Double IPA and pork belly

Those of you who have been following the reports from my recent gastronomic junket in Chicago shouldn’t run away with the impression I spent all my time drinking Champagne and Château Lafite. One of my best meals was at chef Paul Kahan’s Blackbird where they have a craft beer list that should make most British restaurants hang their head in shame.

The two I tried I tried were an apple-flavoured white ale (witbier) called Ephémère from a Quebec brewery called Unibroue which was made in the Belgian style. The brewers suggest it with cheddar cheese, pork or onion soup but I found it went pretty well with a burrata salad with braised lobster mushrooms and haricot beans

The other was a wild and wacky double IPA (India Pale Ale) called Kill Ugly Radio released by Zappa fan Tony Magee of Lagunitas brewery in Petaluma, California to mark the 40th anniversary of Zappa’s album ‘Absolutely Free’. It’s a strong, rich-tasting brew that proved a great match for a comfort food dish of organic pork belly sandwich with cabbage slaw, summer vegetable salad and (to-die-for) garlic frites. I’d pair it with the Roast Pork Belly with black pudding in my new book Appetite for Ale too.

Filet 'sliders' and Pinot Noir

Those of you who have read my report yesterday on the 20th anniversary of Charlie Trotter’s will know I’ve spent the last few days in Chicago eating some quite amazing food. But occasionally you need a change from all that gourmet fare and I found it in that great Chicago institution Gibsons steakhouse where they serve something called a ‘Gold Coast Slider’.

Basically it’s like a cross between a brioche roll and a mini hamburger bun filled with different fillings. Gibsons does three - a Tilapia (fish) slider with tartar sauce, a tuna salad slider and, best of all a ‘filet slider’ - a small medallion of beef with Maitre ‘d butter (butter with parsley and lemon juice)

As it’s served at the beginning of the meal (and only at lunchtime) you want a lighter red with it than you would with a conventional steak and we just hit on the perfect bottle in the form of a 2005 Monterey County Pinot Noir from Chalone, a generously lush Pinot that would make any Pinot lover happy. It bears out my recent discovery (see the October issue of Decanter) that Pinot Noir is a particularly good pairing with fillet steak.

It would also make a great party canapé if you could just find the right rolls.

Roast venison with tapenade and a modern Spanish red

Frankly almost any full-bodied red will work with a roast meat like venison but I’m particularly excited about the new breed of modern Spanish reds that are appearing on the shelves.

This was a dish I had last week at one of our neighbourhood restaurants in Bristol, Greens Dining Room which has a typically modern British/Mediterranean influenced, seasonal menu. (The head chef has worked for such mod Brit restaurants such as Chez Bruce and The Brackenbury in London)

The venison, which was quite gamey, was served Italian-style with grilled polenta and cavolo nero but the most important ingredient from the point of view of the wine match was a roughly chopped tapenade topping.

Black olives, as I’ve mentioned before, have an almost magic effect on red wines making even the fiercest tannins tame and velvety. They also seem to boost a medium-weight red like the incredibly good value 2006 Viña Urbezo from Bodegas Solar de Urbezo in Carinefia we drank - a blend of Garnacha, Tempranillo and Syrah.

It’s one of a number of vibrant young reds of real quality that Spain is currently producing at a knock down price from wine regions such as Cariñena, Bierzo, Campo de Borja and Toro. Look out for them!

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Beetroot soup and English Pinot Noir

The other day I enjoyed a surprisingly good pairing of a beetroot soup with an English blend of Pinot Noir and Rondo from Kent winery Chapel Down at the London restaurant Roast. I say surprising a) because soup is difficult to pair and b) because the two are so similar in colour that you’d think the wine wouldn’t be a sufficient contrast to the soup. In fact its fruitiness and crisp acidity (the Rondo making it taste more like a mid-weight Italian red) was just the right counterpoint to the earthy rich character of the beetroot.

It was also an interesting match because the soup (which was smooth rather than clear like a borscht) was garnished with goats’ cheese and mint, normally ingredients that would point you in the direction of a Sauvignon Blanc.

It underlines the importance of identifying the dominant ingredient in a dish. Beetroot is a powerful ingredient whichever way its served and generally calls for a red rather than a white. I’ve also enjoyed it with Dolcetto.