Lamb Racks, Dry-Aged US Prime Rib-Eyes, Riojas and Calis.

Wednesday night, the 27th January 2010, was dinner at home for Sandy and her folks. They often used to host our whole group in their southern compound with nearby beaches back in college - a whole horde of us - up to 15+ at a time - for days on end. Those were fun, carefree and memorable days. I rarely see Sandy or her folks ever since Sandy moved to SF many years ago. Far too long, so it was great that they accepted our invitation to join us for dinner. Sandy's closest friends and their respective hubbies were there too - all of us friends and groupmates for decades. We were 10 in all as my youngest brother-in-law joined us as well.



While waiting for the others to arrive, we started off with some pica-picas of Parma Ham, Salami Milano, St-Nectaire, Chèvre and Tapenade. With these, we had glasses of 2008 Marqués de Cáceres Viura Blanco - a fresh 100% viura Rioja blanco that I really enjoy as a casual sip. I've written about this fresh, bright and dry blanco several times (the last being at Boozze's & Margarita's steak dinner a few days ago), so there is no need to repeat myself. Suffice it to state that I keep a stock of this at home. I also opened a bottle of 2006 Saintsbury Brown Ranch Carneros Chardonnay, but I didn't have any of it - anyway, I've also written about this wine often and recently.



The others arrived soon after, and, of course, the girls huddled together...



...as did the guys.

Me? I hied off to the kitchen to cook the main courses. Since Boozze already hosted a steak dinner for Sandy last Friday - I wouldn't even to attempt to compete with his steak-prowess - Roast Racks of Lamb were in order.



Well, I also got a few Dry-Aged US Prime Angus Bone-In Rib-Eyes through Boozze because I figured Sandy's folks may want to try some. Anyway, the evening before, Boozze coached me on how to cook these luxurious cuts of dry-aged beef. I was pretty happy with the results.



These were just a little over medium-rare as I know not everyone likes their steaks as bloody as I do.



This, as well as a smaller, non-dry-aged "emergency back-up rib-eye" were done medium-rare for those who preferred (i.e., me).

Aside from these, we also had our usual Salad of Butter Lettuce, Fresh Tarragon Leaves, Toasted Pine Nuts, Grated Parmesan Cheese & Parma Ham with a Honey-Mustard Dressing (the recipe concocted by my brother and his wife).



There was also a fish course of Sole Meuniere and a Pilaf which were made by our cook. Unfortunately, I totally forgot to take a photo of them.



Naturally, we had some red wines for the meat courses.

For the lamb:

1999 Bodegas Olarra Cerro Añon Rioja Gran Reserva - I know I've written about this wine so many times. So deep, complex and graceful it is in its medium-bodied cherry, strawberry, underlying slightly leathery dark fruit, nuances of violets, cedar, licorice and whispers of vanilla , I simply cannot keep my hands off them. Excellent balance.

2001 Bodegas Olarra Cerro Añon Rioja Gran Reserva - I finally get to try the currently available vintage of this favored Riojan producer. The flavors and scents are, of course, quite similar to the aforementioned '99 vintage, but this one is slightly less open (well, it is 2 years younger), the fruit seems a bit riper and, at this point, the dark fruit, licorice, hint of tobacco and slightly creamy oak hold sway over the red. Firm in structure, it comes off more masculine. Good wine. I'm sure it will age gracefully as well. Both were fine matches for the herb-encrusted roasted lamb racks.



For the steaks, I opened a young Napa cabernet sauvignon...

2006 Beaulieu Vineyard Georges de Latour Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon - A gift from Rocky & Apple, Rocky always makes it a point to give me good Napa reds (nb: a 1996 BV Georges de Latour PR CS from them got me my 2nd consecutive win at our last Blind Non-Bordeaux Challenge). I decanted the subject wine and let it aerate in my wine ref for almost 3 hours before service.

This is BV's 70th vintage release of the Georges de Latour Private Reserve CS. Big, dense, viscous, very concentrated, highly-extracted blackcurrant, black cherry, hint of kirsch, some crème de cassis, violets, licorice and hefty doses of creamy oak/vanilla and, underneath, dark chocolate. Very full-bodied, with a mouth-filling, chewy roundness. Tannins are big but smooth enough, giving a bit of a dusty feel to its long finish. I thought it went well with the steaks. Young as it is, it does need some good, red meat to go with it - and that we had.

Desserts were...



Coffee Crunch Cake, Ube Puto (a local rice cake flavored with a violet yam), Polvoron and Fresh Fruits. With the whipped-cream-and-fluffy coffee crunch cake, I served a bottle of...



2007 Jackson-Triggs Proprietors' Reserve Vidal Icewine - An icewine from Canada's Niagara Peninsula, this was a gift from my Indiana-based brother-in-law, Harry. Flamboyant, opulent, tongue-coating honeycomb, super-ripe apricot and mango (the Philippine "Carabao" type) flavors dominate its thick, viscous full-body. Orange marmalade and lemon drop nuances emerge slightly towards the rear. Rather straightforward, but very easy to enjoy.



It was wonderful, as usual, to see Sandy and her folks again after so long. It brought back a lot of happy memories of more carefree days.

Desserts were...



Coffee Crunch Cake, Ube Puto (a local rice cake flavored with a violet yam), Polvoron and Fresh Fruits. With the whipped-cream-and-fluffy coffee crunch cake, I served a bottle of...

Of course, I love the steaks. But the real deal, afaic, are the mangoes and the Ube Puto. Can't find them here, and I'm yearning for those right now.

Of course, I love the steaks. But the real deal, afaic, are the mangoes and the Ube Puto. Can't find them here, and I'm yearning for those right now.

I understand completely, Mon. Especially since you are in NYC, there is absolutely no shortage of great steaks there. Philippine Carabao mangoes and ube puto, however, are different matters altogether. You should come back soon then.

Best,

N

ps. The ube puto is a favorite of my youngest.

And Noel, how can I miss out on those lovely mangosteens in the fruit bowl (I think that's what those are)? Out here in NY, the fruit are brought in illegally, pre-frozen, and are the crappiest kind pretty much the ones that that are not bought and are usually thrown away in markets in Asia.
I have to walk around the streets of Chinatown, and available only during 2 months of the year, looking for fruit vendors with mangosteens hidden under their fruit cart. Y’know “psst, do you have mangosteens today?” It’s like doing a drug deal, except that the mangosteens are more expensive … anywhere from $2 to $4 per piece of fruit!

Good lord, what a feast!

And what a coincidence - that very night, halfway around the world, I was having a lamb centered dinner party with wines and delirious desserts as well. Not nearly as opulent or well attended as yours, but still...kismet, I tell you!

I hope you had half as good a time as I did. It certainly LOOKS like you did. Thanks for sharing the photos and TN's. Fantastic, all of it!

And Noel, how can I miss out on those lovely mangosteens in the fruit bowl (I think that's what those are)? Out here in NY, the fruit are brought in illegally, pre-frozen, and are the crappiest kind pretty much the ones that that are not bought and are usually thrown away in markets in Asia.
I have to walk around the streets of Chinatown, and available only during 2 months of the year, looking for fruit vendors with mangosteens hidden under their fruit cart. Y’know “psst, do you have mangosteens today?” It’s like doing a drug deal, except that the mangosteens are more expensive … anywhere from $2 to $4 per piece of fruit!

Yes, Mon, they are indeed mangosteens. I'm not surprised the ones there are pre-frozen as I recall mangosteens over-ripen relatively quickly. Wow, $2-$4 per piece? That's pretty steep considering how little flesh there is in each fruit!

Good lord, what a feast!

And what a coincidence - that very night, halfway around the world, I was having a lamb centered dinner party with wines and delirious desserts as well. Not nearly as opulent or well attended as yours, but still...kismet, I tell you!

I hope you had half as good a time as I did. It certainly LOOKS like you did. Thanks for sharing the photos and TN's. Fantastic, all of it!

Hi, Tom.

Thanks, and you're most welcome. My pleasure.

Yes, what a coincidence indeed. I spent a few summers in an uncle's place in Lawrenceville, NJ back in the mid-'80s (I was still in college), by the way - it's a sleepy town, we'd have to drive over to NYC to get some nightlife. Last I was there, though, was back in January of 1992. Long time ago. Good memories of those vacations.

If you ever plan another trip to Lawrenceville, head just a bit further north and you can have more lamb