Pinot gris with lemongrass pork – recipe and giveaway




A good food/wine match is worth the work

My partner is inclined to open the first bottle at hand to consume with his meal but I’d rather fiddle around to find food and wine that compliment eat other.   It does take more effort to think through this-goes-with-that but the reward is experiencing all elements singing to your tastebuds.

It’s all about personal taste, of course, but I’m pleased to have found this wine matching guide created by Taylors Wines from South Australia’s Clare Valley.  

Taylors have also provided me with a bottle each of their Pinot Gris 2011 and award winning Shiraz  2010 to give away.  One lucky reader will win both bottles.  To be eligible you must be of legal drinking age and provide proof of age. The giveaway is open to Australia only and will be posted to the lucky reader.

The pinot gris is French-style with an elegant texture to the palate and flavours that hint at nashi pear and spicy baked apple. It is a versatile wine when it comes to food matching due to its low level of acidity and fairly neutral flavour profile but is particularly delicious with pork and chicken dishes that do not have rich flavours.

I matched the pinot gris with a spicy Indonesian pork with lemongrass recipe (see below) and it worked really well.  The light wine style also was perfectly suited to a few pre-dinner sips as well.

Taylor’s shiraz has flavours of plums and blackberries balanced with mocha spice and creamy vanillin characters from maturing in American oak. Shiraz’ best friend is beef, in all its cuts. I’ve got a traditional Irish stew recipe to match with that.

Established three generations ago in South Australia’s beautiful Clare Valley, Taylors Wines is a family-owned Australian wine company. Plus, with a comprehensive Environmental Management System and a commitment to sustainability, Taylors Wines understands that green is just as important as red and white.



Indonesian pork with lemongrass


Serves 4

Ingredients

450g pork, sliced into strips
500g Asian rice noodles
150g snow peas (I substituted beans)
2 stalks of lemongrass, chopped
1 tsp palm sugar
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp Indonesian sweet soy sauce, Kecap Manis
1 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tsp peppercorns
2 tbsp canola oil

Chopped coriander, thai basil, and chopped, roasted peanuts to garnish

Note: For a more vibrant dish I would add half a sliced red capsicum next time.

Directions

First, grind the garlic, peppercorns and lemongrass together in a mortar and pestle or mix in a blender.

Add sugar and a tablespoon of canola oil.

Put in a large wide bowl and marinate pork in the mixture.

Meanwhile, immerse noodles in boiling water for 3-4 minutes, then drain.

Heat oil in wok or saucepan, add pork and sear.

Add the snow peas or beans and capsicum and lightly stir fry for 2 minutes.

Pour in the soy and fish sauces and mix together, add in the noodles, mix together and serve garnished with fresh coriander, thai basil and roasted chopped peanuts.




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Disclaimer: Ed+bK was given two bottles of wine for the giveaway and also two to sample.

Kerry Heaney