Bring on the Gout
Written By: Dylan York on Wed, Apr 23rd 2008
When you live on a small island such as Grenada, you don't have access to a meat department filled with various cuts of beef. The supermarkets here carry USDA beef, but it is expensive as hell! For instance a small rib-eye will cost you up to $15 USD, but it looks limp and has little if any marble. I prefer cuts like flank, hanger, flat iron and skirt steak over tenderloin any day. If you are an adventurous type you would love the local meat market. It's open every Saturday and it consists of a freshly butchered cow and pig, split in half and hung by meat hooks. Instead of butcher knives, ban saws and nicely cooled display cabinets, there is a nice gentleman, sometimes missing a finger, with a bloody machete who will happily cut you chunks from the carcass. This is not the place you go into and ask for four nicely trimmed filet mignons. You say, while pointing, "I want it chopped from here to here" - bones, fat, silver skin and all. It costs $6 EC per pound ($2.23 USD) and you have never had anything that is so tender and fresh. Of course you should get there early in the morning and you have to trim it yourself, but that's the fun part. Last time I went I bought almost half a cow for under $30 USD and I cut out a flank, brisket, eye of round, shank and the rest I trimmed down into what I call fajita meat. I felt that I had to tell you this story for you to understand what lengths I will go to eat good meat. So it should come to no surprise that when I was in Puerto Rico last week, I enjoyed my share of Argentinean beef, which I think is far superior to most.
The first place we went to for lunch was an Argentinean steak house named Tierra del Fuego. I ordered a 10 oz Churrisco, which is a grilled flank, a side of yucca mash and a glass of 2007 Altos los Hormigas Malbec. What could be better than a tender juicy steak with a wine that brings out the grill in the meat? I cannot tell you how bad I want to go to Argentina and just drink Malbec and eat meat. I would probably come back with gout, but god it would be great and well worth it. For those of you who don't like Malbec, it's because you haven't found the right one. Just like everything else there are plenty of bad ones on the market. The one I had by the glass is a great place to start. The Altos los Hormigas can be found for under $12 US in most good wine shops, and if not, have them order it for you. If they are not carrying this wine, then they should. Once you taste that one, move up to Luigi Bosca Riserva, which is the best selling Malbec in Argentina. Altos los Hormigas also makes a small amount of reserve Malbec which is killer if you can get a hold of it. After these you are ready for one of my favorites, Tikal. The Tikal "Amorio" Malbec, around $30 USD, is perhaps one of my top favorite wines. Next to Malbec, there is also another great wine for steaks, you should also try Carmenere from Chile.
At the end of my trip in Puerto Rico my friend Ventura's mom made us grilled Argentinean skirt steak with tostones (flattened fried green plantains), rice and beans and Pegao (crispy rice from the bottom of the pan). I brought a bottle of 2005 Concha Y Toro Terrunyo Carmenere which we opened an hour before dinner. Heaven I tell you! This meal and wine were meant to be together. The Carmenere was rich and deep with smooth black fruits, spice, and chocolate with just enough tannin to intercept the steak. With wines like this you can turn a simple home cooked meal into something incredible, and of course the cost is far less than your local steakhouse. The key to grilling flanks and skirts is to grill them quickly on each side (6 - 8 minutes, depending on thickness), pull them off, wrap them in foil and allow them to rest. Wait another 10-12 minutes and cut against the grain and you will have one of the best steaks ever. Of course you have to drink lots of wine to lower all the high levels of cholesterol, so drink up.
