2005 Bordeaux and the Perfect Steak

I found myself in the unusual situation of being the only one who was going to be home on Friday night. Normally there would be four kids or at the very least my wife, but two nights ago it was just me. So I stopped at the grocery store on my way home and picked up a nice New York Strip, a sweet potato and some greens. My inspiration for this grocery list was an inexpensive 2005 Bordeaux I had recently picked up from my favorite wine shop.

I had thoughts of firing up the grill but a quick check of my iPhone's Weather App (you know you need one Jill) revealed that it was four degrees below zero. It was then I remembered a technique I had read about on the Capozzi Winery blog - Pinotblogger - entitled How to Cook a Steak Perfect for Pinot.

Josh came up with the technique because he wanted a "juicy, flavorful steak with a nice crust" but also didn't want it to have "that weird ring of gray, over cooked meat around the perimeter". Here's a photo of the finished plate but take my word for it, this is a phenomenal way to cook a steak and one that you need to try soon.


The wine I opened was a 2005 Château Cotte des Rambaux Cuvée Petit Martinot which I had picked up for $12.99. It had a nose of green beans, dark red fruits and a slightly damp, earthy aroma. On the palate there were slightly rough tannins, a nice burst of red fruits on the mid-palate, some glycerin and a faint hint of that cigar box/tobacco aspect that Bordeaux often has. It was delicious with the steak and oddly enough even better with the sweet potatoes which I had browned with onions and garlic before adding some chicken stock and thyme and simmered until tender. This was an extremely well made wine that while approachable, probably would have been a little better a few months or years down the road. I rated it Good and feel that this wine lives up to what I keep hearing about how good inexpensive, 2005 Bordeaux really is.

I will definitely keep making steak this way but I'm curious how you like to prepare steak. Let me know in the comments.