How-To: Pair Wine with Pulled Pork

We do not often go into a meal with a clear idea of what the wine is going to taste like, and then select the dinner menu accordingly. But not long after we tried Heart & Hands Pinot Noir at Brooklyn Winery, we received a bottle of their Barrel Reserve Pinot Noir in the mail. Having thoroughly enjoyed their "normal" Pinot Noir, we felt compelled to do something special with the Reserve version. Expecting even stronger earth notes, we decided to try a heartier dish: Pulled Pork with a Blue Cheese Mushroom Sauce.

We were not disappointed. Rich, earthy, smoky, and a hint of sweet: this can be said equally of both the food and the wine. There were even pepper notes hidden deep within the wine, that came out strongly to complement the sandwich. We might have expected the hearty sandwich to overpower the Pinot Noir, a traditionally lighter red wine. Yet, the wine actually proved to be a stronger flavor, and the meal brought out additional layers of flavor in the wine. Earthy was definitely the way to go with this dish.

Recipe:

Pulled Pork

2 lbs Pork Ribs

1 cup sliced apple

1 tbsp honey

Salt and Pepper
4-6 rolls or buns

Season the pork with salt and honey. Cutting the ribs to fit in a crock pot, alternate layers of ribs with apple sliced and honey. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hrs, until the meat can be shredded with a fork.

Blue Cheese Mushroom Sauce

1 cup sliced mushrooms

1/4 lb Blue Cheese

2 tbsp Butter

Grill the mushrooms until tender. In a small sauce pan, melt the butter, then add the blue cheese, stirring until melted. Add the mushrooms and mix thoroughly.  Layer the pork and mushroom sauce on the bread or roll of your choice. Serve with grilled vegetables.