Churasco and Carmenere; A Perfect Match #WorldWineTravel

Our World Wine Travel Group has been exploring South America in 2023.  This month we were invited to open a bottle of Carmenere.

Carmenere grapes are native to the Medoc region of France, but most Carmenere now is grown in Chile.   While this grape is now nearly extinct in France, Chile cultivated it mistakenly believing they had brought back Merlot vines from their visit to France.  These grapes were often cultivated with Merlot and bottled as such giving it a much more distinct taste than those Merlots to which we had become accustomed.  

It is now produced, labeled, and sold as Carmenere and it is wonderful.  This bottle of 2020 Los Vascos Cromas Gran Reserva Carmenere sells for under $25 and is a delightful blast of spicy fruit.  I knew that I wanted to pair it with meat and went looking for a Chilean Recipe, finding a wonderful steak sandwich called Churrasco.

I made these easy, quick-to-prepare sandwiches for dinner one night.  We had taken our son, Anthony, out for lunch for his birthday on the day I served these.  Having had a large lunch these sandwiches were perfect for a light dinner and, as anticipated, paired wonderfully with the Carmenere.

This wine was chosen by Robin of Crushed Grape Chronicles to celebrate that today is Carmenere Day!!  You can learn more in her invitation post  and in the links listed below to the articles that we have all written this month.

• Camilla Mann of Culinary Cam will share "Carménère: Two Shades and Two Continents." 
• Terri Steffes of Our Good Life shares "The Beginner's Guide to Carmenere" 
• Wendy Klik of A Day in the Life on the Farm shares Churrasco and Carménère; A Perfect Match 
• Martin Redmond of ENOFYLZ Wine Blog shares Delving Into The Rich World of Chilean Carménère. 
• David Crowley of Cooking Chat shares Pairings with Carménère from South America. 
• Gwendolyn Lawrence Alley of Wine Predator shares From Lost to Found in Chile: 6 Carménère from 3 Regions + Chilean Beef Stew or Chimichurri Chicken 
• Sharon Parsons of Wine Travels with Dr. Sharon shares Celebrating International Carménère Day with Clos Apalta Carménère. 
• Robin Renken at Crushed Grape Chronicles will share Chilean Carménère and Charquican to celebrate Carmenere Day.

Entrees, Steak, Sandwiches, Avocados, Tomatoes

Entrees, Beef

Chilean

Yield: 2 sandwiches

Author: Wendy Klik

Churrasco

This steak sandwich topped with avocado and tomato on a ciabatta roll makes a wonderful, quick lunch or light dinner.

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 5 MinTotal time: 15 Min

Ingredients

• 2 sandwich buns or rolls, I used Ciabatta
• 1 New York Strip Steak
• 1 T. olive oil
• 1 large avocado, mashed
• 2 Campari tomatoes, thickly sliced
• Miracle Whip or Mayonnaise, to taste
• salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Thinly slice the steak and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
2. Cut the Ciabatta in half crosswise to make a sandwich roll. Toast the Ciabatta.
3. Season the avocado and tomato slices with salt and pepper.
4. Spread Miracle Whip or Mayonnaise on the bottom half of the roll. Top with the tomato slices.
5. Spread half of the mashed avocado onto the top bun.
6. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet, add the steak slices and cook for a minute or two on each side.
7. Divide the steak between the sandwiches, piling on top of the tomatoes and topping with the avocado-slathered top bun.

Notes

Adapted from a recipe found at Pilar's Chilean Food and Garden

Nutrition Facts

Calories

645.9

Fat (grams)

41.24 g

Sat. Fat (grams)

10.32 g

Carbs (grams)

38.96 g

Fiber (grams)

8.05 g

Net carbs

30.91 g

Sugar (grams)

1.73 g

Protein (grams)

30.92 g

Sodium (milligrams)

476.85 mg

Cholesterol (grams)

90.45 mg

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