Pre-Planned Paradise

BBQ beef on homemade pretzel rolls with 2006 Phantom Red: 5/5

It’s easy to fall into the routine of eating out when you work over 40 hours a week, but I am telling you, it’s worth it to plan out a couple of meals each week, and EAT LEFTOVERS.

I had to work on Wednesday afternoon, so the monday before I began thinking of what I could make while at work. Clicking through some crock-pot recipes I found a well rated recipe for BBQ pulled pork. http://southernfood.about.com/od/pulledporkrecipes/r/bl103c4.htm. Not finding any pork roasts at the grocery store I settled on beef, which worked just as well.

On Tuesday night I prepared my roast, so all I had to do Wednesday morning was plug it in and turn it on. I also added a some garlic salt and pepper to season the beef a bit more.

Then came the next step of planning. I try to push myself outside my cooking comfort zone every time I step foot in the kitchen, and this time homemade pretzel rolls were up for a duel. http://www.chow.com/recipes/11096

I’ve never made rolls, let alone pretzel rolls. In the future I would like a kitchen thermometer, so I won’t kill the yeast, and a Kitchen Aid mixer, so I don’t have to work my arm into a gelatinous state. Did you know pretzels get their distinct pretzel-ness from a bath of boiling water and baking soda before they are baked? Neither did I.

So with the main part of my meal covered, I was left to tackle the sides. Like a good skirt needs a good top to make a great ensemble, the same applies to a meal. Your side dishes should accompany, not compete or overpower, the star of your main course. Think, meat, potatoes, and corn. The potatoes and corn are perfect compliments to most any American meat dish.

To round out the meal, I decided to prepare a winter salad of mixed greens, oranges, pomegranate, feta, and a citrus balsamic vinaigrette. I never prepared a pomegranate before, so I hit You Tube to find a how-to video. Lo-and-behold from the kitchen of some lady I’ve never seen before, I found “Preparing Pomegranates” http://www.wonderhowto.com/how-to/video/how-to-prepare-pomegranates-81307/. Advised to cut over a bowl of water, allowing the arils (seeds) to sink to the bottom, while the pith (the white unedible stuff) floats to the to top, I set off on my own pomegranate adventure. It was a success— stain free, mess free.

Thinking about this meal for a couple of days, it was starting to gain some importance. So I decided to splurge a little on a bottle of wine. Back in my first post, I talked about Un-cork It, a wine and liquor shop not to far from my house, and the rude snobby guy that turned his nose up at me when I asked for a wine to accompany pot roast, well I decided to go back. To my surprise, I was greeted with a friendly smile, and when inquiring about wine, I was taken directly to some California reds, and told not about one wine, but about three.

So I decided on a 2006 bottle of Phantom Red from the Bogle Vineyards, a blend of Petite Sirah, old vine Zinfandel, and old vine Mourvedre. I have never heard of the Mourvedre grape, so when I got home I did a little research.

Apparently Mourvedre is a late ripening grape partial to stony and rocky soil and warmer climates. The wine is used in blends, is medium bodied, and has deep notes of cherry and berries.

The bottle of Phantom had an alcohol content of 14.5%, which must have come from the Zinfandel based on the above description of the Mourvedre, but a strong body would be in order to balance the rich BBQ beef.

Around 8 o’clock, with the apartment coated in a symphony of fresh baked bread, onions, BBQ sauce, and orange, it was time to eat. Pouring a stream of rich ruby liquid into my glass I sat salivating, before the pre-planned feast. Looking back at me, was a meal better than I had pictured, little red pomegranate arils peeked out beneath vibrant green leaves. A buttery brown roll burst forth a bed of BBQ, while the spinach sent tendrils of steam into the air.

Bringing out the smokiness of the beef, the salty pretzel rolls were a perfect compliment. The salad had the warmth of winter, snuggled in a bed of citrus, and sweet pockets of shallots complimented the spinach like a perfect dance partner.

With a bold fruity flavor, the wine coated my palate, leaving a trace of tannin, but kept a smooth finish. With subdued notes of blackberry, black cherry, and vanilla, the flavors echoed the warmth of the BBQ, while playing with the subtly of the pomegranate and citrus. Each sip brought more depth and contrast to the flavors.

With proper preparation, a feast can be made in no time. No matter if it’s for a party of 100 or a just 2, the satisfaction of a kitchen success is well worth the wait. Think, the next time you are about to settle for a quick bite, do I have time to whip up something spectacular? You could reveal a perfect pair.