And lastly, our 2012 Zinfandel. Serve with marinated beef shish kabobs and grilled polenta (keep reading for Linda’s custom beef marinade!). This pairing works because Zinfandel really brings out smokey elements of charbroiled meat. The big fruity notes of the Zin can stand up to accents of smoke imparted on the beef and vegetables from being grilled. Oh, and make sure you include mushrooms in your shish kabobs.
Want a tip on making the perfect grilled shish kabobs? Don’t stack like the photo above (yes, we know, we wish it were warm enough to photograph our method, but unfortunately the Laurel Ridge grill won’t be out for a few more months). Instead, skewer all of your meat in the middle, and place all the vegetables on the ends of your kabobs. This will help you concentrate the higher temperatures on the meat without burning your vegetables, and will help you even the heat on the veggies so they’re cooked well without overdoing it on the meat. Makes sense, huh?
Here’s what you need for your marinade:
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce or balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup dry cooking sherry
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger (make sure you have the powder, not fresh, not crystallized)
Marinade instructions:
Sauté onions in olive oil on medium heat until onions are clear. Reduce heat and add in your soy sauce or balsamic vinegar, and your 1/2 cup dry cooking sherry. Let that simmer for 5 minutes, then pull it off the heat and add 1/2 t ground ginger. Place it in a freezer bag with your cubed up beef and let marinade for a minimum of 2 hours but preferably overnight. And the cheaper your cut fo meat, the more tender this marinade will make it. This isn’t necessarily something you want to marinade your ribeye or NY strip; it’s better to marinade a chuck roast or London broil.
And there you have it! Three perfect meals to pair with your wines. Cheers!