Pairing wine with the right recipe can make a delicious meal extraordinary. Check out these three recipes from NYT that will match up perfectly with our 2018 Red Bear Cabernet Sauvignon.

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Pan Seared Steak With Red Sauce Wine

Ingredients: 

• Kosher salt, as needed
• Freshly ground black pepper, as needed
• 1 ½ pounds boneless steak, or 1 3/4 pounds bone-in steak (1 1/2 inches thick)
• 2 shallots
• 2 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter
• ½ teaspoon neutral oil, such as grapeseed
• 2 tablespoons good brandy, preferably Cognac
• ⅓ cup dry red wine
• ⅓ cup beef or chicken stock, preferably homemade
• 1 tablespoon chopped chives
• Watercress, for serving

Preparation:

1. Generously sprinkle salt and pepper all over steaks, then let steaks rest uncovered for 15 minutes at room temperature. Meanwhile, mince the shallots.
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2. Melt 1/2 tablespoon butter and the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until almost smoking. Add steaks and cook until done to taste, about 3 to 4 minutes per side for rare and a little longer for medium-rare or medium. (Bone-in steaks take a few minutes longer to cook through than boneless.) If the pan begins to smoke or burn, lower the heat. Transfer steaks to a plate to rest while you prepare the sauce.
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3. Add shallots to the skillet and cook over medium heat until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Add brandy to the skillet and use a long-handled match or igniter to set the brandy on fire. (Stand back when you do this.) Let flames die out, then add red wine and cook until reduced and syrupy, 2 to 4 minutes. Add stock and boil until reduced and thickened, 3 to 4 minutes longer.
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4. Remove pan from heat and whisk in remaining 2 tablespoons butter and the chives. Serve steaks and sauce immediately with watercress.

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Braised Lamb Shanks With Fresh Herbs

Ingredients: 

• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 5 pounds lamb shanks (5 to 6 shanks)
• Extra-virgin olive oil, as needed
• 1 large sweet onion (white or red), peeled, halved and thinly sliced
• 8 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 2 teaspoons coriander seeds, coarsely cracked
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne
• ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 ½ cups dry white wine
• 2 bunches scallions, finely chopped (white and green parts)
• 2 cups chopped spicy greens such as mustard greens, mizuna, arugula, or radish tops
• 1 ½ cups chopped cilantro (tender stems and leaves only)
• 1 cup chopped parsley (tender stems and leaves only)
• 1 cup chopped mint or dill or a combination (tender stems and leaves only)
• ½ cup chopped tarragon (tender stems and leaves only)
• ½ cup chopped chives
• About 1 cup chicken or lamb stock, or water
• 2 to 3 tablespoons dried currants (optional)
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• Fresh lemon juice, as needed (optional)

Preparation:

1. In a large bowl (or covered container) large enough to hold the lamb, mix together salt, paprika and pepper. Add shanks and rub all over with spice mix. Cover and marinate for at least 4 hours (or up to 24 hours) in the refrigerator.
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2. Heat oven to 325 degrees. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat a very thin film of olive oil. Sear the lamb in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan, adding more oil as needed. Take your time with this, making sure to brown the lamb all over. Transfer browned lamb to a roasting pan.
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3. When all the lamb is cooked, add onion to empty skillet and cook it in the lamb drippings, adding a more oil if pan looks dry, until limp and lightly browned at the edges, about 5 minutes.
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4. Add garlic, coriander, cayenne and allspice and cook until the garlic is very fragrant and opaque, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Pour in wine and bring to a simmer, scraping up the browned bits on bottom of pan. Let mixture simmer until thickened and reduced by about a third (about 5 minutes). Pour over lamb.
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5. In a bowl, toss together scallions, spicy greens, and herbs. Sprinkle lamb with half the herb mixture and set remaining half aside for serving. Cover pan with two layers of foil (or heavy-duty foil) and bake until meat is falling off the bones, 3 to 3 1/2 hours total, turning shanks every hour so they cook evenly. If the bottom of the pan starts to dry out before lamb is done, add a few tablespoons of the stock or water to moisten it.
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6. When shanks are tender, transfer to a heated serving platter and cover with foil to keep warm. If you like, at this point you can tear the meat off the bones; or, serve the shanks bone-in.
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7. On top of the stove, heat roasting pan over medium-low heat. If pan is dry, add remaining stock or water and bring to a simmer. (If drippings in pan seem very fatty, spoon off some of the fat.) Add currants and bring drippings to a simmer, scraping up the browned bits on bottom of pan.
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8. Once the liquid is reduced to a thin glaze, add butter to pan along with all but 2 tablespoons of the remaining herbs (save those 2 tablespoons for garnish). Whisk sauce until smooth, then taste and add lemon juice as needed. Pour sauce over the lamb and garnish with chopped herbs. Serve immediately.

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Roasted Portobello Mushrooms

Ingredients: 

• 8 medium (roasting size) portobellos
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• Salt
• freshly ground pepper
• ¼ cup pesto (see recipe)

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the stems of the mushrooms, and carefully scrape away the gills using a spoon. Toss with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place, rounded side down, on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Place in the oven and roast for 8 to 10 minutes, until the mushrooms are beginning to soften and throw off liquid. Remove from the heat and fill with the pesto. Return to the oven and continue to roast until thoroughly softened, about 10 more minutes.

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Make your father's day special this year with a bottle of our new 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon.

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