Good wine for a good cause – and a hearty winter warming dish to accompany

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WINE samples are a common occurrence here at Eat Play Drink HQ. Lately, some of them have been arriving accompanied by a few ingredients and a recipe, a practice of which I heartily approve.

Windfall sent its beautiful Kibali, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Mouvèdre and Grenache, of which a portion of the sales goes directly to the Nos Vies en Partage Foundation, an independent charity that was established by Randgold Resources humanitarian work on the African continent. The goodies and the recipe that came with it were for the classic dish, boeuf bourguignon, courtesy of Clement Pedro, the celebrity chef behind Man Crave.

If you Google it you’ll think the only person who has ever made this dish in the entire history of food is Julia Child. I vaguely recall it being super complicated in the wonderful movie Julie and Julia, with Amy Adams and the wonderful Meryl Streep. It certainly is a long recipe, with many steps, but life is too short for tears in the kitchen. Clement’s recipe below is not difficult to follow and my advice is not to be afraid to adapt or substitute. And instead of finely dicing your carrots and celery etc, shove them in the blitzer. You’re welcome.

It’s always recommended you cook with a wine you would drink, and the recipe asks for two cups of your delicious bottle of Kibali. In principle, I have no problem with this but again, you can substitute. Or get more than one bottle so you’ve got enough to drink with your yummy supper. And if you’re still intimidated by the French-ness of this dish (and they are so good at that), then just call it “beef stew” because that’s exactly what it is.

THE STORY 

(PRESS RELEASE)

Nestled in the Agterkliphoogte Valley lies Windfall, a small boutique wine farm and one of South Africa’s best kept secrets. Windfall took its name from South African cricketing legend, Eddie Barlow, who noticed the mist cascading down the surrounding mountains of Robertson, or “The Valley of Wine and Roses” as it’s come to be known.

Barlow bought Windfall as Spesbona from Phillip Lourens and later sold it to prominent KZN property developer, Robert Alexander, who has rejuvenated Windfall by restoring dams, replanting vineyards, unearthing new boreholes and establishing Windfall’s boutique cellar. Kobus van der Merwe brings a wealth of experience to his role as winemaker on Windfall with 30 years in the industry, complemented by his passion for winemaking, his zeal for excellence and his determination to discover new, elegant tastes.

In 2015, Windfall launched a new wine with a special story, Kibali, a beautiful blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Mouvèdre and Grenache. Kibali gets its name from the Kibali Gold Mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The idea behind the wine was going to be a once-off project to honour the successful commissioning of the mine which was within budget and ahead of schedule. The mine is ranked as one of the largest gold mines in Africa and the original celebratory bottle was sold in a private sale for R22 000 of which the proceeds were given to the Nos Vies en Partage Foundation. It was the success of this that inspired Windfall Wines to launch this wine as an official addition to its award winning ranges of wines.

Nos Vies en Partage means “sharing prosperity” and the organisation aims to assist with social development issues in Africa including the relief of poverty, promotion of education and primary health care among others with a particular focus on women and children. The foundation was founded after a series of bike rides led by the CEO of Randgold, Mark Bristow. Alexander joined these bike rides alongside Bristow and says “the estate was proud that its Kibali wine, created by talented winemaker Kobus van der Merwe, would be associated with the Nos Vies en Partage Foundation which was performing admirable work advancing social upliftment projects in sub-Saharan Africa.”

Social: @WindfallWine and click here for more information.

 

 

THE RECIPE – BOEUF BOURGUIGNON

INGREDIENTS

3T canola oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1.5kg beef short rib, on the bone

1 onion, diced

2 carrots, finely diced

1 large celery stalk, finely diced

4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped or grated

3 bay leaves

1 large sprig of thyme

1 large sprig of rosemary

2 cups Windfall Kibali

2T tomato paste

3 cups Nomu beef stock

FOR THE ONION AND BACON GARNISH

250g pearl or baby onions, halved

1T butter

250g pork lardons

150g portobello or exotic mushrooms, halved

FOR THE MASHED POTATOES

1kg potatoes, peeled and roughly cubed

2T butter

3/4 cup cream

Salt to taste

Fresh parsley to garnish

METHOD

Heat the oil over a medium heat. Season the meat with a generous amount of salt before adding to the pot and browning on all sides, ensuring the meat is a deep golden brown colour.

Remove the meat from the pot and add the onions, carrots and celery. Cook the veggies until softs being sure to scrape the bottom of the pot (using your wooden spoon) lifting and brown bits left over from the browning of the meat.

Add the garlic and herbs mixing through, adding the meat and cooking until it becomes fragrant, then pour in the wine and stir through.

Allow the wine to simmer, reducing by half, then add the tomato paste and mix through.

Pour in the stock and season again with salt and freshly ground black pepper before placing in an oven preheated to 160C to slow begin stewing with the lid on.

The dish should cook for about two and a half hours or until the sauce has reduced, becoming thick and the meat is pull-part tender.

During this time prepare the mash and garnish. Add the potatoes to a pot of simmering salted water, cooking until easily mashed with a fork. Drain off the water and add the butter and cream which has been warmed in the microwave or on stove top until just warm. Begin mashing until a smooth potato puree is formed. Season with salt to taste.

For the garnish, add the onions cut side down in a pan along with the butter and just enough water to cover the onions. Place over a medium heat and bring to a simmer cooking the onions as the water reduces. Once all the water has reduced the onions should be cooked through and the cut side should be a rich golden colour.

Remove the onions and add the lardons, crisping them as they render out some of their fat. Once cooked through, golden and crisp remove the lardons and add the mushrooms, cooking them in the bacon fat.

Cook the mushrooms until they’re perfectly caramelised and golden. Return the bacon and onions to the pan and season with salt and pepper before tossing through cooking for another few minutes.

Add a lavish amount of mash to a serving dish with the boeuf bourguignon, topped with the bacon and mushroom garnish and a sprinkling of parsley.

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