DISH IT OUT
Dão red wines - Once the domain of large cooperatives, an increasing number of high-quality estates are turning Dão into a serious player in the Portuguese wine market. The beauty of Dão is it's terroir (climate, soils, topography) as it dominated by vineyards planted on poor granite and schist soils (which vines love) and vineyards planted at high elevations. This combination translates to concentrated wines coupled with fresh acidity. Spend a little on Dao and it will give you a l lot back.
If you like Cabernet Sauvignon try Bage from Bairrada - Along Dão, Bairrada might just be my favourite up and coming wine region. While it doesn't have the high elevation sites Dão does, it has a couple of my favourite Portugues grape varietals in Baga and Maria Gomes. Its principle red grape is Baga, is one of the most versatile in the world. It has tons of character, lots of drying tannins and ample acidity. My favourites are its bolder styles but, in the right hands, it also makes a fresher version, even sparkling wine.
If you like Bordeaux red wines try Douro's dry red wines - While the fortified sweet wines of the Douro are justly famous, I am equally happy to buy the dry tables wines, as wow do they ever deliver a lot of wine for the dollar. If you like Bordeaux and other structured age worthy reds investigate these wines.
If you like Syrah try reds from Alentejo - The Alentejo is a big wine region. In fact, the region occupies about one-third of Portugal, so generalizations about it, and its wines, are challenging. However, by in large it is the warmest and sunniest part of Portugal.
FRANCESINHA: PORTUGAL’S NOT SO LITTLE SANDWICH
The Francesinha is a Portuguese sandwich that originates in Porto. The literal translation for its name is ‘Little French Girl', however, the only thing little about it, is the name. The sandwich has developed a loyal following amongst locals and is sought out by tourists. The sandwich is a colossal mix of steak, ham, sausage, cheese, egg and finished with a piri piri seasoned tomato sauce.
Francesinha
Ingredients (tomato sauce): 2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 large can diced tomatoes 1 cup beef stock
1/2 cup Port
1 bay leaf
1 tbsp piri piri
Salt and pepper, to taste Ingredients (sandwich):
8 1/2 -inch thick slices country bread, toasted
Olive oil
1 clove garlic
1 8-oz piece flank steak, marinated in wine overnight, room temperature
4 mild pork sausage, boiled, butterflied
8 slices ham
3-inch piece Spanish-style chorizo, sliced
4 eggs, fried, sunny side up ¼ cup Gruyere, grated French fries or roast potatoes, to serve
Directions: Start by making the sauce. Place olive oil and onion in a pot set over medium-low heat. Sweat until onion is translucent. Add the garlic, bay leaf and sauté until garlic is fragrant. Add the tomatoes, stock, Port wine and piri piri. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for an hour. Remove the bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Take off the heat to cool and then puree until smooth. Return to pot and keep warm over low heat.
Place a cast iron pan over medium-high heat. Brush bread slices with olive oil.
Add a little more olive oil to pan. Toast bread, on both sides, in the pan. Repeat until all the bread is toasted and rub
8 to 10 Servings
2 lbs of baby back ribs
2 lbs of chouriço sausage
1 lb of pork belly
1 cabbage, chopped 2 carrots, sliced
2 onions, minced
4 garlic cloves, chopped 1 tablespoon of butter
1/4 cup of olive oil
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon of sweet paprika 1 teaspoon of cumin powder
32oz cans of cooked kidney beans
1/2 cup of crushed tomatoes 2 lbs of pork hocks
Directions: The night before cooking, coat the ribs with salt, wash the pig parts in cold water, salt them, and store in fridge overnight to absorb the salt. The next day, cook the pig parts in a large saucepan with 2 cups of water until they are soft and tender and set aside one cup of the broth. Now in a large saucepan cook the onions, garlic cloves, and bay leaf in the olive oil for about 5 minutes. Add the ribs, pork belly, paprika and let them cook for about 5 minutes over medium heat. Add the 1 cup of the broth you set aside earlier from cooking the pig parts and let the ribs cook for another 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the rest of the meats, chopped cabbage, carrots, crushed tomatoes, and butter. Stir gently and let them cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes. Add the kidney beans and cook for another 15 minutes. Check if the meats are tender and done, let it simmer on low heat for a few more minutes.Once done, season with salt and pepper (to taste) and serve while hot.
Mark DeWolf is currently the creative director of food and drink at the SaltWire Network, director of marketing and communications of the Association de la Sommellerie Internationale (ASI) and pastpresident of the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers (CAPS). He enjoys drinking, eating, writing and talking about wine, beer and food.