Recipe: West Coast Pot Roast

Ingredients:

4 lb. lean beef chuck or rump roast
2 tbsp. canola or other neutral oil
2 tbsp. salt
2 tbsp. pepper
3 tbsp. minced garlic
2 tbsp. minced ginger
1 bunch cilantro, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups diced carrots
2 cups diced red potatoes
2 tbsp. Sriracha
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 cups of Zinfandel
1 cup beef broth
1 sweet red onion

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees. Finely chop the red onion by hand or in the food processor.

Generously coat all sides of the roast with the salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a dutch oven over medium high heat. Put in the seasoned roast and brown on all sides, about 3 - 4 minutes per side. Remove the dutch oven from the heat and take the roast out and set aside. Pour in the Zinfandel to deglaze the dutch oven, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any bit stuck to the bottom of the dutch oven. Add the remaining ingredients to the dutch oven. Put the roast back in the dutch oven and put the dutch oven into the oven.

Roast for about 3 1/2 to 4 hours until the roast is fork tender and just falls apart.

Makes 8 servings.

Wine Tasting: Mill Creek 2005 Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel

Appellation: Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County, California

The wine is made from my favorite varietal, Zinfandel, by a mid-sized winery up on the Westside Road near Healdsburg in Sonoma called Mill Creek Winery. The wine is their “2005 Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel.” For those of you that don’t know the appellations of Northern California, Dry Creek Valley is known primarily for Zinfandel (and lately its close relative, Syrah). It is known for producing very earthy and bold Zinfandels that are still fruity, but with not quite as much berry taste as the neighboring appellations of Russian River Valley and Alexander Valley. This wine is very indicative of the Dry Creek style - very bold, nice fruit, but not over-the-top on the berry flavor with slight hints of smokiness on the nose (that’s the “earthiness” more typical of Dry Creek.). It’s a little bit young for a big California Zin, but it’s still a great drinking wine. Also, I had a glass again today after it had been open overnight and the flavors are even more pronounced and rounded. If you’re a fan of California Zin, then this is a very good one. If you always prefer to pair your wine with food, then you’re going to need some big red meat dishes or earthier poultry dishes like duck or squab to hold up to this one. Mill Creek’s staff also recommends baked/rotisserie chicken or pork chops, which could work, but I think may be a bit too light for the body of this wine.

I do highly recommend almost all of Mill Creek’s wines. I’ve had many wines from them and never been disappointed. So, if your state allows you to accept direct wine shipments, then get your hands on this one before it sells out!

Recommendation: 4 out of 5.