Everyone loves sipping a glass of wine with dinner to elevate the experience with a sophisticated touch. Many of us don’t hesitate to pour ourselves a tall glass of red wine while cooking, making the process more enjoyable. But have you ever considered tossing a bit of wine in your meal? The result is going to leave you stunned and excited to experiment with a multitude of recipes!
Wine is flavorful and rich, and this fermented grape juice works wonders at elevating basic ingredients into a delightfully decadent treat. White and red wine varieties pair amazingly well with a vast array of sweet and spicy recipes. You can literally pour wine into any meal to elevate the flavor profile with decadence and sumptuousness.
Wine is an excellent ingredient to marinate meats, especially beef and chicken, bringing out the best in their flavor. There’s a multitude of traditional recipes, like Coq au Vin and Chicken Marsala, that use wine as a star ingredient. Read on to explore some great ways to cook with wine and delight your guests with hearty treats.
1. Hearty Beef Steaks & Stews
Do you have a hard time tenderizing beef, typically relying on meat tenderizers to soften the meat? Red wine is a fabulous way to break down proteins and tenderize the meat through a magical process termed denaturing. The astringent properties of red wine balance out the fatty profile of beef, resulting in a sensational taste palette. But for this strategy to work, you need to source the right red wine that’s free of additives, artificial flavors, and preservatives.
Instead of shopping from your local supermarket, source red wine from a reputable winery, like one of the leading Tennessee wineries out there, Tennessee Homemade Wines. Southern wines are flavorful and rich, and wineries have systemized processes to ensure expert handling. Tennessee ranks among the world’s finest wine-growing regions, home to innumerable vineyards specializing in classic blends prepared without additives and preservatives.
Sourcing your wine directly from a winery will give you the peace of mind of getting your money’s worth and tasting something truly exquisite. When added to beef, 100% natural red wine can work wonders at accentuating the flavor with an intensely pleasing effect. Tennessee offers a variety of savory and sweet Southern wines that work wonders at tenderizing beef. Southern sweet wine is a great choice if you intend to add cheese or cured meat.
Red wine is an ideal ingredient for hearty and warm beef bone broth paired with potatoes and leafy greens. A mushroom and red wine sauce will turn a glazed t-bone steak into a Michelin-worthy treat packed with deliciousness. Red wine is an excellent addition to old-fashioned beef stews, giving the gravy a thick and palatable heartiness.
2. Marinate the Rooster
Chicken and red wine are a gastronomic match made in heaven, two ingredients that combine to create culinary magic! You can explore a wide variety of wines to marinate chicken or prepare flavorful marinades and sauces. Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc are brilliant choices for beginners eager to play it safe before experimenting with richer wines. Sauvignon Blanc will elevate your deep-fried and grilled chicken recipes with a subtle crispiness. Chardonnay has a rich, full-bodied profile, making it ideal for heavy sauces and creamy chicken recipes.
Suppose you want to give your chicken a spicy burst of finger-licking flavors. In that case, we suggest working with wines that pack up rich concentrations of oak and tannin. But a low-tannin red wine like Gamay will prove ideal if you want to serve your chicken chilled like salads or cold sandwiches. Wine is a powerful acidic ingredient for a marinade that will tenderize the meat, allowing the flavor to soak right in.
If you want to accentuate the juiciness of your chicken, red wine-based marinade will keep the meat moist, even after grilling. Coq au Vin, a traditional French classic, is a great recipe to start experimenting with red wine. It may sound fancy and complicated, but it’s amazingly simple. It requires a buttery and silky red wine sauce to braise the chicken, served with bacon, onions, and mushrooms.
Suppose you want to prepare something creamy that pairs well with pasta or spaghetti. In that case, chicken marsala, an Italian classic, is the perfect recipe to delight your guests. You need to blend heavy cream with marsala wine and mushrooms to create an irresistible sauce. Marinate chicken breasts with red wine to make the steaks extra moist and tender – ideal for a shorter cooking process.
3. Flavorful & Savory Stir-Fry Recipes
People who’re always finding quick fixes to treat their families to delicious meals will find red wines indispensable ingredients. A splash of wine is all it takes to transform a standard stir-fry meal into a divine gourmet delicacy. Whether you’re stir-frying veggies, fish, or chicken, the wine will elevate the flavor and transform the taste palette.
Wine is a brilliant addition to prepare a quick and easy yet decadently rich meal of stir-fried fish and veggies. A splash of red wine moistens the fish, packing it with a rich dose of savory flavors. You can use the wine as a marinade to accentuate the flavor of the herbs and spices you’ve used to build taste. Or you can add some wine to the pan while grilling or simmering your fish.
Red wine reduces the cooking time by speeding up the simmering process without resulting in burnt or undercooked ingredients. Wine is excellent for skillet-fried recipes, but you can also pop wine-marinated ingredients in the oven or slow cooker. When added right to the pan, the wine accentuates the flavor profile while simmering along with the ingredients.
4. Rich & Irresistible Sauces
It’s wise to learn about the flavors and taste profiles of wine, so you can find the right fit for each sauce. White wine is an excellent ingredient for caramel-based sauces accentuated with fruits like apples, pears, pineapple, and berries. White wine also works wonders at elevating the creamy richness of mushrooms and olives. If you’re working with chocolate, espresso, oranges, cherries, or dark currants, red wine is a great pick
Final Thoughts
Wine is an incredibly versatile ingredient that works seamlessly well with sweet and savory recipes. You can add it to your baked pasta dish to accentuate the creaminess with a sharp tinge. When added to cake, wine brings out the best in chocolate and other flavors while lightening the flour.
Suppose you’re creating a flavorful and creamy white sauce with mushrooms and cheese. In that case, red wine will give your sauce a boozy punch with a beautiful color. Red wine-based sauces work brilliantly well with beef, chicken, and pork.
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