Friday, May 14, 2010

Pairings with Smothered Pork Chops

This recipe AND blog caught my attention this morning in the Foodbuzz Top 9. Any blogger than calls themself The Manly Housewife has got to be pretty cool! And then Smothered Pork Chops with Deep Fried Green Beans and Garlic Toast? That is pretty sick, but a damn good plate of food I am sure! Check it out at http://www.foodbuzz.com/recipes/2249013-smothered-pork-chops

Pork is a white meat but depending on how you cook it and what you cook it with red wines can be the better match. With a spice rub, bacon, onions and mushrooms I am going to go red this time. I'll keep an eye out for a pork recipe to pair with white wine for some contrast.

Because of the earthy flavors alongside the pork I am going to first suggest a Pinot Noir and specifically the Francis Coppola Diamond Collection. The last time I had this wine was during a sensory evaluation course. It was paired with slices of deli roast beef. The mouthful was magical. This is a fruit-forward Pinot Noir with oak and a nice complexity, but I think this dish is bold and can handle it.

As I was thinking about this pairing Grenache also came to mind. I could imagine another bold pairing and the warmth from the wine in good balance with the food. While definitely a budget wine, the Shiraz-Grenache from Yellow Tail is bold and fruity with some spice and a drinkable profile. Some folks debate the quality of high volume production wines like Yellow Tail and I don't ever disagree. If you like them you should be able to have them around as often as you need solely because of price. I think they are a good value, but I definitely upgrade for specific pairings and experiences.

Cheers!

Jason

1 comment:

The Manly Housewife said...

Thank you for the pairing. What a brilliant comparison. We regularly drink red wine with this dish as well as a bourbon which makes a nice pairing as well. I like the Grenache I think it would definitely hold up.

The Manly Housewife