I’m so excited to share a truly delicious, dare I say “romantic” recipe with you today! Not only is this a festive one, but it’s a really easy and tasty dinner that’s sure to please all those “meat lovers” out there – minute steaks marinated in red wine, served with steamed broccoli and a savory sauce made of extra-virgin olive oil, garlic and chili flakes.
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, seriously! 🙂 I guess it’s Malbec the one to blame … or better the international fair for wine and spirits … 🙂
What’s Malbec and why I am loving it???
Malbec was born in France where it was primarily used as a blending grape in the country’s famous Bordeaux blend. While the grape had excellent potential to be made into the pure Malbec wine we know today, only the French region of Cahors did so, and until recently that wine rarely made its way outside of the country.
The main reason for Malbec’s failure to rise in stature and make it outside of France, like Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir was its susceptibility to disease and rot. The roots of the Malbec vines did not respond well to a French climate, rotting easily and a winemaker could very easily lose an entire crop just before they were ready to harvest. These weak characteristics caused many winemakers to avoid planting too much of the grape, for fear of giving up precious land to fruit that could easily die, and therefore planted just enough to add to a blend if the grape did indeed survive the growing season.
Nevertheless, in the mid-nineteenth century, when a group of Argentine winemakers consulted French agronomist Michel Pouget for his thoughts on a grape they should plant in order to improve the quality of Argentine wine, the grape he recommended was Malbec! These Argentines took vine cuttings from France and brought them back to Argentina, primarily planting them in the wine region of Mendoza. In the hot high-altitude of the region, the Malbec vines thrived, exhibiting none of the weaknesses they had in France. This caused many winemakers to believe Malbec was a grape that had truly belonged in Argentina all along.
Malbec is definitely a crowd-pleaser and easy to drink, with a ton of juicy fruit flavors, including blackberry, cherry, plums, and chocolate. What makes Malbec so cool is how easy it is to drink and how well it goes with food.
A few days ago I visited the ProWein Messe, the international wine and spirits fair in Düsseldorf, Germany.
Just so you get the whole picture, every year in March, Düsseldorf becomes the center and hub of the international wine and spirits sector, about 5.000 exhibitors from all relevant wine producing nations and regions in the world meet in the metropolis on the Rhine to make an impressive appearance. The event always presents “newcomers” in the international wine business.
What did I actually do there? Basically, I tasted some wine, found out a lot of interesting stuff about vineyards all over the world, then I tasted some more until I stumbled upon this Argentinian sector … hmmmmm, can you blame me?! 🙂 All I wanted at the end of the “hard day” was a nice glass of Malbec and then I found the Gauchezco stand where, happily, Eric poured me a glass.
Thank you, Eric so much for your kindness and generosity. You and Gauchezco Oro Malbec made my day, really!
Even though Malbec means a lot to me, but the Gauchezco Oro (gold in Spanish) that I got to taste there is the best one I have ever had. Only produced when the harvest is deemed worthy, this single vineyard Malbec comes from 95 years old vines from Barrancas – Maipú. With 16 months aging in French, American, and Hungarian new oak barrels, it combines elegance, complexity with a sublime and delicate balance.
Their principles are Tradition, Authenticity, and Innovation. I think I said it all.
The million dollar question is: could you now imagine what these minute steaks, marinated for 24 hours in Gauchezco Plata Malbec (Eric recommended I use this one for marinating), will do to your taste buds??? That’s right, let’s have some more of this dish and more of that Gauchezco Oro Malbec wine … let you decide on that.
I’d also recommend serving the minute steaks with this steamed broccoli salad on the side for its balanced and satisfying flavor. But that’s just not all. I had to bring a new touch to it, so I made this savory sauce out of extra-virgin olive oil, garlic and chili flakes and then drizzle it over the broccoli. One of my best friends, Adelina urged me to try this sauce as soon as possible. I actually did it the day we chatted and I thought of sharing it with you too… It’s simple, taste delicious even on its own and definitely healthy.
In case the broccoli is not your thing, you could also try this sauce with steamed cauliflower. Crunch-crunch! 🙂
There you go – Minute Steaks marinated in Gauchezco Plata Malbec Wine – I bet your loved ones will ask for more of this romantic dish too!
- - 350 g minute steaks
- - 500 g (a medium head) broccoli
- - 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- - 3 garlic gloves
- - 1 pinch of chili flakes
- - 1 tbsp coconut oil
- - 1 pinch of oregano
- - 1 pinch of cayenne pepper
- - sea salt and pepper
- Marinating
- Cut the minute steaks in small cubes, place them in a plastic box and start spicing them up with sea salt, oregano, cayenne pepper and chili flakes. Then pour a glass of red wine (in case you can't find Gauchezco Plata Malbec, use your favorite red wine) over it, cover the box and place it in the fridge for 24 hours.
- Preparation
- First, rinse out the broccoli and cut it into large bite-size pieces. Cut off the stem and peel off the thick skin around it. Bring ¾ to 1 inch of water to a boil in a medium saucepan and put an Asian bamboo steamer on top. Put the broccoli in the steamer, cover and let it steam for approximately 3 to 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile heat 1 tbsp of coconut oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat and add the marinated minute steaks. Let them simmer, stirring occasionally, for maximum 5 minutes.
- For the sauce, in a small bowl add olive oil, garlic and chili flakes and mix them together.
- When the broccoli and steaks are done, serve them on a plate and pour the sauce over the broccoli (even on the meat).
Bon appetite!
Enjoy your weekend! Stay healthy & happy!

This looks absolutely delicious!!!
Thank you Otilia! 🙂
Ohhh, you should try Malbec as soon as possible. It’s one of the best, really! 🙂 Thank you so much for the beautiful words. Muah :*
Hi! do you have to drain the wine off the beef before cooking?
Sorry for the stupid question, but I am not very good at cooking. Still trying :))
Hi, Eva! 🙂 Actually, I am glad you asked. You shouldn’t drain the wine off as it basically is the key ingredient. Good luck and let me know please how it goes. I hope you love it too! 🙂
Thank you for your answer. I cooked the meat as you wrote but unfortunately I couldn’t make it tender. I must have done something wrong. Anyway, please post more recipes with beef and lean pork, if you can cause I ate so much chicken that I don’t want to hear about it anymore! Haha! Great job with your website! Te pup!
Sorry to hear that, Eva! And I hope to not disappoint you but I no longer eat pork. However, I will do my best to post more recipes with lean beef. Thanks a lot! Te pup si eu!