Coffee Encrusted Beef Fillet

Coffee Encrusted Beef Fillet, Fried Eggplant, Grilled French Bread and Garlic Mashed Potatoes with Seghesio Zinfandel. The Seghesio, at $19, is a great bottle of wine and pairs well with many different foods. It's dark fruit like blackberry and black cherry on the nose, a hint of chocolate on the mid palate and a nice finish. If you remember the smell of your mother's or grandmother's kitchen when she was making grape jelly, then you can imagine what this wine smells like. As for this pan seared fillet, this old skillet holds lot of memories of my mother cooking in our old farm house in rural West TN. It's still producing great food to this day. Cheers to all...

Sunday evening with Sangiovese

This evening I prepared grilled chicken thighs (special dry rub), grilled French bread and fried corn that was cut fresh from the cob. My wife has a great white BBQ sauce that she makes for the chicken that's seriously good. The wine choice for this evening was an '08 Sangiovese from Venge Vineyards. The Penny Lane had some cherry and a little dark fruit on the nose, a solid structure in the mouth and nice finish. To me, it's drinks like a Pinot Noir. I've been receiving wine from Venge since '06 and I truly enjoy every bottle they send me. Kirk Venge and team continue to create some great vino. Visit them @ http://www.vengevineyards.com and try a bottle or two. Cheers to all...

PoolSide Sangria

PoolSide Sangria: Ed Hardy Red Sangria (Brinkmann's Wine & Spirits) <$10; Cut up oranges, strawberries and black grapes, pour Sangria in pitcher and add the cut fruit, let it sit in the fridge overnight if possible. Put blackberries, blueberries and black grapes in freezer overnight and then add them to the glass before you pour the Sangria for drinking. Cheers to all...

Dinner with the Monastrell grape...

Tonight, the entire dinner was prepared on the grille. Flat Iron Steak (not be confused with flank or skirt steak), Hearts of Romaine, French Bread and Yellow skin potatoes.

I was introduced to a new Spanish wine & grape last evening, Monastrell. Unbeknownst to me, Monastrell is grown in several parts of Spain and France. The origin us unknown, for sure, but it originally took on the name Mourvedre. Today, Monastrell is the 5th most popular varietal in Spain, as it relates to acreage.
The bottle we tasted last evening was fairly young, very tannic and astringent upon first tasting. After it had been decanted for a hour, it became much more balanced and less tannic with a mild finish. This wine would be well suited for roasted beef or beef stew. Cheers to all...

Pinot Wars

We've had World Wars but Wednesday evening it was Pinot Wars... Chile vs Oregon
I tasted both the Chilean Apaltagua ($13) and the Belle Vallee ($23) from Oregon. Two very different wines but both very nice for the price point. The Chilean was much more floral and earthy, old world, on the nose as compared to the Belle Vallee's mostly red fruit (raspberry, cherry) and a hint of dark fruit like blueberry. They both had a nice structure and good balance. The mid-palate was different as the Chilean was more like forest floor and the Belle Vallee more minerality. The finish was very nice on both, maybe just the slightest hint of white pepper, but that's just me. If you're a lover of the Pinot Noir, I think you'll be pleased with both of these. Cheers to all...

Carneros, CA: Pinot Noir

2006 Domaine Carneros Pinot Noir Carneros: Carneros is south of Napa and Sonoma, like the tip of an upside down triangle between them, so to speak. ~$30. Aromatic, red fruit on the nose and similar to a cherry jolly-rancher in the mouth. Good balance and maybe, just barely, a hint of white pepper on the finish. A solid choice at that price...

Red White & Blue Ribs

Ingredients

1/2 c	brown sugar
1/4 c	paprika
1 Tbsp	black pepper, fine
1 Tbsp	kosher salt
1 Tbsp	chili powder
3/4 Tbsp	garlic powder
3/4 Tbsp	onion powder
1/4 tsp	cayenne pepper 1  I start out with the ribs (2 full racks) on a cookie sheet, or the like, and keep them wet with Apple Cider Vinegar for about 4 or 5 hours. I use an inexpensive spray bottle and just keep spraying them intermittently during this time. 2  During the time you're keeping them wet with the vinegar, go ahead and mix the rub ingredients in a mixing bowl. 3  Afterwards, I'll lightly coat both sides of the ribs with pulp free orange juice. 4  Next, I apply basic Yellow Mustard, lightly, to both sides of the slab/s. 5  Lastly, I apply the "rib rub" (see ingredients) evenly to both sides of the slab, the extra on the meat side. 6  Now, it's time to wrap them in aluminum foil and refrigerate overnight. I keep them in the fridge for 12 - 18 hours. 7  Cooking day: Take the ribs out of the fridge at least two full hours before you plan to put them on the cooker/smoker. They need to be at room temperature before placing in/on the cooker/smoker. I like to smoke the ribs at a temp no higher than 220 degrees F. "Low & Slow" 8  I'll cook the ribs for about 90 mins, not turning nor opening the cooker. You can spray the ribs with the Apple Cider Vinegar while they cook, if you wish, to help keep them moist. 9  Then, I'll take them out and wrap them in aluminum foil for the next 90 mins. 10  At the 3 hour mark, I'll remove the foil and cook the remaining time. Based on your temp, it'll take another 3 - 4 hours. When you start to see the rib bone exposed from the meat about 1/4 to 1/2 inch, you're getting close. I insert a toothpick between the meat and the bone. When the toothpick will push, easily, the full length of the toothpick down into the meat, you're very close to done. 11  Note: If I'm cooking a rack wet, then I'll start to apply the sauce during the last hour or so of cooking. I don't mind if the sugar in the sauces blackens just a smidge.....