Spring 2009 - A Good Time to Get to Know Austrian Wines

In 1985 the Austrian wine industry met with a nasty shock: millions of gallons of wine was found to be contaminated with what amounted to anti-freeze. Turns out that anti-freeze, in addition to making the wine toxic made the wine taste sweeter, and at that time in the Germanic world sweeter wines commanded higher prices. The scandal resulted from lax regulation, a glut of marginal Austrian wine on the market and unscrupulous middle men selling the wine, who were to blame for the adulteration. As a result the Austrian wine industry changed its ways, focusing on producing drier, finer wines under stricter supervision.

But the damage had been done.

An entire American generation (mine) grew up completely ignorant of Austrian wine. It simply wasn't available in most wine shops. It wasn't spoken of besides occasional references to the scandal. There was no market for these wines, so they dropped off most American wine drinker's radars. This was a shame, because we were oblivious to just how good Austrian wines in general were becoming. Over the last couple years many of us have gotten our first tastes of these wines. They vary from structured wines suitable for aging to fresh tasting lighter wines for drinking young. The ones I can afford (under $30 a bottle retail) are in the latter camp. Young, fresh and fruity has never been my preference in wine (especially reds), but the way they do it in Austria has won me over. It might do the same for you.

Let's look at some of the varietals used to make these wines:

Grüner Veltliner - This grape is used to make the white wines that have acted as the ambassadors of new Austrian wine making. These wines can vary from inexpensive light summer quaffers sold in liter bottles for under $15 to crisp elegance, displaying varying degrees of citrus, floral notes and minerality. They can be bone dry, but often have just a hint of residual sugar. They've been appearing on wine lists and in retail stores over the last two years, and I only expect to see more of them when the weather warms up. Three years ago it seemed like everyone was drinking rosé wines, this summer I expect it to be Grüner Veltliner.

The more affordable Austrian reds (I have yet to find an inexpensive one) have a tendency toward the lighter side of medium-body, with fresh fruit up front and varying degrees of spice on the finish. On the nose they often display what I can only describe as a barnyard aroma, which can be quite a shock to one accustomed to French or Italian wines. The noses of these wines can fool you into expecting them to be fuller and funkier than many actually are. Fans of young Pino Noir may have some reference points for appreciating these wines, but they're likely to be new stylistic ground for most of us. In good examples under $30 a bottle "fresh" ought to be the operative word.

Blaufränkisch - This is a traditional Austrian red wine grape. Blau means blue, and this wine is indeed bluish in color, sometimes almost inky. Look for refreshing fruit up front with a pepper bite on the finish. These wines can be very light bodied.

St Laurent - That's the name of the grape, supposedly because the fruit ripens on the feast of St Laurent. It was brought from France in the 1800's, and definitely descended from Pino Noir (which is also grown in Austria). It's a thin skinned grape that prefers higher elevations, and like Pino it has a reputation for being a challenge for the wine maker. St Laurent wines are getting easier to find, and worth the effort for fans of Pino - a well made St Laurent is a wonderful wine that manages to be Pino-like and it's own thing simultaneously.

Zweigelt - This is the most popular red wine grape in Austria, and it's a cross of Blaufränkisch and St Laurent. The result is a wine that's fuller bodied than Blaufränkisch and spicier than St Laurent. I'm looking for a nice one under $15. I'm sure it exists, and when I find it I'll write about it in an upcoming Vin Ordinaire column.

I hope this is enough for those unfamiliar with these wines to start exploring. The reds tend to be priced at what I consider splurge levels ($17-$30 a bottle), but for most of us they'll be something new and exciting, which makes for a nice splurge.

Chinese Red Cooked Pork and Lamb Ragu: Two Reasons to Get Over Your Inhibitions and Consider Buying a Pressure Cooker

Red Cooked Pork

Red cooked pork is an indulgent bit of Chinese home cooking: braised belly served with rice and (hopefully) a vegetable of some sort. This unctuous dish has two big strikes against it for the modern home cook: long cooking time and outrageously high fat content. I wanted to find a way to enjoy the flavor of this classic without either of the drawbacks - a dish I could prepare off the cuff and enjoy often without coming to resemble the source of the meat itself. Replacing the pork belly with shoulder meat was a good start. Shoulder still has enough fat content to yield a good result. The dish lost some richness, but remained delicious. The next step was replacing a long braise in a clay pot with half an hour in a pressure cooker. I wouldn’t use a pressure cooker for belly (which takes to braising so well), but it worked well with the very adaptable shoulder meat. I ended up with an incredibly easy dish that can be prepared in less than 40 minutes, yet never fails to impress guests. If a pressure cooker isn’t in the cards for you, this recipe works equally well gently simmered for over an hour until the meat is fork tender. By cutting the cooking time down substantially, the pressure cooker allows you to throw this together casually on a weeknight.

(Serves 3-4 with rice and a green vegetable)

1 lb pork shoulder meat, trimmed and cut in cubes

3 scallions, trimmed and cut into 2” lengths

3 cloves garlic, peeled

2” piece fresh ginger, peeled

1 stick cinnamon

2 whole star anise

4 cups water

1/3 cup soy sauce

½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes (or more to taste)

¼ cup white vinegar

2 heaping Tbs brown sugar

Place all ingredients in pressure cooker and cook at pressure for half an hour. (If you’re not using a pressure cooker simmer covered for over an hour until fork tender). Strain the meat out of the liquid and place in serving bowl. Drizzle some of the cooking liquid over the meat (it’s also good on your rice).

Lamb Ragu

I first encountered this sauce at Max in the East Village, where the waiter boasted that it had been simmering all day. Right away I loved it, and set about recreating it in my own kitchen over the next few weeks. Although it was a favorite of mine I rarely made it at home, because I have little desire to baby-sit a pot on the stove for several hours. I’m all for slow food, but that’s too damned slow! 45 minutes in the pressure cooker gives a great result with an added bonus: lamb shank works just as well as stew meat, cutting the cost of the dish while adding a nice texture to the result. Since the pressure cooker does not evaporate nearly as much water as hours of simmering, my last step is to stir in a tablespoon or two of tomato paste to reach the desired thickness. This ragu is equally good over pasta and polenta. Only use fresh rosemary for this dish.

(Makes enough to sauce a pound of pasta. Leftover sauce freezes well.)

1 large, meaty lamb shank (or 2 smaller ones)

2 onions, chopped

3-6 cloves garlic, chopped

¼ tsp crushed red pepper

2-3 carrots, grated

1 large bay leaf

15.5 oz can tomatoes (whole, broken up by hand with juice or crushed)

½ cup white wine

10” sprig fresh rosemary (or equivalent smaller sprigs)

2 Tbs tomato paste

Salt and pepper

Oil for frying

Season shank with salt and pepper, and brown in small amount of oil in the bottom of pressure cooker. Add onions with a little more salt and pepper (and little more oil, if necessary) and sauté until nearly transparent. Add garlic, carrot and crushed red pepper. Deglaze with white wine. Add tomatoes and bay leaf. Bring up to pressure and cook for 45 minutes. The meat will be falling off the bone. Remove bone, and break the meat up into the ragu. Bring to a simmer over gentle heat (NOT under pressure), adding the rosemary. When the first leaf falls off the sprig (about ten minutes) remove the rosemary sprig, and fish out any leaves that have fallen into the sauce. Stir in tomato paste to thicken. Taste and reason. Use to sauce pasta or spoon over polenta.

The Spice Must Flow

Dual Specialty Store and a Tagine Recipe

I know many home cooks who avoid recipes with long ingredient lists, especially long lists of spices. It’s not that they don’t enjoy such food, but they’re more or less held hostage by their supermarkets when it comes to spices. The more “exotic” the spice the higher the price of a 1 oz. glass jar will be, if they even carry the spice in question. Stocking up to cook something as simple as a tagine can be an investment! What’s an adventurous home cook to do?

Here on Manhattan’s Lower East Side I’m lucky enough to have a remarkable spice shop just a stone’s throw away. Dual Speciality Store (91 First Ave) is located below street level just south of the East Village’s Curry Row. 400 kinds of beer for sale might be an exaggeration. Regardless, I’m not here for the beer, nor the Indian cosmetics, chutney, pickles or tea. For me it’s all about the spice, though they also have good deals on basmati rice, pulses and couscous.

Ever wonder what the difference is between Tellicherry and less expensive Malabar peppercorns? I found out for just a few bucks spent: Tellicherry is richer and more mellow, whereas Malabar has more bite. For table use or when salt and pepper are the only seasonings (like on a steak) go with the Tellicherry. Malabar is good for spice blends, and a pound of the stuff here didn’t even break six dollars – that’s half what it sells for online! Other deals included quarter pound bags of fennel and coriander seeds for under two bucks and 68 grams of green cardamom for $3.50. Hard to find Indian spices like fenugreek and asafetida are here, as well as common blends like garam masala and curry powder. You could amass a serious collection of spices for $20-$40, depending on how crazy you want to get. (Buy them whole and they’ll last a long time; just keep a dedicated coffee grinder to grind as much as you need when you need it). They even sell fresh ingredients, like hot peppers, turmeric root and Indian bitter melon. The less adventurous can check out various prepared curries and curry sauces in cans, jars and foil packets.

While outfitting yourself with spices pick up some dried fruit (apricots, white raisins, currants, whatever) and some nuts (pine nuts and slivered almonds) and try the following recipe:

Vegetable Tagine with Dried Fruit and Nuts

This is one of those recipes with a scary long ingredient list. In spite of that it can be made in about 45 minutes, and will feed four people a healthy, satisfying cost-effective meal. It also happens to be vegan, so it’s good for those who care about that stuff. For those who don’t there’s plenty of flavor and substance to this dish, regardless. Do not leave the nuts out of this recipe; their fat and protein content is the main foil for the spiciness. While this may not be a strictly traditional tagine the flavor is 100% authentic. It’s really easy to make, once you accept the idea of grinding your own spices and toasting nuts for a garnish, neither of which is a big deal – these extra steps happen once the dish is already cooking.

For the spice blend:

10-15 black peppercorns
tsp whole coriander seed
5-10 pods green cardamom
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground turmeric (optional)
½ tsp crushed red pepper (more if you like it spicy)
½ tsp whole cumin seed
5 whole cloves

For the garnish:
1/3 cup pine nuts
¼ cup slivered almonds
½ cup chopped cilantro or mint (optional)

For the tagine:
3 carrots, cut in 1” sticks
2 zucchini, cut in 1” sticks
1 white turnip, peeled and cut into cubes
5 cloves garlic, chopped
½” piece of ginger, peeled and chopped (optional)
generous handful of dried fruit (white raisins, currants, apricots, etc)
15 oz can whole tomatoes, drained and broken up by hand
15 oz can chickpeas, drained
½ tsp salt (or more to taste)
2 Tbs oil for frying

Heat a large pan and add oil. Fry garlic, carrots, ginger (if using) and zucchini for a couple minutes. Do not let garlic brown! Add remaining tagine ingredients and bring to a simmer. If your pan isn’t big enough to hold everything transfer to a large enough pot. Grind spice blend ingredients together in a coffee grinder or a mortar and pestle. Add spices to simmering tagine. Cover and let simmer for 35 minutes until all veggies are cooked and flavors have blended. Give it a stir every now and then. In the meantime toast the nuts in a dry frying pan, shaking often so they don’t burn on one side.

Serve with couscous or basmati rice. (Couscous is easier because it can be made in the last five minutes of the tagine’s simmering). Garnish with toasted nuts (and chopped herbs, if using).

Vin Ordinaire 2, Southern Rhône

When I first got into wine Southern Rhône reds were considered “bistro wines,” in that they were somewhat undervalued and made great “house reds”. As these wines gained in popularity their prices increased to the point where they were no longer casually poured in many bistros. The Southern Rhône is where the familiar Côtes du Rhône, Côtes de Ventoux and Vacqueyras appellations are produced. These wines are usually fruity, often spicy blends that range from lighter to full bodied.

I remember a friend’s father walking me through his serious cellar over a decade ago, asking what kind of wines I liked. As I stood there looking at vertical profiles of famous vineyards I replied, “Southern Rhônes.” Without missing a beat he said, “We can change that.” At the time I thought he was being patronizing, but eventually the lesson sunk in: when someone proudly offers you a taste from their collection don’t ask for your daily drinkers. In addition to producing many of the world’s finest wines France is still a great place to look for daily drinkers, and the Southern Rhône region remains no exception. The 2003 and 2005 vintages are good to very good across France. The 2004 is particularly good in the Southern Rhône, even though that vintage was not as noteworthy in many other regions.

Chapelle-St-Arnoux, Vacqueyras, Reserve Veilles Vignes, 2003

This hearty wine offers big fruit (cherry and currant) and a hint of spice. Imagine a less elegant, less complex (and much less expensive) Châteauneuf-du-Pape and you’re in the ballpark. Falls down a little on the finish, which doesn’t quite keep up with the wine’s initial boldness. Good value at $12 a bottle.

Pierre Amadieu, Côtes du Rhône, “Roulepierre”, 2004

Showing just how good 2004 was to the Southern Rhône, this medium bodied wine is dominated by cherry, berry and spice. The finish, while not long, is clean and elegant. This wine plays well with food, but is just fine by the glass. $13 is a great price for this wine; one could easily pay more for much less. Easy to drink and easy to like, it’s a reminder of why many of us started drinking Southern Rhônes in the first place.

Domaine Monpertuis, Vignoble de Ramière, Vin de Pays du Gard, Cuvee Counoise, 2005

This wine is imported by Rosenthal, a company that prides itself on finding small producers like Paul Jeune and bringing their wines to the American market. It’s 100% Counoise, a grape traditionally used in blends, but in M. Jeune’s hands it’s an unexpected pleasure. It’s technically not a Rhône wine; the grapes were grown across the river from Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Since the producer is known for his wines bearing that appellation and Counoise is a traditional Rhône varietal I’m comfortable considering this wine a Southern Rhône in all but name.

There’s nothing showy or overblown here; it’s unusual to find a $12 bottle that displays such restraint. Fruit and peppery spice give way to an acid, almost earthy finish. Weighty enough to pair with beef, yet round and smooth in the mouth without feeling heavy. Almost austere, in the best sense of the word. This is a real find: a remarkably well balanced food wine at this price. Those tired of the trend toward face-crushing, fruit-forward lower priced wines will find this wine something to get excited about.

Ground Turkey Kofteries

Ground turkey. The very idea of it used to make me scoff. It didn’t seem like a real ingredient. Where was there a cuisine that traditionally used ground turkey? Wasn’t it just a substitute for other, better tasting meats that health conscious people could use to dumb their food down while ostensibly making it “healthier”? Like turkey Italian sausages: they don’t taste as good as pork sausages, and the texture is all wrong.

Still, ground turkey goes on sale at the supermarket pretty regularly, so if I could find a use for the stuff it could become a cost-effective part of an ostensibly healthy diet. Was there a way to make this inexpensive, low fat source of protein delicious? I started playing around with the stuff in my kitchen. As a substitute for ground beef in a red pasta sauce, turkey proved to be unsatisfying as Italian sausages made from it – too dry and bland. Turkey burgers weren’t an experience I’d seek out again, for the same reason. Then I got to thinking: who in the world eats turkey often? Middle Easterners do. On a trip to Paris last year I bought Döner sandwiches on the street from Lebanese immigrants, and the meat was a combination of veal and turkey. Why not try Middle Eastern spicing with the stuff? That direction met with success: these Turkish style meatballs work so well with they don’t leave me pining for the more classic lamb and beef combination. I serve them with tzatziki, which adds a bit of much needed moisture. A tomato and cucumber salad and bread (or a pilaf) nicely rounds a meal out in a Turkish/Greek vein.

Turkish Style Turkey Kofteries
(serves four)

20.8 oz package (or scant 1 ½ lbs) ground turkey
4-5 cloves garlic, chopped
½ cup flat leaf parsley (or mint), chopped
tsp salt
Tbs ground allspice
tsp ground cumin
tsp ground coriander seed
ground black pepper, to taste
pinch crushed red pepper
2 Tbs oil for frying

Mix together all ingredients by hand in bowl while heating frying pan. Wash hands, and add oil to pan. Form meatballs by hand and place in hot pan. Let cook on one side until slightly browned. Turn meatballs with a spoon in pan to brown the other side until equally browned. Reduce heat and roll meatballs on their sides, turning every couple minutes until you’re sure they’re completely cooked. Plate and serve.

(Tip: If you keep a dedicated coffee grinder for spices you can buy your spices whole. They'll last longer and taste fresher when you grind them yourself. This allows you to keep a wide variety of spices in your cupboard without worrying about them losing their flavor if you don't use some of them very often).

Tzatziki
(feeds four as a side dish that’s something between a sauce and a salad)

1/2 seedless cucumber or 2 Kirby or 3 Persian cucumber
1 generous cup yogurt (Greek is better, as full fat is better over 2% over nonfat)
tsp salt
½ clove garlic, finely chopped
2 Tbs olive oil
Juice of ½ lemon (optional)

Grate cucumber into serving bowl. Add salt and mix by hand. Let stand for 30 min. while you do something else, such as make the meatballs in the recipe above. Squeeze cucumber in bottom of bowl by hand, draining the juice into the sink. Stir in remaining ingredients. Either serve immediately or cover and let sit in fridge for up to 24 hours (it gets better with time up to that point). Dunk bread into it or use as a sauce for meatballs (or grilled meat).

Vin Ordinaire

Sacha Lichine, La Poule Blanche, Vin de Pays D’Oc, 2006

There’s a white chicken on the label. That’s generally a bad sign in my book, but I’m happy to let La Poule Blanche be the exception to my “no critter wines” rule, screw top and all. This wine is a blend of mostly Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, showing a little crispness from the Sauvignon and some body from the Chardonnay. A very simple wine, but at $8 a bottle I’m happy there are no “off” flavors to get in the way of La Poule’s drinkability.

Distributed by Borvin – Sacha Lichine U.S.A.

Bodega J&F Lurton, Pino Gris, Argentina, 2007

At $11 this is a good value. Not much of a surprise, since the Lurtons are part of a France winemaking legacy now operating in Argentina. The main expressions we see of this grape are featherweight Italian Pino Grigios and the fuller bodied Alsatian Pino Gris. This wine leans toward the Alsatian style: It’s still light and crisp, but has some body to it. Not big on the finish, but nice in the mouth. Refreshing citrus character, with just a hint of sweetness.

Distributed by Monsieur Touton, Ltd.

Château le Chêne de Margot, Premières Côtes de Blayes, Bordeaux, 2005

Here’s a find: a good $12 bottle of red Bordeaux in NYC. This wine offers soft dark fruit up front, then finishes with tannic, earthy restraint. This wine is medium bodied, so it doesn’t feel at all heavy in the mouth. It’s a pleasure on it’s own, but clearly this is a wine meant to accompany food. I’m starting to see the 2006 show up in stores, so now is the time for budget minded Bordeaux fans to snap up any 2005’s they can find.

Distributed by Monsieur Touton, Ltd.

Pere Ventura, Cava, First Press Cuvee, Spain, NV

This sparkler hits the top of my price range for ordinary wine: $15. I’d consider this a splurge for someone who was trying to cut down on expenses. But what an inexpensive splurge it is! No, it doesn’t taste like champagne: different grape, less complexity and larger bubbles. Then again, if you’ve been trying to save a couple bucks by substituting prosecco for champagne this cava is a drier alternative. It’s good enough to have been well-received when I toasted a wine-loving friend’s birthday with it. A pleasing acidity allows it to accompany food as well as it drinks on its own.

Distributed by Monsieur Touton, Ltd.