Aussie Wine Month (May 2016) is the biggest annual consumer-focused celebration of all things red, white and rosé. The focus is firmly fixed on home-grown drops as they’re famous for their freshness, diversity and consistent quality. Get involved with Aussie Wine Month and incorporate your bestselling wine into your menu with Chef Rick’s recipe of the month.
What Wine Works Best?
Lamb is the one of the most wine-friendly meats because it can be paired with a huge variety of flavours. To choose the perfect wine pairing you need to know how you’re going to cook the meat – and how long for. Chef Rick’s recipe of char grilled lamb with lemon and herbs goes hand-in-hand with a red wine that’s less fruity and more acidic.The sweetness of lamb cutlets pairs perfect with the earthy rosemary and thyme herbed red wine sauce – Chef Rick Tarantino, M.S.
| Ingredients | |
| 8 lamb cutlets, roughly 112g each | 3/4 cup red wine |
| 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil | 1 cup beef stock |
| 43g butter | 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped |
| 2 teaspoons minced garlic | 1 lemon |
| 2 tablespoons minced shallots | 1/2 teaspoon sea salt |
| 1/4 teaspoons cracked black pepper | 2 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese |
| 4 sprigs fresh rosemary | |
| Equipment | |
| Medium Saucepan | Silicone Spatula |
| Zester | Sieve |
| Serving Tongs | Thermometer |
Cooking time 8 minutes
Servings 4 people
To Make the Sauce
1. Add the olive oil and half of the butter to a medium sized saucepan and gently melt the butter on a low heat.2. Peel and mince the fresh shallots and add them to the melted butter along with the garlic, turn the heat up and saute for one minute.
3. Add the juice and zest of the lemon, the red wine, half of the beef stock and freshly washed herbs to the saucepan and stir on a medium-high heat until the wine has reduced by half.
4. Use a sieve to strain the herbs out of the sauce and return the sauce to the heat. Add the remaining butter and reserve.
To Grill the Lamb Cutlets
1. Preheat the grill and coat both sides of the lamb cutlets with olive oil. Generously sprinkle the sea salt and black pepper on both sides of the meat.2. Grill the cutlets for about 4-5 minute on one side, flip and grill for another 3 minutes. Cook the cutlets until the centre of the thickest point reaches a minimum of 63°C, you can use a thermometer to get an accurate temperature reading.
3. Place 2 cutlets on each serving plate then layer 1/2 teaspoon of the crumbled blue cheese on top of each cutlet. Finish with a splash of red wine sauce.
4. Garnish your dish with the extra rosemary sprigs and serve with seasonal grilled vegetables.
Chef Rick's Tips
Try other cuts of meat for different dimensions of flavour; substitute the lamb cutlets for 225g of veal or pork chops.Twist this dish with a cherry infusion. Replace the lemon with sliced red cherries and swap the lemon juice with Chambord Liquor.
If you like heat, try substituting the lemon juice and zest with 2 tablespoons of chili sauce. Choose a wine made with sweet fruit to pair well with the chili substitute.
Chef Rick Tarantino is a famous TV chef and entrepreneur specializing in developing food, recipes and kitchen products. Chef Rick, as he’s known in the media, has travelled the world, inspiring amateur and professional chefs alike, with delicious recipes and endless knowledge at his disposal.
With a degree in food science and 10 years working as an executive and professor at the Johnson & Wales University, he has since developed a number of businesses and has years of catering equipment expertise, combined with an immense understanding of the food industry.
Take a look at Chef Rick's website for more mouthwatering recipes.
By Briony Cook
Find this interesting? Check out these other blogs:
Keep Warm With Comfort Food And Trends This Winter
Recipe Of The Month: Sassy Coffee-rubbed Steak
Mark Gregory: Real Beef Bolognaise
0 comments