Frontenac
is a red wine that pairs well with hearty foods.
Foods
to Match: Game meats like duck and pheasant;
lamb or beef; pasta dishes made with meat or tomato;
eggplant dishes; flavor ingredients like black olives,
pepper, mushrooms, herbs like mint, thyme and rosemary.
Classic
pairing: Grilled
Foods, especially meat, to match the smoky, earthy
flavors in the wine.
STRACOTTO,
AN ITALIAN POT ROAST
For
all her celebrity as host of "The Splendid Table",
syndicated food columnist, and author of several famous
cookbooks, Lynne Rosetto Kasper is more often found
in her St. Paul home cooking simple, robust dishes
like this one for friends coming over for Sunday supper.
This is a meal that calls for a strong and sturdy
wine like the Frontenac.
Here is one of the favorites we have enjoyed with
Lynne.
1
(3-4 pound) chuck roast
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, minced
2 carrots, minced
1 celery stalk, minced
1 tbsp each fresh parsley, basil, sage
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 - 12oz. can chopped tomatoes, with juice
2 cups Frontenac wine, or other good quality red wine,
divided
2 cups good quality beef broth, divided
Heat
the oil in a Dutch oven. Salt and pepper the roast
and slowly brown on all sides. Remove. Add onion,
carrot, celery, herbs and bay leaf. Cook over medium
heat, stirring often, until soft and lightly browned.
Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Add tomatoes and cook
another 5 minutes.
Add
1/2 cup of the red wine and reduce until most of the
liquid is gone, scraping up the brown glaze on the
bottom of the pan. Repeat with another 1/2 cup red
wine. Now add 1/2 cup of the beef broth and reduce.
Repeat with another 1/2 cup of beef broth.
Return
the roast to the pan and add remaining cup of red
wine and cup of beef broth. Make sure the liquid reaches
at least halfway up the sides of the roast, adding
more liquid is needed.
Cover
the pan with a tight fitting lid and cook over very
low heat for 2 or more hours. Add more wine or stock
as needed if the meat seems to be drying out.
The
meat is done when it is very tender and the sauce
is deep and rich.
Serves
6 - 8
Lynne
recommends serving the Stracotto with polenta or roasted
potatoes Add sautéed escarole or roasted baby
carrots, or just a simple green salad to make the
meal complete.
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