October 7, 2015 grilled Rib Steak, artichokes, and onion and PPI Pork Paprikesh pasta

October 7, 2015 grilled Rib Steak, artichokes, and onion and PPI Pork Paprikesh pasta

I ate the last of the menudo for lunch with a Cesar Salad and toasted baguette spread with goat’s cheese or duck foie gras.

I rode to Montano at 4:00 and after I returned and showered ate the two slices of Swiss Gruyere and some pretzels that Suzette had cut with a half glass of Italian Primativo.

After lunch I had fetched a steak and a bottle of 2008 Monte Ducay Reserva from the Carinena Denominacion de Origen; a blend of Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache grapes from Spain ($5.99 at Trader Joe’s) produced for Bodegas San Valero for dinner.

After meditation at 8:00 I came home and I sliced an onion into three slices and Suzette grilled the steak, the two PPI artichoke halves from last night’s meal at the Palmer’s, and the onion slices.

We opened the wine and heated the bag of PPI pork Paprikesh in the microwave while I peeled three pears I had bought at ranch market last week.  We had a lovely meal.

The wine had aged beautifully in the 2 ½ years it had spent in the cellar.  It had a rounded smooth flavor that went well with the aged beef’s flavor.

The back label states, “Tasting Notes: Beautiful cherry red tinted with brick overtones. Fragrant and delicate on the nose.  Elegant bouquet, generous and well balanced.  Long lingering aftertaste. Oak aging: 14 months in American oak followed by 24 months in bottle.”

At the bottom of the back label it says in Spanish, “One of the best Reserve wines of Spain according to the Guide of the Super Wines 2011 and 2012.

The wine lived up to its label notes in my opinion.  I would buy it again and age some more of it.

After dinner we each ate a few slices of the fresh pears for dessert.

The pears had matured and sweetened during the two weeks they spent on the bottom shelf of our fridge.  I had to peel the dDarkened skin and a bit of the fruit, probably due to slight frost bite, but that chilling may have enhanced their flavor.

I often let fruit sit in the fridge for a week or two, because it seems to enhance its flavor.

Bon Appetit