Roasted Flank Steak with Goat Cheese and Caperberries + La Marea 2012 Mourvèdre for #winePW #OTBN

Wine Pairing Weekend - #winePW - happens on the second Saturday of the month. And this month David from Cooking Chat is hosting a recap of what we opened for Open That Bottle Night (OTBN)*. Click to read his invitation: here.

*Note OTBN was on February 28. Today, we’re sharing what we uncorked and what we paired with it.

I had never heard of OTBN before this year. The idea is that you open a special bottle that you've been squirreling away for one reason or another. If you've been saving a special bottle for an equally special occasion, here's your excuse!

It just so happened that I was in Paso Robles with my friends and my husband - exploring Halter Ranch Vineyards - for that day and everyone else seemed to know about the event! People in the tasting room were buzzing about what they planned to open, and pair, that evening. It was inspiring.

In My Glass

Almost a year ago I interviewed a local-to-me winemaker named Ian Brand who was named by Wine Enthusiast Magazine to its "40 Under 40: American Tastemakers" in 2012. It took me until just recently to track down some of his wines. So, I knew that one of his is what was destined for my #OTBN wineglass. I decided to open his La Marea 2012 Mourvèdre.

Mourvèdre is primarily a blending grape - it's the 'M' in GSM blends - but is increasingly being bottled on its own. And it's one that has definitely caught my eye...and my tongue. It's plush. Well, this one is. I might need to track down a few more bottles. Just to be sure.

Luscious. That's the first word that came to mind when I stuck my nose in the glass. There are hints of berries with a contrast of pepper and sage. This Mourvèdre is richly structured with nuances of floral chaos. Don't get me wrong, I like chaos...I just mean that I couldn't decide - in identifying a floral note - between rose or violet. It definitely has a personality. I thought it would hold up nicely against a robust roasted meat. And it did.

In the Middle of the Plate 

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 pound flank steak
• 1 T ground coffee
• 1 T unsweetened cocoa
• 1 t ground smoked paprika
• 1 t ground paprika
• 1 t ground cumin
• 3 T organic dark brown sugar
• splash of oil for searing 
• 1/4 C beef stock
• 1/4 C brewed coffee
• goat cheese for garnish, I used discs of Laura Chenel Chevre
• caperberries for garnish
• freshly ground salt
• freshly ground pepper

Procedure

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Rub the flank steak with the mixture of the coffee, cocoa, paprikas, cumin, and sugar, making sure that you coat the entire surface of the meat. Set aside. Heat a splash of oil in your pan and, then, sear the meat on both sides - approximately 2 minutes on each side. Pour in the beef stock and coffee. Bring to a boil and remove from the heat. Place the meat in a rimmed baking dish. Pour the stock-coffee mixture over the top.

Cover the dish, and place in the pre-heated oven. Roast for 10 to 15 minutes, or until desired degree of doneness. Remove from the oven and let stand  for 10 minutes before cutting steak diagonally across the grain into thin slices.

To serve, place slices on a plate. Top with a medallion of goat cheese. Scatter with halved caperberries. And sprinkle with freshly ground salt and freshly ground pepper.

Suggested sides: roasted potatoes and roasted asparagus. I kept the flavors simple to let the focus remain on the meat and the wine.

Wine Pairing Weekend #10 Bloggers

Be sure to check out what my fellow bloggers have come up with for the March Wine Pairing Weekend!

• Tasting Pour is sharing Chenin to Sheepie? Brava Cava! #Winewpw #OTBN 
• Pull That Cork served Crozes Hermitage and Braised Lamb with Puréed Root Vegetables for #winePW 10 
• Curious Cuisiniere paired Entrecote Bordelaise (Steak: Bordeaux Style) with Red Oak Vineyard Meritage 
• A Day in the Life on the Farm served up Michigan Red with City Chicken 
• Girls Gotta Drink is sharing A Priorat Wine Masterpiece: 1974 Scala Dei 
• Vino Travels paired Fattoria dei Barbi Brunello and Pappardelle with Bolognese 
• Grape Experiences is sharing Wine and Dine: 2012 Van Duzer Willamette Valley Pinot Noir and Chicken Breasts and Zucchini with Marjoram 
• Wild 4 Washington Wine paired A Special Oregon Pinot Noir with Eastern North Carolina Inspired Ribs 
• Rockin Red Blog is sharing Celebrating #OTBN on #WinePW 
• Cooking Chat paired Avocado Chimichurri Beef Tenderloin with a Reininger Carmenere 
• ENOFYLZ Wine Blog is sharing Friends, Food and Wine; An #OTBN To Remember #winePW.

Join the #winePW conversation: 

Follow the #winePW conversation on Twitter throughout the weekend and beyond. If you're reading this early enough, you can join us for a live Twitter chat on our theme "Open That Bottle Night" on Saturday, March 14, from 11 a.m. to noon Eastern Time.

And that's a Wrap...

...on our March #winePW event. My pairing was delicious! I'll pin this recipe and other posts on my #winePW pinterest board. David, our host, also has a Wine Pairing Weekend pinterest board. Stay tuned for the April Wine Pairing Weekend, which will be hosted by Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm. More details to come...but put April 11th on your calendar if you want to join the fun.

If you can't find La Marea 2012 Mourvèdre, swap out for any Mourvèdre. And if you try this pairing - or just the wine - I would love to hear what you think. Comment below or tweet to me at @Culinary_Cam.