Few wines stand up to the richness of red meat better than a full bodied red Bordeaux, and this bottle from Chateau Le Grand Moulin is the perfect pairing
It is one of life’s greatest and most simple culinary truths that there are few better food and wine partners than a big, juicy steak and a robust bottle of red Bordeaux. It’s almost like they were designed to be consumed together, so intuitive is the combination.
It might not be the first thing that comes to mind when meal planning for the warmer months, though. Usually hulking slabs of meat are reserved for the cooler months, when our bones need warming and our stomachs need comfort. Summer is the reserve of crisp seafood and even crispier white wines that keep us cool when the mercury is on the rise.
If there’s one cuisine you can count on to somehow turn steak into an August dish though it’s the Italians. Masters of the long lunch, steak shows up on Italian menus no matter the season. Our favourite way to eat it? Steak tagliata, the classic dish which sees tender pieces of seared steak served atop a bright salad of rocket, tomato and parmesan.
To drink we’re taking you a little further west on the continent to France – Bordeaux, to be exact. The grande dame of red wine regions, there are few wines best placed to stand up to steak in all forms. This bottle from Chateau Le Grand Moulin has had a decade of age for the flavours to really come into their own. Expect red fruits and chocolate on the nose, with a toasty, herbaceous finish, an elevating dose of acidity and structured tannins. Crack open a bottle and leave it to breathe for a short time in the fridge for it to really come alive in the glass.
Photo: Getty
Steak tagliata recipe
Ingredients
- 500g fillet steak
- 1 x bag of rocket leaves
- 2 x sprig rosemary
- 1 x sprig thyme
- A few garlic cloves
- Olive oil
- The juice of one lemon
- Aged balsamic
- 100g parmesan, shaved
- 200g good red tomatoes, thinly sliced or quartered
Method
- Heat olive oil over a pan and add the herbs and garlic cloves.
- Season your steak with olive oil, salt and pepper on both sides and cook for approximately four minutes on each side, basting with the infused oil occasionally for flavour. Alternatively, fire up the BBQ and cook the steak for the same amount of time there.
- While the steak is resting, toss together the rocket, half of the parmesan and the tomatoes with a drizzle of olive oil, the lemon juice and a pinch of salt.
- Once rested, thinly slice the steak and lay it on top of the salad. Top with a drizzle of the aged balsamic and the remainder of the parmesan.
- Serve with a robust red Bordeaux wine.
Chateau Le Grand Moulin (75500), 119kr
