Fabulous Foods That Pair Beautifully with the WSCW 2024 Texas Lenoir Blush

Fabulous Foods That Pair Beautifully with the WSCW 2024 Texas Lenoir Blush

By Kristie Stevens

Just released on October 19, this wine pairs incredibly well with a wide range of savory and sweet fare, and as a former chef with a whole arsenal of favorite recipes to share, I thought it would be a treat to offer a few recipes that compliment my new favorite wine for fall.

Each component can be adjusted to taste. Like wine, there are no rules. Measure with your heart, until your ancestors say, that’s enough child. Let it marinade, roast, simmer, and rest until the aroma tells you it’s ready. Each item can be made in advance, prepared with a minimal amount of equipment, and has second and third uses as a component in another meal if you find yourself with leftovers.

2024 Texas Lenoir BlushIt’s an inside scoop from a salty old restaurant pirate (ME, aka The Salty Broad) who started out flipping burgers as a young teen and wound up serving some very important people, like Dan Rather and Lady Bird Johnson as a young adult at the height of my restaurant career.

Guess what? Credentials and station do not equal a superior palate, and those with a superior palate should not dictate what you eat or drink. No two palates are the same. Just as no two single varietal vintages can ever be the same.

So with that in mind, feel free to tweak the herbs and spices, the cooking method, and the individual ingredients to your liking, or dietary requirements. Above all, drink a little wine while you cook, and open a fresh bottle to breathe or chill when you are almost ready to serve.

Whether you use a paper plate or a sterling silver platter, these recipes are time tested and guaranteed to appeal to most people. I spent 34 years perfecting them, and I made them as easy as possible for wine lovers to prepare in their home kitchen.

Cheers to you and yours!

RAW SUGAR RUBBED PORK LOIN

Start with all natural pork tenderloins, especially if you are cooking for a small group. One of my favorite hacks is to buy a whole pork loin and slice it lengthwise into four “tenderloins”. Once you let it sit overnight in the sugar rub, it will form a delightful syrupy glaze. Slow roasting it on a slotted pan makes that sugary coating transform the pork into candied slices that taste like ham.

It’s wonderful warm, with spinach and potatoes, or rice and beans, but once it cools, it’s one of my favorite cold snacks, handheld grab and go fillings, in addition to fried rice. The flavor profile of the spices I suggest lean toward Tex Mex, but the end result is great dipped in good mustard and served on a baguette slice, reheated and served on a bun with your favorite bbq sauce, and pickles, or chopped up and fried with peppers and onions to go into a tortilla with cheese and salsa.

You can also freeze them individually and defrost in the fridge overnight when you need a last minute party staple or dinner entree.

Measure one cup of raw turbinado sugar for each pork tenderloin into a large mixing bowl. Add any of the following spices that appeal to you. Use one-teaspoon increments of spice for each cup of sugar, or measure liberally with aromatics, and more carefully with pepper, salt, and hot spices. I turn over the plastic spice container and squeeze it X amount of times, in descending order. Follow your heart, and what the wine tells your tastebuds.

  • Garlic Powder
  • Chile Powder or Smoked Paprika
  • Cumin or Ground Coriander
  • Ground Mustard Seed
  • Ground Ginger
  • Chipotle Powder
  • Black Pepper
  • Sea Salt

Mix together well with a whisk until fully incorporated. Line a pan with foil that will accommodate your pork loins in the fridge overnight and place them in the pan. Scoop the rub onto the meat once cup at a time, preferably with gloved hands, rubbing each tenderloin until it is completely coated on all sides. Add a little extra to the top, always keeping your raw pork-contaminated hand separate from the raw sugar rub in the bowl. You can also use a meat fork to dredge the loins in the rub if you don’t have gloves.

Once all that messy business is done, go wash your hands really well. Cover the pork and chill overnight, up to four days. When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 375 and line a slotted roasting pan bottom with foil. Add the slotted top and oil lightly with a brush or spray. Use a meat fork or gloved hands to transfer the loins to the slotted pan, letting the excess drip off a bit over the marinade pan before transferring.

Cook for 20-25 minutes, then turn off the oven. Most electric ovens don’t cool down quickly, so the next part should be determined by how well done you like your meat, and how long your oven stays hot after you turn it off.

The main idea is to use the residual heat to slowly finish the cooking process. The salt in the rub has already pulled out most of the excess moisture, so 45 minutes total should be the max time you leave them in the oven, or they might get too dry. If you want your pork to be well done, set the oven at 350 and cook it for 15 more minutes.

Alton Brown of Good Eats on Food Network confirmed years ago that natural, fresh pork from a reputable source does not have to be cooked to well done thanks to modern farming practices, temperature controlled storage and current cooking techniques. This means it’s normally safe to eat a pork loin or chop at medium temp. Follow your gut and your doctor’s advice if you are immune compromised or at special risk from undercooked meat.

You can always turn the oven back on and cook it a bit more, but if you do not fear a little tenderness, leave the oven off after the 25 minute mark and bring it out to rest at 45 minutes. Cut a piece off the end and see how it tastes. If it’s perfect for you, it’s almost ready to serve. Poke it in the middle with your finger once it’s cool enough to touch. If it’s firm, take it off the slotted pan and plate it on a cutting board to keep it from cooking any more.

If it gives slightly to the touch, it’s probably perfect. Resist the urge to cut open the center and let the juices out while it’s still resting-for at least 10 minutes and up to 20 before slicing. Once sliced, you can return the pork and the juices to a warm, low oven, as long as you cover the meat, for up to 20 minutes until ready to plate or serve family style. It tastes so good at room temp, that everyone will keep snacking on it until it’s gone.

The only warning about this recipe is that once you make it, it will be expected, so it’s a good idea to make extra rub, keep it separate from the raw pork, and store it in an airtight container so it’s ready for next time. Feel free to use fresh herbs too, but add them after cooking for maximum flavor. This one is fantastic with parsley and cilantro.

Sides to go with this delectably easy dish:

Black Bean, Corn and Tomato Salad:

You can use canned veggies, if you drain the juice from the corn. Rinse the beans, and let the juice from the tomatoes drain off into a bowl, or it will be a bit soupy. Fresh or frozen thawed corn and fresh tomatoes work well too, which is why you can make this any time of year. If you love avocado, add it when you serve, because this cold side dish can later become a hot side dish, and enchilada filling, or a soup base if you have leftovers.

Use the same spices I suggested for the rub, or keep it as simple as salt and pepper, lime juice and a little olive or avocado oil to help disperse the flavors. It always tastes better the next day, so make it at least a day ahead. You can serve it as a starter with tostadas, or serve the pork on top of it.

Roasted Potato Salad:

Instead of peeling and boiling potatoes for a bland and boring potato salad, wash and cube your potatoes, toss them in oil and spices in a bowl and roast them in the oven. Cook on 375 for 40 minutes covered, then flip carefully with a spatula to rotate the crispy ones on the bottom with those on top. Once they are cooked through, take away the cover and roast until they start to brown. You can stop here and serve them as they are, and chill the rest for the cold version.

Let them cool thoroughly before you add the next part, or they will make the onions too potent. Seasoning the potatoes first gives it more depth of flavor, so taste them before you proceed with the dressing so you know whether you need to add more salt or pepper. The potatoes will absorb the flavors of the dressing overnight, so if you are salt sensitive, go lightly on the raw potatoes and I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

Add your desired amount of mayo and spicy brown or yellow mustard into a bowl and mix well. Add chopped celery and green onions. Throw in some diced bacon and coarse black pepper if that sounds good. Mix that well. Then add to potatoes sparingly as you mix them gently with a wooden spoon. If you have any mayo and veggie mix left over, it will make a great chicken or tuna salad later in the week, so don’t toss it.

Add fresh chopped parsley and paprika to the final serving bowl, extra bacon and black pepper, seeded, diced jalapenos or crispy fried onions.

Easy Slaw:

Buy your cabbage and carrots already chopped and shredded at your favorite grocer, unless you have time to clean up a giant veggie mess. Cabbage always seems to expand exponentially when you chop it. So just start with half a head of raw purple cabbage and a large cutting board. Green cabbage can be the star, or the equal partner, along with shredded carrots.

For the dressing, mix equal parts sugar and apple cider vinegar, or dissolve honey into your vinegar by heating it for 20 seconds in the microwave in a glass jar or bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add lemon juice if it needs more tartness. Mix well and add to the cabbage.

Shake or stir the bag or storage container you chose for the slaw at least two or three times over the next 24 hours, allowing it to chill overnight in the fridge. For a hot side, stir fry the cabbage in hot oil until tender and add the honey and vinegar mixture sparingly at the end.

Cornbread goes great with this meal, and you can try to do better than Jiffy, and make it from scratch, but why would you do that when you could be drinking wine while the easy mix bakes?

Set the table, or gather your outdoor service ware, turn on some music, and keep pouring the 2024 Lenoir Blush. You can order more from the WSCW online store, or stop by the tasting room to pick up a few bottles!

CHEERS!

Kristie