SPICY THAI LARB SALAD
RECIPE TO PAIR WITH GUNDLACH BUNDSCHU DRY GEWURZTRAMINER
COURTESY OF LAUREN KERSHNER, GOODNESS GRACIOUS CATERING
Ingredients:
1# ground turkey, chicken, or pork
1 Tbsp. coconut or olive oil
1 cup red and/or green cabbage, thinly shaved
1 cup romaine hearts, thinly shaved 1 cup baby arugula
1 mango, medium diced
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
½ cup haricot verts green beans, steamed and cut into 3rds
½ cup toasted peanuts or almonds, chopped
Fresh mint, basil, and cilantro, as preferred
Sauce:
3 tbsp. lime juice
2 tbsp. fish sauce
2 tbsp. brown sugar, packed
½ tsp. Sriracha, optional
1 Lemongrass, minced (use just the bottom 3 inches of stalk)
1 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger
1 tsp. grated garlic
1 small shallot, diced
3 Tbsp. olive oil
Thai chili or jalapeño, depending on how hot you’d like it
Preparation:
Combine all of the sauce ingredients into a mixing bowl and let marinate for at least 2 hours.
Prepare the sauce as spicy as you prefer.
In a hot skillet with oil, cook the ground meat seasoned with salt and pepper until cooked through and caramelized and crispy. Toss half of the sauce into the meat and let cool.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the salad ingredients: lettuces, mango, tomato, green beans, and herbs with the other half of the sauce.
Pile the dressed salad onto a plate, top with some of the ground meat, and garnish with more fresh herbs and nuts. I like to use lots of the meat here for a really fresh yet hearty dinner portion.
GRILLED BEEF FILET
with Bleu Cheese-Balsamic Butter and Blackberry Compote
RECIPE TO PAIR WITH GUNDLACH BUNDSCHU MOUNTAIN CUVÉE
COURTESY OF LAUREN KERSHNER, GOODNESS GRACIOUS CATERING
Ingredients:
Beef
4- 5 oz. center cut beef filet mignon, or 1 ½ lb. favorite grilling steak (hangar, ribeye, etc.)
8 sprigs of thyme
4 garlic cloves
2 Tbsp. butter
Butter
1 stick butter, softened
¼ cup bleu cheese, crumbled
1 Tbsp. parsley, chopped
1 tsp. aged balsamic
pinch sea salt and course ground black pepper
Blackberry Compote
1 pint blackberries, rinsed
1 small shallot, minced
2 Tbsp. white sugar or honey
1 bay leaf
½ cinnamon stick
2 Tbsp. water
Preparation:
Season the beef generously with salt and pepper. Let it come to room temperature before cooking. Heat a grill on medium-high. Grill the steak to your preferred temperature. Set aside on a cooling rack to rest for 10 minutes.
Combine all of the butter ingredients in a small bowl and mix until incorporated thoroughly. You can dollop the button on the steak straight from the bowl or you can roll it into a nice round shape using parchment paper or plastic wrap and twisting at the ends to make sure it’s in there tight.
Add the blackberry compote ingredients into a small pot and bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer. Simmer until the blackberries start to release their form, about 15 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and cinnamon stick. Let cool to room temperature.
Slice the beef and serve with the butter and compote. I like to serve this alongside a salad, grilled vegetables, buttered polenta, or roasted fingerling potatoes for a complete meal.
