Everyone knows that red wine and a perfectly-grilled steak is a match made in heaven.
But did you know that different cuts of steak go better with particular red cultivars?
Know your meats
- Fillet comes from a part of the cow where muscles are hardly used hence its tenderness. It's best served rare or medium rare as it's lean and will dry out if cooked too long.
- Rump comes from the hind-quarters, where the muscles are still not too developed. It can be served medium-rare.
- Sirloin as a fattier cut should be cooked "medium"
- Rib-Eye, marbled with fat, needs to be cooked to medium or even more, to help break down the fat content and caramelise the fat into flavour.
General Manager of The Hussar Grill. Mouille Point, Tracy Huxley and Veritas Young Wine Writer of the Year Gosia Podgorska share their pairing tips
- The leaner the red meat, the lighter the red wine you can match.
- Red wine is considered a better match for red meat than white wine because red wine has a high tannin content where the astringency helps cut through the fat.
- Try to match the intensity of your dish with your wine - that is if you're a connoisseur - otherwise, simply enjoy meat and wine to your personal preference.
- A fillet can be paired with a pinot noir as it's one of the lightest red wines;
- Rump pairs well with merlot because merlot is the ideal “in-betweener”, an easy-drinking, smooth option that matches the rump as it is equally flavourful and soft.
- For a boldly flavoursome sirloin go for a bold (and sexy) wine like a shiraz. It acts as a palate-cleansing astringent with this fattier cut of beef.
- The king of red wines, cabernet sauvignon is often the number one choice for steak and wine pairings. It's a full-bodied wine with robust and powerful flavours that can stand up to the richness of a rib-eye.
- Sirloin on the bone can pair with a full-bodied red blend as the steak is more flavourful than sirloin off the bone.