3 tsp of Dijon mustard, 1-2 tsp of prepared curry powder* to taste, a dash of cayenne pepper, a pinch of salt, and freshly cracked black pepper into 1 lb of ground lamb.

*You can mix your own curry powder using cumin, coriander, turmeric, and cinnamon (listed in decreasing quantity of addition). Maybe a dash of paprika.

Form 16 lamb meatballs.

Sautee on the stovetop over medium-high heat until all sides are browned and the center done to your liking. These would also be great prepared on the grill.

Serve with yogurt-cumin dipping sauce.

Bon appétit!

Wine pairing: Lamb happily pairs with most any red wine. The cumin in curry gives an earthy sweet-spicy flavor; so I would compliment that with an earthy wine. A Spanish red such as Rioja or Ribera del Duero would be a lovely pairing and nod to the tapas tradition. Hermitage (Syrah), Irouleguy (Tannat blended with Cabernet Franc or Sauvignon), Greek reds, or reds from other Mediterranean regions would all pair beautifully. Cheers!

After pruning my perennial herbs today, I tossed a couple of handfuls of the cuttings into the grill – rosemary, lavender, sage, and thyme. Use any combination of woody herbs from the garden, farmer’s market, or grocery.

Stir a little bit of olive oil and white wine (about a tablespoon total) into 3-4 Tbsps of Dijon or whole-grain mustard. Add a pinch of chopped fresh or dried herbs.

Coat 2 pork chops, ours are about 1.5″ thick 1-lb chops, with the mustard mixture. Season generously with salt and pepper on both sides.

After pouring the coals in the grill, place the herbs on top of the coals and let them smoke for a couple of minutes.

Add the pork chops and cook (covered for smoking) until desired doneness, turning once or twice to char the outside. For medium doneness, we remove ours at about 150F.

Let the chops rest for 5 minutes and enjoy! Bon appétit!

Wine pairing: I love Albarino with pork. Any medium-bodied, crisp white wine (Sauvignon blanc would be lovely) or rose would pair well. The smokey flavors would also pair with earthy, smokey reds, such as many Bourgognes, Malbec, and Tannat. Cheers!

Combine: 1 shallot minced and sauteed in olive oil, 1 TBSP dijon mustard, 2 TSBP balsalmic vinaigre, 1 TBSP each fresh rosemary (roughly chopped) and thyme, pinch salt, freshly cracked black pepper with 1 lb ground lamb

Form 4 patties; grill to medium doneness over medium-high heat

While the burgers rest, grill several asparagus spears (tossed with olive oil, balsalmic vinaigre, salt, pepper) in grill basket

Serve burgers and asparagus over bed of spinach (raw or wilted) with additional olive oil and vinaigre, and Greek yogurt

Wine pairing: We enjoyed this spring lamb-burger with a Cabernet Sauvignon from Israel.

Bon appétit!

This is Anthony Bourdain’s recipe from Les Halles Cookbook. I increased the amount of stock to 2 cups when I made it, and only used 2 lbs lamb – it was still perfect:

2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter
3 lb bone-in/boneless lamb neck/shoulder, cut into 2-in pieces
salt and pepper
1/2 lb slab bacon, cut into lardons
1 sm onion, finely chopped
1 celery rib, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp flour
1 cup white wine
1 cup dark veal, chicken, or lamb stock
1 small carrot, coarsely chopped
1 bouquet garni (2 springs fresh thyme, 1 spring fresh flat-leaf parsley, 1 bay leaf – tied in cheesecloth)
zest of 1 orange
2 potatoes, peeled and turned (or large dice)
4 springs flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Heat the oil over high heat, add the butter, let foam and subside. Season the meat with salt and pepper. Add the lamb pieces to the hot fat in batches, searing on all sides until dark brown. Remove and set aside.

Add the bacon to the hot pan, cook until crispy and has rendered its fat. Remove the bacon and set aside.

Discard most of the fat, leaving a few tablespoons in the pan. Add the onion, celery, and garlic and cook over medium-high heat until the vegetables have caramelized, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste with a wooden spoon and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the wine and scrape up the fond. Bring the wine to a boil and reduce by half. Add 1 cup of the stock (more if necessary), bring to a boil, then immediately reduce to a simmer. Add the lamb, carrot, bouquet garni, orange zest, and bacon. Season with salt and pepper, cover the pot, and simmer over low heat for about 90 minutes, skimming fat from the surface as necessary.

After 90 minutes add the potatoes and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Skim the stew, serve in a large bowl garnished with the chopped parsley.

Wine pairing: I recommend a Bourgogne blanc (I used 2006 Les Setilles Olivier Leflaive) for use in the stew and as the appertif while the daube cooks. With the stew, a red from southern France would be appropriate, given the origin of the dish. Try a Madiran, Cahors, Chateauneaf du Pape, Gigondas…

Bon appétit!

For the hamburgers

Sautée one finely chopped shallot in 1-2 tbsps olive oil, butter, or a combination of both. Let cool to room temperature. Add to the following in a large non-reactive bowl and combine:

1-2 tbsp dijon mustard
pinch sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp fresh herbs – thyme, chopped chives, chopped parsley
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, balsalmic vinager, or tamari sauce (optional)

Add 1 lb ground beef or bison. Mix gently but thoroughly with your hands; form 4 hamburgers. Grill to medium over a hot fire, about 4-5 minutes per side.

For stuffed burgers

Divide the meat mixture into 3 equal portions. Roll into a ball; make an indention in the meat with your thumb, stuff it with 1-2 tbsp of the cheese of your choice (recommended: chèvre, blue, or cheddar). Continue forming the meat around the cheese and press into a patty. Grill to medium-well over a hot fire, about 5-6 minutes per side.

We serve our burgers on home-made buns, whole-wheat pitas, or herb flour tortillas with sliced avocado, greens, tomatoes (in season), sauteéd onions, Greek yogurt, dijon mustard…

Bon appétit!

Wine pairing: Any medium to full-bodied red of your choice, or a dry rosé on a hot summer day. I like a Côtes du Rhône, Syrah, Tempranillo, or Cabernet Sauvignon, old-world or new. Cheers!

A warm-weather favorite chez nous.

For the London Broil
Marinate the roast in balsalmic vinaigrette and red wine, 3 parts vinaigrette to 1 part wine, for several hours or overnight. Generously season with salt and freshly cracked pepper. Grill over medium-high heat to medium-rare. Let rest 10-15 minutes before carving into thin slices.

For the balsalmic vinaigrette
Whisk together:
2-3 teaspoons Dijon mustard
pinch of sea salt
freshly cracked black peppercorns
fresh herbs of your choosing (parsley, thyme, rosemary, tarragon, chives, etc.)
balsamic vinegar

Slowly whisk in extra virgin olive oil. The vinegar to oil ratio should be about 1:3

For the salade
fresh local greens (lettuces, mesclun, spinach, endive)
fresh herbs (basil, dill, cilantro, parsely, etc.)
sliced radishes
fresh tomatoes, in season
fresh asparagus, in season (toss the asparagus with vinaigrette or olive oil and grill while the roast rests)
cheese – bleu , Pecorino-Romano, Parmigiano-Reggiano, or aged Basque sheeps’ milk cheese

Assemble the salade
On a bed of the tossed greens and herbs, arrange the London Broil slices, cheese, and seasonal vegetables. Drizzle with balsalmic vinaigrette.

Bon appétit!

Wine pairing: a good medium-bodied red wine; I prefer a Côtes du Rhône or Madiran. The key is not to overwhelm the salade greens with an over-oaked, super-fruity, alcohol-driven, new-world style wine, while pairing the beef and cheese with a pleasing red. Pinot noir would also be an excellent choice, Burgundian or Oregonian. Cheers.