Wine and Food for the People: Pork Ragu and Patelin de Tablas
September 23, 2016
By Suphada Rom
The bite of pork melted in my mouth like a pat of butter would over warm bread- a slow and even coating. The bits of vegetable melded into one with the thick and stewy tomato sauce. Chewing... not necessary with a dish as fall-apart tender as this. A scoop of weighty, creamy, cheese-laden polenta registered on my palate just long enough to be cleared away by the freshness of a large gulp of wine. Comfort food at its finest: ready to power you through the hibernation you are sure to embark on.
I've always found ragus to be a great dish when I'm hosting friends. They're made in advance, so you can serve great food and not be running around the kitchen, trying to maintain the temperature of one dish in the oven while stirring another on the stove, all while trying to entertain. Being the perfectionist that I am, my friends (the patient and loving people that they are!) are often okay while I pile them sky high with different wines to try, distracting them from the mayhem that is my kitchen. When I serve a ragu, my dinner parties are a lot more relaxed, because I cook mine the day before both lending to ease of service and adding depth of flavor. A go-to recipe of mine is this super simple and straightforward one that requires quality over quantity- meaning there aren't a whole lot of ingredients, so the ones that you need should be of high quality.
The recipe I picked was Pork Ragu over Creamy Polenta, originally published in Bon Appetit. It's not fancy, or technique driven. But sometimes, the best meals are the kind without the bells and whistles. Don't get me wrong, some of the most amazing dishes I've had have been crazy elaborate with foam this and herb scented that and I totally appreciate each and every toiling step it took to create this alluring smear of mystery on my plate. But sometimes, I want consistency, I want flavor, and I want uncomplicated.
A few bits of advice on prep. Like my past recipe for Braised Short Ribs, it's incredibly important to both heavily season and thoroughly sear the meat. This is one of the most important techniques to braising successfully. When all is said and done and everything is in the pot, it's not uncommon with this recipe to have a little bit of airspace, where the meat pokes up out of the sauce. My recommendation, if you can, is to readjust the meat in the pot to accommodate. However if this doesn't work, add a little bit more tomato sauce (if you have any) and water to cover the meat. Also, being the thrifty person that I am, I had some leftover corn from the dinner before, so I sprinkled that on top of the polenta when I was plating.
For wine, in keeping with the theme of a dish for the people, I chose our Patelin de Tablas. The Patelin wines were created out of a conviction that our category - California Rhone blends - needed more entry points for people. Having a great everyday wine that people who might not know you will try by the glass at a restaurant or around $20 on a shelf seemed to us to be a really valuable addition. And California has struggled to match the success of the great neighborhood wines from Europe. Wines without pretense, but which provide lots of comfort and pleasure. Wines that pair gracefully with a range of rustic foods. Wines from and for your neighborhood. And Patelin translates roughly to "country neighborhood". Our current vintage - the 2014 Patelin de Tablas - is bright and wild, showing brambly notes of both darker fruits and grilled meats. Syrah (55%) takes center stage and shows off its black plum and blueberry notes, as well as creaminess and minerality. Grenache (29%), Mourvedre (10%), and Counoise (6%) give the wine freshness, wildness, and just a touch of complexity.
If you recreate this dish (or create a TCV wine and food pairing of your own!), be sure to let us know on any of our social media handles - Facebook or Twitter or Instagram - or just leave us a comment here! When you do, tag @tablascreek and use #EatDrinkTablas
A few other resources:
- Recipe for Pork Ragu over Creamy Polenta can be found here, via Bon Appetit
- You can purchase the 2014 Patelin de Tablas by clicking here or by visiting us in the tasting room
- Not local? Good News! Our Patelins can be found throughout the country! Check out the distributors we work with here
- Be sure to check out this post,"Creating a New Wine: Patelin de Tablas" written by General Manager & Partner, Jason Haas on the conception of the Patelin program