The Ash Creek Papers

 

March is clearly a “tweener” month in New England.  Daylight savings returns, suggestions of spring are beginning to emerge from a winter’s slumber, yet an angry snow storm can lurk around the corner.  And such is the case this year with a possible nor’easter set to belt us on Sunday/Monday (even though the daffodils and crocuses are well on their upward paths). So I was looking for another “one dish comfort food” before closing the door on casserole season.  Beef Lombardi is a relatively new dish, created in the 1990s by a caterer from Cleveland, Mississippi and it has become a staple dish in the South.  Chef & Food Writer Diane Unger referred to Beef Lombardi as “Stroganoff meets Tex-Mex”.  OK, I’m in.

For wine I’m selecting a South African wine that I have recently tasted.  I wanted a wine that was full flavored, a shade on the rustic side… a wine to stand up to flavors of the dish.  “Country” food, “country” wine. And the Roodeberg hits the perfect pitch.  Other wines that would work: Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, Crozes-Hermitage, Montsant from Spain or Bonarda from Mendoza.

KWV Roodeberg ’13 (Western Cape, SA)
A blend of 43% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Syrah, 12% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot, 3% Tannat, 3% Tempranillo and 3% other.  Aged for 12 months in a combination of French and American Oak.  This famous red blend shows aromatic layers of plum, dark cherry and tobacco with undertones of wild strawberry on the nose. The palate is lively with nuances of dark chocolate, dried spice and aniseed, accompanied by the perfectly integrated tannin structure and a lingering finish.

BEEF LOMBARDI

Ingredients

6 ounces of Tanqueray Gin
½ ounce of Noilly Pratt Dry Vermouth
A goodly amount of ice
1 tbs olive oil
1 lb 90% lean ground beef
 Salt & pepper
3 tbs tomato paste
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 10oz cans of Ro-Tel Original diced tomatoes & green chilies, drained
12 oz (7¾ cups) wide egg noodles
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1¼ cups sour cream
1 tbs corn starch
4 scallions, sliced thin
8 oz Colby Jack cheese, shredded (2 cups)

Directions

1. Put gin and vermouth into a glass pitcher, fill with ice, stir vigorously while incanting, “You who know all, thank you for providing us juniper and all the other obscure ingredients responsible for creating this sacred liquid!” Strain into a pre-frozen Martini glass of admirable size.  Skewer the olives on one of those tacky cocktail swords, place in glass. Immediately begin consuming.  Now you can begin the food prep, and the cooking!

2. Adjust oven rack to the middle position and heat oven to 350°. Grease 13X9 baking dish.  Heat oil in 12” nonstick skillet over medium high heat ‘til just smoking.  Add beef, onion 1tsp pepper, 1 tsp salt and cook, breaking up pieces with a spoon ‘til beef is cooked thru, about 8 minutes.

3. Stir in tomato paste and garlic and cook ‘til fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Stir in tomatoes and cook ‘til liquid as evaporated, 3 to 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and set aside.

4. Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts of water to boil in a large pot.  Add noodles and 1 tbs salt and cook, stirring often, for just 3 minutes.  Reserve 2 cups of cooking water, then drain noodles.

5. Whisk sour cream, cream cheese, cornstarch, and ½ cup reserved cooking water together in now-empty pot ‘til smooth.  Stir in scallions, noodles, and remaining 1½ cups of cooking water and ¾ tsp of salt.

6. Spread noodle mixture in an even layer in prepared baking dish.  Spread beef mixture evenly over noodles.  Sprinkle Colby Jack cheese evenly over top.  Bake ‘til bubbling around the edges and cheese is spotty browned, 25 to 30 minutes.  Let cool for 15 minutes. Serve.

n.b. I used bison instead of the lean beef, and Cheddar Jack cheese instead of Colby Jack. Also note, the shortened time for cooking the noodles in the pot is not a mistake.  The noodles will finish cooking during the baking.  And last, the casserole can be assembled (minus the Colby Jack), cooled completely, and refrigerated a day ahead.  To serve, sprinkle on the cheese and increase baking time to 45 – 50 minutes.

This is comfort food with a brogue.  Just a few ingredients, simple to prepare (although it does take time, so forethought to timing is necessary), and oh so delicious!  This dish brings an Irish pub into your home!  And the reflex beverage of choice would be a pint of ale; but I am going to recommend an irreverent “off the beaten path”medium-bodied Lodi Red: Gearbox Sangiovese!!  First, not too common to find Sangiovese coming from California!  Next, for those of us who love the Sangiovese based wines of Tuscany (and I certainly do!), this wine bears a mere nodding glance at its European counterpart.  The Gearbox carries the fruit on a lighter framed chassis. Lighter in hue, fresh and supple on the palate, with a perfectly clean finish.  Soft fruit, dry… and a splendid complement to flavorful dishes like the Coddle. The wine would also work with meatloaf, mashed potatoes and peas.  Or chicken pot pie. Or linguine and red clam sauce.  Or baby back ribs.  Or pulled pork sandwiches.Or fish ‘n’ chips. Or paella.  OR, just by itself! Are you getting the picture?  Gearbox is a liquid chameleon! It adapts to whatever you put it with!  And I recommend serving it slightly chilled.

Gearbox Sangiovese ‘14 (Lodi, CA) 
Sangiovese is the great grape of Tuscany, famous for the Chiantis and the world class Brunello that they make. This wine tastes like a stand-out Tuscan red but with richer fruit, a more friendly supple mouthfeel, still a great food match but with an added silky soft finish. The wine is brimming with red berry fruit, spent a year in neutral oak. The wine is a steal! A great Barbeque red, rich tomato based sauces even great with spicy foods. Dark bing cherries, and raspberries with hints of cinnamon and cloves, and a bit of thyme. Superb fruit on the palate with bright acidity. This wine is an extremely versatile red, the ultimate crowd pleaser.

DUBLIN CODDLE

Ingredients

6 ounces of Tanqueray Gin
½ ounce of Noilly Pratt Dry Vermouth
A goodly amount of ice
1¾ pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and sliced ¼” thick
4 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into 1” pieces
1¼ pounds Irish bangers
2 onions, sliced into ½” thick rings
1 tbsp minced fresh thyme
1¾ cups chicken broth
2 tbsp cider vinegar
2 tbsp minced fresh parsley

Directions

1. Put gin and vermouth into a glass pitcher, fill with ice, stir vigorously while incanting, “You who know all, thank you for providing us juniper and all the other obscure ingredients responsible for creating this sacred liquid!” Strain into a pre-frozen Martini glass of admirable size.  Skewer the olives on one of those tacky cocktail swords, place in glass. Immediately begin consuming.  Now you can begin the food prep, and the cooking!

2. Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and heat oven to 325°. Shingle potato slices in bottom of 13X9 baking dish. Sprinkle with salt and fresh ground pepper; set aside.

3. Cook bacon in 12” skillet over medium heat ‘til crispy, 10 minutes.  Use slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper lined plate.

4. Carefully add sausage to empty skillet and cook until lightly browned on tops and bottoms, about 5 minutes. Transfer to paper lined plate.

5. Our off all but 2 tbsp of fat from skillet and return to medium heat. Add onions, thyme ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp pepper.  Cover and cook ‘til onions are softened, 7 to 9 minutes, stirring occasionally scraping up any browned bits. 

6. Add broth and vinegar, scraping up any browned bits, and bring to a simmer.  Carefully pour onion mixture over potatoes, spreading onions into an even layer.

7. Place bangers, browned side up, on top of onions. Transfer to oven and bake ‘til paring knife inserted into knife meets little resistance, about 1¼ hours. 

8. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes.  Sprinkle with parsley and reserved bacon.  Serve.

n.b. I sourced the Irish Bangers from Costco (of course!).  But if you can’t find it locally, bratwurst in the same quantity will work as a substitute.