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Justin McAuliffe, Tinhorn Creek MiradoroJustin McAuliffe, general manager and sommelier at Tinhorn Creek’s Miradoro restaurant, favours big wines for a bold dishes.
Morocco is in the spotlight with a Syrah-lamb pairing? and a newfangled tagine. Plus the secret sauce for Vancouver’s favourite Korean tacos. Ask an Oenophile The Expert: Justin McAuliffe, general manager and sommelier at Tinhorn Creek’s Miradoro restaurant? The Dish: Roasted lamb in yogurt and ras el hanout, $25? The Pairing: Tinhorn Creek Oldfield Series Syrah, Okanagan Valley, 2007, $60?
The Expert: Justin McAuliffe, general manager and sommelier at Tinhorn Creek’s Miradoro restaurant The Dish: Roasted lamb in yogurt and ras el hanout, $25 The Pairing: Tinhorn Creek Oldfield Series Syrah, Okanagan Valley, 2007, $60
The fascination with wine for me is that it never repeats itself. The same wine from the same region will always vary by vintage, whether from the climatic events of that year or from the decisions of the winemaker during the vinification.
The wine that I’ve chosen is the Tinhorn Creek Oldfield Series Syrah. It’s sourced from two vineyards on the Black Sage Bench and the Golden Mile Bench in the sun-drenched South Okanagan Valley desert. The free-draining sandy soils, rich in minerals, mirror the terroir and climate of Syrah’s original home in France’s Rhone Valley.
This multi-dimensional grape boasts rich black fruit character, dark forest-floor herbaceousness and undertones of smoke, leather, green pepper, white pepper and savoury spices, resulting in a distinctly layered flavour profile.
This powerful wine deserves a powerful dish. The lamb, gamey and rich, is marinated in yogurt with Moroccan spices and roasted in our forno brick oven until slightly charred. The viscous, full-bodied wine matches the weight of the lamb and the diverse spice and herb characters amplify the blackberry and dark cherry flavours. It’s a classic Mediterranean combination.
From Le Creuset and Emile Henry to All-Clad, almost every notable cookware line has recently introduced a newfangled tagine that can work in the oven, on the stovetop or over the barbecue. We prefer the no-bells-and-whistles version from Le Souk Ceramique, available at The Dirty Apron. The standard glazed, teepee-like earthenware platter, traditionally used for cooking Moroccan stew, has a certain rustic charm. Its solid clay construction and conical shape ensure that your food is cooked slowly and evenly, diffusing heat to the centre of the dish for superior flavour and the most tender meat possible. 10-inch tagine, $64.95; 11-inch tagine, $74.95; dirtyapron.com
Vancouver’s food carts were a popular addition to the streetscape last summer. One vendor that stood out, with its brightly painted truck and Korean short rib tacos, was Roaming Dragon. The secret to their tasty tacos? This no-longer-secret barbecue sauce: Whisk 3 tbsp sugar (brown sugar will add depth), 2 tbsp gochuchang (a fermented pepper paste that can be purchased at T&T Supermarket), 2 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tsp sesame oil and 1 tsp rice wine vinegar over a low heat, making sure the sugar dissolves completely. Stir until the consistency is smooth, remove from heat, let cool and refrigerate. Delish. $3 each or 4 for $10, roamingdragon.com