BBQ and tuna tartare

My wife volunteered to coordinate lunch for our daughters' elementary school teachers tomorrow and we decided that smoked pork shoulder would be pretty easy for 50 people. I generally dig Costco, but one of my few complaints about the store is the fact that they sell their pork shoulders with the bone removed. You lose a lot of flavor that way; not to mention you have to truss the damn things so they'll keep a uniform shape on the grill/smoker. Anyway.....I started off by rubbing down about 25 pounds of boneless pork shoulder with yellow mustard and a hodgepodge of seasonings.



I'm not one of those blowhards who has a "secret rub." At this point, my jar of generic BBQ spice is probably a combination of 5-6 different commercial rubs. Whenever the jar gets low, I grab something off a grocery store shelf or whatever looks good at Penzey's and top up my old mason jar. Good old yellow mustard is common to those familiar with Carolina/Southeastern BBQ. It doesn't impart any mustard flavor, but it helps the spice rub adhere and creates a nice bark.



I've never attempted to smoke this much pork at once and I had doubts as to whether my 22.5" Weber Kettle would hold all that meat, but it all just barely fit. I lined up the meat in the middle and kept the charcoal and apple wood on the sides. Indirect heat is what it's all about. Every hour or so, it's necessary to add a handful of briquettes and a little more soaked apple chunks. Here it is after a couple of hours:



BBQ purists my recoil in horror at my technique, but I've always had amazing results with it. After 3 hours or so on the smoke, I take the pork off, seal it up tight in foil and finish it in a low oven. It usually takes another 3-4 hours until it hits that magic 190 degree internal temperature where it shreds or "pulls" effortlessly with two forks. My reasoning behind this is three-fold:

1) A piece of meat will only absorb a finite amount of smoke. After the smoke ring forms, it's a simple matter of slowly bringing the internal temperature up to 190 degrees.

2) It's much easier to finish it in an oven where you don't have to monitor airflow or temperature.

3) It is literally impossible to dry the meat out this way. I've had very good success smoking the meat start-finish on the grill, but I've also had rare instances of drying the meat out. I've never had dry meat using the oven technique.

Here's the more-or-less finished product. I plunged a fork into the shoulder on the left. The pictures don't really do it justice, but you can make out the pink "smoke ring" and notice the texture:



I just wish I could have everyone over to taste it! It's quite delicious, if I must say so myself. Hopefully, the teachers will leave enough for us to have a couple of sandwiches for dinner tomorrow night. Wine recommendation would be a Syrah, Grenache or Zinfandel from Paso Robles. Sorry, but I'm not looking for acidic old world wines with their herbs and earth when BBQ is on my plate. I want that lusty black fruit and spice that you can only get from California's Central Coast!

Enough about the teachers' meal. After I got the pork on the grill, I turned my attention to making some tuna tartare for us for tonight's dinner. I know tuna tartare is kind of "5 years ago" with regards to the restaurant scene, but I still really enjoy it. It's so flavorful and delicious, I sometimes ask myself why I ever bother cooking tuna any more.

My tuna tartare recipe is pretty simple. I don't ever measure anything; preferring instead to taste as I go and make adjustments as necessary. But the basic list of ingredients looks something like this:

2-3 tuna steaks cut into 1/4" dice
zest of one orange
2-3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2-3 tablespoons minced red onion
1-2 cloves garlic, grated
Sambal Oelek (Vietnamese chili-garlic paste), to taste
mushroom-infused soy sauce, to taste



Just carefully mix everything until it's thoroughly combined. Don't get too aggressive or the tuna will become mushy. And it's best to work with really cold (even semi-frozen) tuna. I like to allow the tartare to sit in the refrigerator for an hour or so as it lets the flavors combine. Serve with crackers, pita chips or just dig in with a spoon!

You want a wine recommendation? I think Champagne is wonderful with tuna tartare. I also like a fragrant Pinot Gris or Riesling with it. But if it's my choice, I'm grabbing a dry rose like tonight's 2009 Chateau Routas Rouviere, Coteaux Varois en Provence. The wine's bright red berry aromas and flavors and wonderful citrus acidity is the perfect marriage with the tuna.

2006 Antigal Aduentus Mediterraneo

You ever have one of those meals when everything was working? The food is perfectly flavored and perfectly cooked. The wine is firing on all cylinders. And best yet, the wine and food are working in harmony to make one another better. I've been blessed to have more than my fair share of those meals. But unfortunately, tonight wasn't one of those. The steaks were fatty (even for rib eye), I scorched the leftover braised Brussel sprouts I was attempting to re-heat and the wine just wasn't working for me.

I would expect a young Argentinian blend of Malbec, Syrah and Tempranillo to be bursting with bright fruit and spice, but I fear the muted flavors and aromas of this bottle were caused by a mild case of cork taint. This particular bottle of 2006 Antigal Aduentus Mediterraneo, Mendoza shows a nice, dark garnet color. There's a healthy dose of black pepper and blackberry syrup in the nose, but it's hiding behind a wall of musty, dank aromas. Nice sweet/tart blackberry flavors on the palate and nice balance of acidity and dusty tannins. But overall, the experience was really tempered by the tainted cork. This one will have to be revisited.

2005 Girard Zinfandel

I really try to drink Zinfandels as young as possible. I'm really not interested in them once they shed their briary fruit and pepper. So it was with great trepidation that I approached the 2005 Girard Old Vine Zinfandel, Napa Valley. The color has definitely faded into a muted garnet. While there is still a trace of rustic berry and spice on the nose, a lot of the fruit seems to have faded; only to be replaced with oak. Although the wine was aged predominately in French oak, there's a Bourbon streak that suggest the American oak has taken over. The longer it sits in the glass, the more of a burnt rubber aroma develops. Still has grippy tannins and acidity. I wish I had tried this wine 2-3 years ago as I don't think time has been very kind to it.

2008 Pulenta Pinot Gris

For dinner tonight, I rubbed some salmon filets down with aleppo pepper, dried orange peel, dried orange peel and kosher salt and grill-smoked them over charcoal and alder wood. Needing something to meld with the citrus rub, I grabbed a bottle of 2008 Pulenta XIV Pinot Gris, Mendoza from the refrigerator. Suffice to say, it did not disappoint. Pale golden color with green highlights, the nose is a beautiful combination of orange peel, sweet Meyer lemon and rainwater. It's wonderfully dry on the palate with citrus and mineral flavors and a long earthy finish.

Pinot Gris, whether from Alsace, Argentina, California or Oregon is my go-to wine when I feel like having a white with salmon. For $15, you could do much, much worse than the Pulenta XIV.

2006 Palmina Barbera

When rotisserie chicken is on the menu, I usually reach for a Pinot Noir. But tonight I decided to shake it up a bit with a domestic Barbera. The 2006 Palmina Barbera, Santa Barbara County has a pretty garnet color and a rustic nose of sweet/tart raspberry, herbs de Provence, a hint of licorice and a touch of hickory wood. Sweet/tart raspberry and hickory follow through on the palate with assertive orange pith/citrus acidity; a trademark of the Barbera grape. No tannins to speak of. Enjoy now with something acidic (tomato sauce) or fatty to balance the acid as it's a bit tough to enjoy on its own. About $23

I really appreciate this winery for making traditionally Italian varietals with a California flair, while staying true to the grapes' roots. A lot of wineries in California take Italian Grapes like Barbera or Sangiovese and treat them like Cabernet or Merlot by over-extracting the fruit and aging the wine in 200% new oak. But Palmina tends to treat its Barbera, Dolcetto, Tocai, etc. with respect; allowing the wines to retain a lot of their natural acidity and character; making them very food-friendly. All the while keeping their prices very reasonable.

2008 Manifesto Cabernet Sauvignon

Tried the 2008 Manifesto Cabernet Sauvignon, North Coast tonight and I can't say that I'm very impressed. The nose seems green and unripe with sickly sweet cherry notes and some odd wintergreen aromas. The palate comes across as being quite manipulated with sweet/tart fruit and unbalanced acidity. No tannins or finish of note. Didn't do any favors for our pasta dinner.

2009 Big Fire Pinot Gris

Really enjoyed a bottle of 2009 R. Stuart Big Fire Pinot Gris, Oregon this afternoon while cooking and coping with the UGA loss to Arkansas. Pale golden color with noticeable copper highlights. Really pretty notes of ripe peaches, white grapes and rain water. Nice mineral notes and firm acidity on the palate. Should be nice with smoked salmon or light seafood/poultry fare.

Alpha Box and Dice

I had the privilege of tasting the eclectic wines of Alpha Box and Dice with winemaker Justin Lane last night. Undeniably one of the most promising young winemakers in Australia, Lane is experimenting with a lot of varietals and blends very uncommon down under - grapes like Durif (Petite Sirah), Sangiovese, Dolcetto, Nebbiolo and Tannat. Also of note is the use of French oak as well as American oak from an unlikely source; Minnesota.

The first wine of the night immediately signaled to me that I was in for a special evening. The 2008 Alpha Box and Dice Dead Winemaker's Society, Adelaide Hills is a varietal Dolcetto that shows a bright ruby color and reveals layers of red licorice, hickory smoke, mint and sweet/tart cherry on the nose. Cherry and cranberry fruit dominate the palate punctuated with moderate tannins and high acidity. Should be an amazing wine with food. $24

Next up was a most interesting blend of three varietals known for their tannins. The 2006 Alpha Box and Dice F is for Fog, McLaren Vale is a blend of 80% Nebbiolo, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Tannat. Perhaps the most captivating nose of the evening with strawberry/raspberry fruit and Nebbiolo's trademark tar and roses. Slight oxidation adds a level of interest as does the citrus/Bourbon flavor on the palate. And yes, the tannins are there in full force. $30

I suppose it was inevitable that there was one I didn't particularly care for and that being the case, the 2006 Alpha Box and Dice Blood of Jupiter, McLaren Vale would be the one. I don't have the winemaker's technical notes for this Sangiovese/Cabernet Sauvignon blend, but the strong Bourbon/dill nose suggests to me that this wine was probably aged in the aforementioned Minnesota oak. Eventually reveals some floral notes as well as hints of licorice and rosemary/herb. But the nose is a bit hard to get past. $30

The 2008 Alpha Box and Dice Apostle, South Australia is a blend of Shiraz and Durif that immediately brought to mind the great wines of the Northern Rhone. Aged in 20% new French oak, the nose is a complex stew of smoke, toast, cured meat and white pepper. It is very smooth on the palate with notes of vanilla, sweet herbs (thyme, herbs de Provence) and more white pepper. Worth every penny of $40.

Lane was kind enough to bring with him two wines which have not been released in this country yet. These wines are supposed to be available here in November and I‘m very excited about both of them.

The 2008 Alpha Box and Dice Tarot, McLaren Vale is perhaps the greatest wine I have ever tasted that is slotted to retail in the $10-12 range. I’m serious when I say back up the truck and buy every bottle you see of this stuff. The laser beam of sweet raspberry and vanilla/cheesecake is the purest expression of varietal Grenache I have ever had. Simply stunning and a ridiculous value. Lane told me he was recently offered a contract on the fruit from this vineyard; fruit that used to go into a blend made by an undisclosed “high end” winery. I told him he could get $30 for this and he agreed, but sheepishly told me he would feel guilty doing so. You have to appreciate that level of honesty and integrity.

Similar in style, yet a level deeper than the Grenache is the 2009 Alpha Box and Dice Enigma, McLaren Vale. The unlikely combination of Barbera and Cabernet Sauvignon team up to provide a nose of sweet red fruit that goes back and forth between cherry and red raspberry. The palate is thick with smoke and earthy raspberry favors. The considerable acid and tannin lead me to think this will be very food-friendly. No price was mentioned for this one, but I suspect it will retail in the $25 range.



In addition to his duties at Alpha Box and Dice, Lane also spends one day a week doing consulting work for Killibinbin. These wines hail from one of Australia’s cooler climates and show great restraint and offer very good value in the mid-$20 range. I am not sure how much is currently available here.

2006 Killibinbin Blend Shiraz/Cabernet Sauvignon, Langhorne Creek - Very rustic and dusty with hints of Asian spices, pepper, licorice, floral and berries. Aged in French and American oak with the American oak dominating at this stage.

2007 Killibinbin Shiraz, Langhorne Creek - Pure red fruit nose that eventually shows notes of cured meat and restrained oak. Quite thick on the palate with a long, dusty finish.

2007 Killibinbin Cabernet Sauvignon, Langhorne Creek - Classic cool climate aromas of bell pepper, black olive and monster eucalyptus. Big tannins on the palate with flavors of black olive and sweet berries. My favorite of the Killibinbin selections.

I’ve been fortunate to have attended a number of really nice wine tastings since coming on board (about a year ago) with Off the Vine Design and this one is one of the 2 or 3 true stand-outs. I really loved these wines and admire the job Justin Lane is doing with some rather obscure varietals, fresh blends and a unique oak management program. I look forward to following this wine for a long time to come....

2007 Ajello Nero d'Avola

Drank the 2007 Ajello Nero d'Avola, Sicily tonight with grilled lamb (shoulder) skewers and a green salad made with baby romaine and arugula from the garden. Opens with a spicy, tart cherry nose that gets sweeter the longer it sits in the glass. Really blossoms into something nice after half an hour or so. The finish is longer than it should be at this price point and oscillates between dusty tannins and a camphor-like flavor. Nice value; especially if Mediterranean fare is on the menu tonight.

Extra Virgin

The wife and I don't get out to dinner often and we get to downtown Kansas City even less frequently. So when we had babysitters (my parents) a reason to get downtown (an after-work function for my wife) we couldn't pass up the opportunity to try one of Kansas City's most talked-about restaurants.

Online magazine The Pitch awarded Extra Virgin the title of best new restaurant in Kansas City for 2009. And chef Michael Smith is a semi-finalist for 2010's "Outstanding Chef" award by the James Beard Foundation.

Tuesday night found the restaurant pretty sparsely populated with 4-5 outside tables occupied as well as a few patrons at the bar. We took an indoor window seat between the bar and the patio. (I've never been a fan of dining al fresco.) Our waiter, Ben, was attentive without being intrusive or overbearing and possessed great knowledge of the menu and wine selection. Ben told us there were 60-odd choices on the menu and he'd let us know if we happened to pick one of the 3 or 4 that he didn't think were up to snuff.

My wife went with three tapas. An outstanding piece pork belly that was seared crispy on the outside and soft as butter on the inside. The chickpea fries garnishing the pork belly were perhaps the hit of the evening. Her empanadas stuffed with Serrano ham and mozzarella cheese were equally stunning. The beet salad with an ancho chile vinaigrette and micro-greens was earthy and tasty.

I let Ben talk me out of chicken thighs stuffed with figs and int an order of sauteed oyster mushrooms. The mushrooms were cooked well, yet slightly bland. I think they would have been better utilized as a garnish for a meat dish. I also ordered a some fantastic ground lamb/mint skewers and a bowl of fried duck gizzards with a very spicy (reminded me of Sriracha) sauce. While the mushrooms were a bit of a letdown, the meal overall was outstanding.

I considered a couple of domestic Syrahs from the reasonably-priced wine list, but in the end we went with the 2005 Two Hands The Bull and the Bear Shiraz Cabernet, Barossa Valley. I was initially a little bit hesitant to go with this as I'm leery of Australian wines that clobber me over the head with new American oak. But Ben told us that the sommelier was "pretty sure" it was aged in French oak. And correct he was. The wine was jet black with notes of tobacco, cassis, mint and toasty French oak. It was particularly good with the empanadas and lamb skewers. Serving wine at cellar temperature from Riedel stemware was a nice touch as well. The wine was regularly priced at $80, but it was marked down to $60 last night.

I would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for excellent good food, a well-trained waitstaff and a restaurant that takes its wine program seriously.

2008 Estimulo Cabernet Sauvignon

According to the back label, estimulo is the Spanish word for stimulus or something that arouses ones interest, enthusiasm or excitement. After having most of a bottle of 2008 Estimulo Cabernet Sauvignon, Mendoza over dinner, I have to say that I agree with the wine's name. Is this a great wine? No. Not even close. But for $10, it seriously over-delivers in terms of body and flavor. Pretty blackberry and boysenberry flavors and enough of that green peppercorn/spice component that lets you know it's from Argentina. Quite nice with grilled chicken thighs with charmoula; a zesty Middle Eastern sauce.






Charmoula Sauce

1 tablespoon toasted cumin seeds, ground
1 1/2 cups Italian parsley
1/2 cup cilantro
2 large cloves garlic
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
6 tablespoons EVOO
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Place all ingredients in food processor and blend into coarse paste. You may want to add more olive oil to achieve desired consistency.

Labor Day Weekend Wines

Well, I'm finally getting around to putting some stuff up about the wines we enjoyed over Labor Day weekend with some good friends who came over for the night.

My wife and I opened a 2009 Cline Pinot Gris, Sonoma Coast while we were waiting for our friends to arrive. What a delicious wine this is. Love the old school color with the slightly brassy hue. Although this wine is done 100% in stainless steel, it has a certain leesy richness that plays well with the citrus fruit and acidity. Great bargain at $10 or so.

One of the whites our friends brought was the 2008 Jean Reverdy La Reinie Blanch, Sancerre. Not quite as intense as I thought it would be, but it still showed some nice wet stone/mineral flavors and a hint of bell pepper.

The next thing out of our friends' case was the NV Riondo Prosecco, Veneto. I really dig this stuff. Slightly effervescent with a hint of sweetness and some delicious apple and pear flavors. A great way to satisfy a craving for bubbles without dropping $50 on a bottle of Champagne.

The 2007 Voss Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley was everything I remembered '96-'97-'98 vintages of this bottle being when I drank a good bit of it a decade ago. This is Sauvignon Blanc the way I like it best - juicy with sweet grapefruit and peach fruit.

Dinner was a standing rib roast that I rotisseried over charcoal and hickory chunks. Simple and delicious, it was a nice piece of meat to accompany a number of red wines.

A wine with which I was not familiar (but will purchase in the future) was the 2005 Kuleto Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley. Tons of black olive and dark, rustic fruits in this bottle with modest tannins that suggest drinking over the next 10 years or so. Nice bottle for a very reasonable $35 or so.

The wine I was most looking forward to this evening was the 2007 Dominio de Pingus Psi, Ribera del Duero. Yes, I know it is only the third wine from this legendary producer, but I was still pretty excited about it. Unfortunately, it was a massive disappointment. I got nothing from this wine except for loads and loads of new American oak. The kind of cheap oak that makes your wine glass smell like a Bourbon on the rocks. The next morning, I noted that only about half of this wine had been consumed. Thinking it might have opened up with 12 hours of air, I tried it again and it was still just monolithic and unexciting. No fruit. No earth. No licorice. There's just no "there" there. A disappointing $35 expense.

Next we opened our friends' final bottle of 1996 Jones Family Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley. This is a wine that we bought back in the '96 and '97 vintages. This was the first wine I remember being really hyped and driven by internet discussion and my friend and I both fell for the hype. And boy am I glad we did! This was showing really well right now. Really pretty 15-year old California Cabernet flavors of cherry and cigar box. The tannins were well-balanced and I think this is about as good as it will get. I think we paid about $60/bottle back in the day but dropped off the mailing list when the '98 was offered at $75 or so. Oh, well. I'm glad I tried the first two vintages of this wine and I'm glad I've still got a bottle or two in the cellar.

On Sunday, my wife and I enjoyed the 2009 Gascon Malbec, Mendoza with some grilled double lamb chops. This wine is like slipping on an old pair of jeans - comfortable and familiar. I've been enjoying this wine for it's dark fruit and spice for the past 3-4 vintages. Great value at $10-12.

Having drained the Gascon, we needed one more bottle to wash down our lamb chops. So I reached for something I hoped would pair well with the spice rub and char. That wine was the 2005 Eaglepoint Ranch Petit Sirah, Mendocino County. This wine a really tannic, rustic beast and the perfect wine for the meal. I've tried pairing this with smoked pork shoulder and a few other meats, but I think this was the most successful pairing to date.