Great Steak and Great Wine

If you love a great steak and a great wine, stay tuned because this post is really for you...
Let me start off by saying that I've become, well yes, I guess you could say that- addicted to steak. Not just any steak though, but a properly cooked, tender steak. One that's so soft that it melts in the mouth. I recently had the misfortune of buying a less than perfect steak and believe me, even though the cooking was perfect, nothing could salvage it, or my jaw which hurt tremendously after chewing just a few bites. A typical case of a craving when my trusted butcher was closed.
In fact that's where a good steak begins- from a trusted source. Basically, the first thing you need to do is find yourself a good butcher. Preferably one that sells organic or free-range meat and one that understands his trade. We can basically consult our butcher for anything or ask for any kind of meat and he'll gladly help us. Please, please, please try to stay away from those plastic wrapped meat cuts at the supermarket, unless you're prepared to be disappointed- just like I was when I had a craving and my butcher was closed. I'm not saying that all meat from the supermarket is bad- they have a very decent selection of organic meat these days- it's just that if you want a good steak, you're better off looking elsewhere.
Once you have your steak (we happen to love filet mignon), you'll want it to come to room temperature. Therefore, it's best that you take it out of the fridge at least half an hour before cooking it. Keep in mind that all of these steps I am about to describe are essential if you want a juicy, tender piece of meat. I know there are some issues with leaving meat out of the fridge or undercooking it, but this method has been used for ages and I've also eaten my fair share of steaks with no ill effects.

You'll want your steaks to be nice and dry, so grab some kitchen paper and dry them off on both sides. Next, heat up a large frying pan and add one tablespoon of mild olive oil and 35 grams of good butter (not margarine or butter for frying, just plain, full-fat good butter). Season the meat on one side with plenty of sea salt and freshly-ground peppercorns. Once the fat is sizzling, add your meat and turn down the heat just a tad. I like my meat medium-rare, so therefore I'll give each side about two to three minutes. Depending on your meat's thickness and your liking, you'll probably need to give them about 2-5 minutes a side, more than that and you'll be giving your jaw an unecessary workout.
Try not to touch the meat a lot while it's cooking, just shake the pan a little here and there. The next step is to turn the meat over. Now whatever you do, do not turn your meat over with a fork! You'll risk losing precious juices! Instead use a pair of tongs. Make sure you season the other side and give it the same amount of time as the opposite side.

If you want, at this point your steak is almost ready to eat. The hardest part is the 3-4 minute resting time. This ensures that the juices spread nicely over the meat.
We love a good wine gravy with our steak, so here's what I do. Once the steaks are cooked, remove them from the pan and set them on the serving plate. Lower the heat to about medium and add about 100 ml of red wine to the pan. Stand back as it might just splatter a bit! Now add a clove or two of roughly chopped garlic (we like bite) and a good teaspoon of grainy mustard (we love truffle mustard).

Bring the heat back up a little and let this reduce while you stir. This will take about 3-4 minutes, enough time for your meat to rest. Pour these heavenly pan juices over the meat and serve. I definitely think you'll want to serve this with the best bread you can get your hands on. It will do a fabulous job at soaking up the wine gravy. As far as vegetables are concerned, keep it simple. Perhaps some grilled green asparagus or a salad with a homemade vinaigrette. I promise, make this and your tastebuds will be in heaven!

Because I strongly feel that eating great food would be a crime without the accompaniment of a great wine, I am going to tell you about our new favorite, which happens to be a limited edition. While we love driving around the classy vineyards in France and buying great wines for our collection, we also love good, no nonsense, exceptional wines such as those from Arrogant Frog. There's nothing pretentious about this young and very hip label. The vineyards are found in the beautiful Languedoc region and the wines are the product of 'humble winemaker' Jean-Claude Mas. If you're a cool wine drinker and haven't tried their wines yet, you're missing out- big time.

But back to the wine I served with the steak. This 2010 limited edition, a tribute to the Tour de France is a wonderfully soft blend of cabernet sauvignon and merlot. The smooth wine is positively bursting with black fruit and ripe plums. It has a delicate bouquet and  includes velvety  tones of vanilla and even a hint of chocolate. If you happen to spot this wine, do yourself a favor and don't just buy a bottle, buy a box, or two.

And with that, dear reader, I end this tasty steak and wine post. I hope you've enjoyed it and I hope you treat yourself to something like this very soon! Bon Appétit!