Holy crap. It’s been almost a month since I wrote my last post. Sure, I could make up some excuse like I went abroad for Habitat for Humanity. But you folks, because you’re my readers, are far too intelligent (and strikingly attractive) to fall for fib like that.
I’m just damn lazy. Plain and simple.
Enough beating myself up and developing an eating disorder (yeah, right). Let’s get on to this cook I did one mid-July weekend.
This isn’t the first time I’ve posted about beef short ribs before, but for this cook, I wanted to do them the way Myron Mixon taught me back in April.
That called for the following spices from Myron himself:
- Hot Rub
- Hickory Rub
- Hickory Salt
No particular measurements. Just did a light coating of the hot rub to give the meat a little bite, then gave it a good coating of hickory rib, followed by a light sprinkle of the salt. I also injected the ribs with a mixture of beef broth and ajus.
While they rested on the counter, I fired up the Weber Smokey Mountain to 250 degrees and added some cherry wood to the coals to help ease the heavy hickory flavor.
Once the internal temp hit about 200-205 for each of the ribs, I got them off the grill and on to the counter for about 30 minutes of rest.
The result, as expected, was a deep, smoky flavor with that hickory essence brought out from the rub. I don’t know if they were competition-worthy, but definitely a good and tender bite.
The Wine: 2015 Francois Lurton Hacienda Araucano ‘Clos de Lolol’ Tinto
Bold beef flavors call for a bold red wine that can match it.
I’m not sure how I came upon this bottle from Chile, although I’m willing to bet Collier’s of Centreville had something to do with it, but when I read the back label and saw the grapes that made up this wine, I thought it would be a great pairing: 55% Syrah, 18% Carmenere, 18% Cabernet Franc, 9% Cabernet Sauvignon.
Alone, any of these varietals would presumably match up well with the main course. Together, they faired just as well.
The wine itself had a deep red color. The nose carried aromas of black fruits, leather, and tobacco, and on the tongue, a good complexity of the same, along with white pepper, and licorice.
It definitely did the job as expected.
If you haven’t delved much into South American wines, you and your wallet are missing out. Since I began my wine education years ago, I’ve often turned to Chile and Argentina for complex, quality wines at amazingly budget-friendly prices. They never seem to disappoint.
This one in particular comes from an area that must have been discovered by people who laughed out loud a lot: Lolol. My reliable Wine-Searcher.com was my reference to learn about this region:
Lolol is a wine-producing sub-region in the southwestern portion of the Colchagua Valley in central Chile. While the (relatively) cool climate of Lolol may be likened to that of Bordeaux, the Rhône Valley grape varieties flourish here as well. Syrah and Viognier have shown that they suit the local soils extremely well and are joined by a wide selection of other international grape varieties, including Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Carmenère.
Lolol is only 30 kilometers (20 miles) from the Pacific Ocean with its cool Humboldt Current, and as such is significantly cooler than other parts of the Colchagua Valley. Cool, misty mornings are followed by warm days, and then southwesterly breezes in the evening bring the temperature down overnight.
The varied soils here are made up of red clay, decomposed rock and gravel, and some desirable pockets of more-chalky clay. These soils are very well drained, which stresses the vines, leading them to focus their efforts on producing small, concentrated berries rather than leafy foliage. The resultant wines have an excellent depth of flavor with a firm tannin structure.
As for the producer, I visited their website to get a sense of what they’re all about. The winemaker, Francois Lurton, is extremely passionate about producing high-quality organic wine, as you can probably tell:
The great challenge facing organic winegrowers today is to do better than conventional growers. There are still too many organic wines that are more expensive, but that offer no added value – other than the fact that they are better for you. That is because, above and beyond their organic pedigree, organic wines must also taste good. This has long been my goal in the vineyard and the cellar.
Consumers moving towards organic wines must not be disappointed! That is why I have developed several techniques that I elaborate on every year in a similar document. I am convinced that producers who are not yet organic will be so in the next decade. The ball is rolling. Nature is finally having the last word!
While I think I might have been pleased with a Cabernet Sauvignon or Syrah with this dish, I’m glad I found this one while looking for a good wine partner.
For my next trick, I try a new approach to Cornish game hens.
Cheers!