Minute Steaks marinated in Gauchezco Plata Malbec

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!