Food and Wine Pairing for Cozy Winter Meals

pubblicato 18-11-2022

Food and Wine Pairing for Cozy Winter Meals

When I'm not going out on the weekend I enjoy spending time in the kitchen, cooking a dish that requires hours that I do not have on weekdays. As the temperatures are dropping in NYC, we're all in need of hearty dishes…time to make my favorite Chinese Braised Oxtail!

There are so many different ways to make oxtail and my favorite one is to braise them with soy sauce and Chinese spices. The meat is so tender and literally fell from the bone and melts on the tongue! They are extremely flavorful and tender, yet super easy to make.

Preparation: the making of the oxtail

Clean and pat dry the oxtails, brown them on all sides over medium-high heat in a large skillet or dutch oven. Remove the oxtails and set them aside on a plate. To the pot, add ginger, garlic, star anise, cloves and bay leaves, add the oxtails back to the pot, then add soy sauce, sugar, salt, and hot water. Simmer for 2.5-3 hours over low heat - add more water during the process if needed, you can also add preferred vegetables such as potatoes, carrots, or mushrooms. Uncover and simmer for another 15-20 minutes until the meat is tender and most of the liquid has evaporated. Serve and sprinkle with scallions - that's it! Oh and don't forget to serve them over steamed rice!

Final result: here come the wine!

Four hours of cooking calls for a special wine! Kudos to my husband for opening this Carpineto Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva 2017 while I was in the kitchen! When the dish hits the plate, the wine was revealed beautifully as well - juicy and bright, with elegant red berry fruits, dried herbs, mixed Asian spices, as well as hints of violet and tobacco. The wine was aged in large Slavonian oak barrels for two years after fermentation, bringing more complexity and texture. It has a straightforward and approachable style that is very appealing, but it will also age beautifully thanks to the bright acidity and great structure. With Nobile, there's no need to choose between now or never– you can enjoy it today, tomorrow, and twenty years down the line!