Do you start with the food or the wine when coming up with a wine pairing? Well, I go both ways, but I do love the challenge of creating a recipe that will be well-suited for a particular wine. OK, sometimes this isn't all that challenging. Like when you have a bottle of
Halter Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon from Paso Robles. A bold California Cab calls out beef to me. I'd picked up some dried chanterelles mushrooms recently, so it wasn't long before I came up with this
Roasted Sirloin Steak with Chanterelle Mushrooms to go with the Halter Ranch Cabernet. An easy idea to come up with, but very tasty!
Lest you think I always go for such natural pairings, be sure to check out the
Grilled Tuna with Eggplant and Peppers I came up with for a different Halter Ranch red.
Back to the steak dish. This is my standard way to cook steak when it's not grilling season. Quick pan-sear on the stove top, then roast briefly in the oven. The lean sirloin cut cooks quickly, and is best served medium-rare. You could definitely go for a cut like ribeye with more fat content, might be an even better pair for the Cab. But we were definitely very happy with this dish and pairing!
One other quick note before the recipe. I combine "regular" mushrooms with the fancier chanterelles as a cost-effective way to get the deeper flavors from the gourmet mushrooms. You could go with a full ounce of chanterelles and skip the regular mushrooms if you like.
For the steak1 large sirloin steak, about 1.25 lbs
1/2 tsp herbes de provence
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
For the mushrooms2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 shallot, minced
1/2 oz dried chanterelle mushrooms
6 button mushrooms, sliced
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/3 cup red wine
1 tbsp butter
salt and pepper to taste
Prepare the dried chanterelles by pouring boiling water over the mushrooms, then set aside for 30 minutes. Drain the water, and then chop the chanterelles into bite sized pieces.
Pre-heat the oven to 400.
Make the rub: combine the herbes de provence, garlic powder and salt in a bowl. Sprinkle half the rub onto one side of the steak, then gently rub it into the meat. Turn the steak over, and rub the remaining half into that side. Set aside for 10 to 15 minutes to let the rub absorb a bit into the meat.
Make the mushrooms: heat 1 tbsp oil in a skillet. Add the shallot, sauté on medium for a few minutes until softened. Add the button mushrooms first, stirring them into the pan along with another tablespoon olive oil. Add the chanterelles a minute or two later, stirring to combine everything. Add salt and pepper to taste along with the thyme.
Cook the mushrooms for about 5 minutes until they begin to "sweat" (moisture starts coming out of the mushrooms). Add the cooking wine, bring to a boil briefly, then reduce to simmer until the wine is mostly absorbed, about 5 more minutes. Finish the mushrooms by stirring in the butter, letting it gradually melt in and combine with the mushrooms. Keep warm on low heat as the steak cooks.
Cook the Steak: You can start the steak around the time the wine gets added to the mushrooms. Add a tbsp of olive oil to an oven-proof skillet (if you don't have a
cast iron skillet, it's a must have in my kitchen!), and heat the skillet on medium high. When the skillet is good and hot, with oil beginning to shimmer, add the steak. Sear on one side for one minute, then turn to sear the other side for a minute.
Move the steak from the stove top to the oven. Roast the steak 11 to 12 minutes for medium rare. Adjust the cooking time slightly based on the size of your steak and your desired doneness. (The steak in the photos here came out at 10 minutes, at which time it was rare. I correctly figured that rest of the steak would continue to cook up as we were taking these tasty photos!)
Let the steak rest for a minute or two, then slice it up, and serve topped with the mushrooms. Enjoy with a green salad, and a potato of your choosing if you're not shunning the carbs. Of course, there's that glass of wine to enjoy with it too...
Wine Pairing: This dish was created with the
2012 Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon from Halter Ranch in mind. I hadn't tried it before, but based I expected it to be a big, beef-worthy wine. I wasn't disappointed.
The wine is deep red in the glass. I got eucalyptus on the nose. I tasted blackberry and cherry fruit, along with notes of charcoal. Tannins are well-integrated. It's approachable now, but I suspected decanting or aging would really make this shine. So I decanted after the first small tasting pour. Just 15 minutes or so in the decanter really help show a nice long finish on the wine.
No surprise that this robust Cab paired nicely with the steak. In addition to standing up to the beef, there was enough nuance to the wine to play well with the subtle flavors of the chanterelle mushrooms. A winning match for sure!
One more note on the wine: this Cab is comprised of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Malbec and 3% Petit Verdot. I'd say the grapes blended in with the Cab add to the depth and complexity. Halter Ranch is a SIP Certified sustainable winery, too. One more reason to grab a bottle!
Full disclosure: I received a courtesy sample of this wine from the winery. As always, the opinions expressed here are entirely my own.
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