Pinot Noir owes its popularity in part to how well it pairs with food. More than just complementing food, Pinot makes the meal taste better. As one writer put it, Pinot Noir plays well with others. Roast chicken and salmon are popular pairings, but Executive Chef Stevie Provencio embraces the season with a beef recipe featuring wild mushrooms that match the wine’s earthy tones. This dish pairs beautifully with the aged 2016 King Estate Tonalita Pinot Noir.
Pinot-braised Beef Short Rib with Celeriac Purée and Wild Mushroom XO
Season about 3 pounds of English-cut ribs with salt and pepper. (These ribs are cut parallel to the bone, so each piece has one long bone topped with a thick slab of meat.) Sear on all sides in neutral oil. Add mirepoix – a vegetable mixture of 1 cup onion and half a cup each of carrots and celery, all diced – plus 4 garlic cloves; caramelize. Add 1 tablespoon of tomato paste and cook 1 minute. Add a bottle (!) of Pinot Noir and cook until reduced by half. Then add 2 cups of beef stock, 4 sprigs of thyme and a bay leaf; braise for 3 to 3-1/2 hours at 300°F until tender but still sliceable.
While the beef simmers, prepare the Wild Mushroom XO (an indulgent Cantonese sauce). Rehydrate a half ounce of dried porcini and mince. Sweat a minced shallot and 2 minced garlic cloves in 2 tablespoons of butter. Add about 5-1/2 ounces of minced fresh maitake or shiitake mushrooms and the porcini; cook down until almost paste-like. Add 1 teaspoon each of soy sauce and mirin, a ½ teaspoon of black or red wine vinegar and a pinch of smoked paprika. Reduce until glossy and jammy. Finish with a Celeriac Purée. Peel and dice one large celeriac. Simmer in a cup each of heavy cream and milk until very soft. Blend on high with 3 tablespoons of butter and pass through a fine mesh strainer. Serve with a glass of your favorite Pinot Noir, like this 2016 Tonalita from the vineyard of King Estate’s Director of Viticulture Ray Nuclo. Purchase it or any other vineyard designate wines on our website and savor the season.
