(Photo by Carlos Sarmiento)
Meat and potatoes…with an Italian flair.
One dish I’ll never get tired of is a delicious steak, potatoes (in almost any form) and veggies (ideally asparagus).
To keep it interesting, I find ways to incorporate new flavors and textures to make these dishes memorable. For this particular posting, I am using Italian type of herbs like rosemary and oregano for the steak and for the mashed potatoes, I am adding pecorino cheese.
(Photo by Tina Xinia)
Naturally, a dish like this screams for a red wine pairing but these Miami summer evenings have been exceedingly hot…so what’s the next best thing? Chilled red wine…sangria style.
Let‘s get cooking (and drinking)!
Menu: Grilled seasoned top sirloin steak medallions with pecorino whipped mash potatoes and charred asparagus.
Wine pairing: Tutto Mio - Rosso Dolce
(Emilia Romagna, Italy)
Serves 4
Ingredients
Steak:
4 top sirloin steak medallions (approximately 1/2 a pound each)
4 tablespoons of fresh rosemary, finely chopped (1 tablespoon per medallion)
4 garlic cloves, finely minced (1 cloves per medallion)
4 teaspoons of dried oregano (1 teaspoon per medallion)
Sea Salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
4 tablespoons of extra Virgin olive oil (1 tablespoon per medallion)
Mashed potatoes:
2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled
2 teaspoons sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 tablespoons of unsalted butter
1/3 cup grated pecorino cheese (save a handful for final plating & garnishing).
1/2 cup of potato water (save water once potatoes ere fully cooked)
Asparagus:
1 pack of asparagus spears
Zest of 1 lemon
Sea salt & pepper
Extra Virgin olive oil for drizzling
Directions
Steak:
Season each steak medallion on both sides with salt, pepper, rosemary, oregano, garlic and olive oil.
Heat up grill to 350 degrees F.
Grill steak medallions to desired doneness (135 degrees F for medium rare, 145 degrees F for medium).
Mash potatoes:
Place the potatoes and 1 teaspoon of salt in a large pot and fill with enough water to cover the potatoes by 1 inch. Bring to a boil and cook until fork tender, about 20 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid.
Mash the potatoes into a large bowl. Use a rubber spatula to fold in butter, cheese, ½ cup of the reserved cooking liquid, 1 teaspoon salt, and several pinches of pepper.
Asparagus:
(can be grilled at the same time as steak):
In a medium sized bowl, mix: oil, lemon zest, salt and pepper (to taste).
Place asparagus flat on a long deep dish. Drizzle marinade mixture on top of asparagus.
Grill asparagus for approximately 3-5 minutes on each side or until slightly charred.
Serve it up!
On each plate serve a few scoops of mashed potatoes and make a deep indent in the middle big enough to nestle the sirloin medallion.
Garnish the side of the plate with the charred asparagus.
Buon appetito!
(Photo by Carlos Sarmiento)
(Photo by Carlos Sarmiento)
About this drink…
Tutto Mio was born out of the rich culinary and wine-making traditions of the Emilia Romagna region in Northern Italy, which is the birthplace of parmesan, prosciutto & balsamic vinegar.
Made with native grapes harvested from clay and gravel soils, the wines undergo long skin contact before fermentation.
The result is a style of lightly sparkling, fruit forward and delicately sweet red that is typical of the region.
Tutto Mio - Rosso Dolce
(Emilia Romagna, Italy)
(Photo by Carlos Sarmiento)
(Photo by Carlos Sarmiento)
Tasting notes:
Bursting with sweet, ripe red fruit flavors, featuring notes of cherry, strawberry and blackberry.
The delicate sweetness is combined with a light, refreshing fizz, all at just 7.5% alcohol by volume.
Grapes:
Merlot & Sangiovese
Food pairing:
Pairs nicely with grilled meats, BBQ, tacos, spicy dishes, and desserts.
Serving notes:
Serve chilled or on ice.
Chef Carlos recommends to serve sangria style, with plenty of chopped fruits and ice.
Accolades:
92 Points - Critics Challenge Competition
Thank you to Kobrand Wine & Spirits For providing this unique drink from Italy. Grazie!
For more information, visit:
&
For finding and purchasing this wine, check out Kobrand Wine & Spirits’ retail locator from Wine365.com
Just click on the link and enter your zip code and local stores and restaurants that feature these wines will show up!
(Photo by Marco Biondi)