The Ultimate Beef Wine Pairing: New York Strip Steak and Cabernet Sauvignon

The Great Plains are home to some of the best tasting beef in the world. Having grown up here, I learned to appreciate a good steak at an early age. With any good steak you need to have a couple of side dishes, one of them a potato. Finally, you cannot forget the wine, most definitely a red. This guide provides a description of my favorite beef wine pairing.

For Starters

Whenever I eat a good steak, I like to start the meal with a nice salad. Start with equal parts lettuce and baby spinach. The lettuce is for crunch, the spinach is for nutrition. Add some shredded cheddar, tomatoes, cucumbers, broccoli, cottage cheese, bacon bits, sunflower seeds, croutons and ranch dressing. It is easy to over-do it, so be sure to save room for the main course.

The Sides

As noted previously, it is essential that you have a potato with a steak. Try a nice helping of cheesy mashed potatoes. One regular potato or two to three red potatoes per person is a good guide. Boil them until soft, and then mash them up. Leave the skins on for some vitamins and texture. Add some milk, butter, sour cream, cream cheese and shredded cheddar. It is beast to add to taste, as I do not use set measurements. Make sure you do not add too much milk, as the potatoes will be runny. These are guaranteed to be a crowd pleaser!

For a little color and a green vegetable, add some asparagus to your plate. Steaming is a good way to cook asparagus, but I am also a fan of the grilled variety. Either way you choose, you can add butter to taste if you like.

One last thing: a dinner roll is always a welcome addition to this beef wine pairing.

Here's the Beef

For my money, you cannot beat a good New York strip steak. You can find them cut both thick and thin. Before cooking, tenderize the strip steak on both sides with a fork. As you cook, brush on some melted butter to make the steak even juicier. I like to cook them to medium, more brown than pink, on a grill. Be sure to turn the steak regularly to avoid over-charring the outside.

Infuse with Wine

You now have the beginnings of a great dinner, but the beef wine pairing is not complete without a nice red wine. The rule of thumb is a red wine with red meat, and white wine with white meat. I happen to prefer red wines for all. The best I have found to accompany a mouth watering New York strip steak with cheesy mashed potatoes and asparagus is a Cabernet Sauvignon. Kendall Jackson makes an excellent bottle at a reasonable price. I like to try small wineries as well, especially when on vacation.

Just Desserts

If you have not yet exploded, go ahead and have some dessert. A nice piece of cheesecake will round this meal off nicely. Good old chocolate cake is a great substitute.

I hope you try this beef wine pairing and love it!