Cooking with Red Wine

I have been given two bottles of Merlot red wine. They have dates of 2008 and 2010. Is this stuff still good and is it good to cook with. If so, does anyone have recipes to share. I wondered if beef stew made with this would be good.

Yes, the wine is still good (unless you had it sitting in a very warm location).  I'm at work so I don't have my beef stew recipe handy, but here is one that looks good. I will likely try it myself

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Red-Wine-Beef-Stew-364571

Here are a couple others:

http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/red-wine-beef-stew-10000001867540/

http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1648,131182-249198,00.html

And here is a site that has a lot of different recipes for cooking with red wine

http://homecooking.about.com/library/archive/blwineindex.htm

Natalie_ca said:

Yes, the wine is still good (unless you had it sitting in a very warm location).  I'm at work so I don't have my beef stew recipe handy, but here is one that looks good. I will likely try it myself

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Red-Wine-Beef-Stew-364571


Here are a couple others:

http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/red-wine-beef-stew-10000001867540/

http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1648,131182-249198,00.html


And here is a site that has a lot of different recipes for cooking with red wine

http://homecooking.about.com/library/archive/blwineindex.htm

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Thanks for the reply. I like to use recipes that are tried and true because all recipes are not good. Is your recipe at home one to use with wine.

I put my wine into my beef or mince stews, glass for the pot glass for me ill see if I can find my proper recipe

blueyedgirl5946 said:

Thanks for the reply. I like to use recipes that are tried and true because all recipes are not good. Is your recipe at home one to use with wine.

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Yes, the one I have at home uses red wine. But to be honest, I prefer to cook without wine. The only recipe that I use wine in is my orange chicken, and I put beer into my black been soup and french onion soup.

I was always told that it was fine, unless the cork on the inside of the bottle had dried out.....don't know if that's true though. I use wine in beef stew, in spaghetti and other pasta sauces that also use tomatoes, things like that. Don't forget French Onion soup, too. Beef gravies can usually use a good splash or two of red wine. (When I made my gravy for the crown roast on Christmas, I added a wee bit of white wine.) A lot of times, even if the recipe doesn't call for wine, I'll add it anyway, in place of water or broth or something like that; for example, if a recipe calls for two cups of water, I might add 1/2 cup of wine or so. A dry red is usually better to cook with than a really sweet red.

The only rule I have is that if the wine isn't good enough to drink, then it's not good enough to cook with either.

Winchester said:

I was always told that it was fine, unless the cork on the inside of the bottle had dried out.....don't know if that's true though. I use wine in beef stew, in spaghetti and other pasta sauces that also use tomatoes, things like that. Don't forget French Onion soup, too. Beef gravies can usually use a good splash or two of red wine. (When I made my gravy for the crown roast on Christmas, I added a wee bit of white wine.) A lot of times, even if the recipe doesn't call for wine, I'll add it anyway, in place of water or broth or something like that; for example, if a recipe calls for two cups of water, I might add 1/2 cup of wine or so. A dry red is usually better to cook with than a really sweet red.

The only rule I have is that if the wine isn't good enough to drink, then it's not good enough to cook with either.

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I can't go by your rule because I don't drink it and I don't know what it is supposed to taste like. Is Merlot supposed to be a sweet or dry wine.

Merlot is a dry wine....really good in stews and such! Since you're not used to wine, though, go easy on the amounts for whatever you're cooking, whether it's stew, soup, or sauce. Just til you know if you'll like it.

You should google those wines to see if they're something really good. It would be a shame to waste a top notch wine.

A classic french dish that calls for wine is Coq Au Vin. Many people use red wine in their red sauce.

A hot tip on sweet./dry wine.

Fully fermented wine is about 13.5% alcohol. If you look on a label and see 9%, that is a sweet wine.

Now, I've always told people to use the cheapest dependable wine to cook with. When we made fondue in college in France, we paid 80 cents (four francs) for the bottle of wine, and half of that was the deposit on the swing-top returnable bottle.

aeevr said:

You should google those wines to see if they're something really good. It would be a shame to waste a top notch wine.

A classic french dish that calls for wine is Coq Au Vin. Many people use red wine in their red sauce.

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One is a Charles Shaw and the other is Rosemount Estate. They will only be wasted if I don't cook with them. I wouldn't drink them.:lol3:

Does anyone have any recipes, or does everyone just pour in a bit when they cook. Is red wine more for beef than any other meat.

I don't really have any recipes per se, most of the time I just wing it. I would say that red wine is more for beef (and maybe pork) whereas white is normally used more for chicken and fish. But really, you use what you like! (Although you're not sure what you like yet....and I get that.) Both my sister and I prefer white wine over red, so we'll even drink white wine with beef (although I may use the red for the beef gravy). On Christmas, we had both a red wine and a blackberry wine, I think it was, that my brother and SIL brought to dinner. I used some of the red in my gravy, just a splash or two.

I would say that since you're not really used to cooking with wine yet, use 1/4 cup of wine in a cup of liquid.....meaning if your recipe for spaghetti sauce calls for 2 cups of tomato sauce, use 1-3/4 cups of sauce and 1/4 cup of wine to equal the two cups. Does that make sense? And if you decide you like the taste, then add more next time. I have a recipe for a gravy-type sauce that I use when I make Cornish Pasties; it calls for 1-1/2 cups of beef broth and 1/2 cup of red wine. The recipe for my favorite beef stew calls for 1/2 cup of red wine. The recipe that I like for French Onion soup calls for both white and red wines (it's actually Alton Brown's recipe for French Onion soup, I think....I know I got it somewhere). When I make beef pot pie, instead of using all beef broth/stock, I'll add a bit of red wine to the broth, too, but it's to my taste and it depends on who's coming for dinner, too. So it does vary, but it should also vary according to your tastes, too. I'm thinking that since you're not used to it, don't go overboard right away. Does that make sense to you?

If there's a recipe you're really interested in, I'd say ask here if somebody has something for you to try or Google it. Oh, check allrecipes.com, too, as there are usually some good ideas there.

Like Pam, I use wine for other liquids like water, etc. here is one super easy recipe I have:


Roast Beef Sandwiches
1 Roast
2 Au Jus Packets
Red wine
Garlic
Cento diced hot cherry peppers
Put roast in crockpot. Prepare Au Jus as directed, but use 2-3 cups red wine for 2-3 cups of the water. Pour over roast. Add chopped garlic – as much as you like.
Cook on high all day. Remove roast, shred and return to pot with liquid. Add 2 spoonfuls of cherry peppers. Serve on rolls with cheese.

Oh, and after opening the red wine for cooking, I store it in the refrigerator so it will last longer.

Oh! Do you like to use marinades? You can use red (and white) wines in various marinades, too, to use with different beef and pork cuts.

Here's my favorite beef stew recipe:

This recipe came from some kind of a magazine from back in the 70s when I was first married. After the 1972 flood and we had moved in with Rick's parents, my MIL asked me to make it for us for dinner one night. It quickly became a favorite of my in-laws, too. I lost the recipe years and years ago (you would think that as many times as I made it, I would have memorized it!). I mentioned the recipe to Evelyn and she said, "Oh, Pam, I have that recipe!", jumped up and gave me her copy so I could copy it.

I know there are other stew recipes that are probably as good as this one. But this still is among our favorites. Maybe I like it because you can play around with it. It does make a nice beef stew.

BEEF STEW

2 lb. chuck, cubed
1 bay leaf
1 chopped onion
8 oz. tomato sauce
1.4 c. flour
1/4 c. sherry (use your Merlot)
1 Tbsp. canola oil
1 c. water
1/2 tsp. each: salt, celery salt, pepper
4 medium potatoes, chunked
4 carrots, sliced diagonally
8 oz. jar mushrooms (or saute some fresh mushrooms)
10 oz. frozen peas

Coat chuck with flour and brown in oil, removing pieces as they brown. Sauté onions until translucent. Add the spices, herbs, and the tomato sauce and sherry. Combine, then add water. Cover and simmer on the stove for 1½ hours.

Cook carrots in 2 tablespoons butter and 1 teaspoon sugar until golden. Add to the meat with the chunked potatoes.

Bake in 350 degree oven, covered, about 30 minutes. Add the mushrooms and peas. Bake 20 minutes longer until potatoes are tender.

Note: If you like, you can use diced tomatoes (undrained) instead of the tomato sauce. Use beef broth instead of all water.

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Try your red instead of white wine in this recipe, but maybe 1/3 cup wine and 1/3 cup water or broth:

CROCK POT POT ROAST

3 lb. BONELESS chuck roast, UNseared
1 can Cream of Chicken OR Cream of Mushroom soup
1 envelope Lipton's Onion Soup mix
2/3 cup white wine

Place the roast whole in a large crockpot and smear the can of soup (not diluted) over the top of the roast. Empty the entire envelope of dry onion soup over the top of the soup and pour the wine around the edges of the roast. Do not add any water. Cover and cook for 10 hours on low. Makes a wonderful gravy and the meat is very tender. Serve with noodles or steamed Yukon Gold potatoes.

Note: You can add chunked potatoes or carrots around it, at the time you start the recipe, too. I serve it over mashed potatoes for a great comfort meal. I used cream of mushroom soup....we're not really fond of "Cream of" anything, but this works.

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SUSSEX-STYLE STEAK WITH MUSHROOMS

2 lb. flank steak
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
Salt and pepper to taste
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 c. condensed beef broth, undiluted
1/4 c. red wine, dark beer or additional condensed beef broth (the original recipe calls for port wine, but your Merlot will work, too)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
3 or more Portobello mushrooms, stems removed
2 Tbsp. balsamic or red wine vinegar
Crumbled soft goat cheese, optional

Season the meat and rub each side with flour. Place in bottom of slow cooker stoneware. Lay onion over top and pour in beef broth and port. Brush mushrooms with olive oil and lay evenly over meat (they should cover the surface). Sprinkle with vinegar. Cover and cook on Low for 6 to 8 hours or on High for 3 to 4 hours. When ready to serve, transfer steak with mushrooms to a deep platter. Stir in goat cheese, if using, and pour gravy over meat.

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I have not made this strictly according to the recipe (I play around a lot with it, but it's quite good); one of my closest GFs gave me this recipe; she loves it. Supposedly, it's a knock-off from Panera Bread.

FIVE ONION SOUP WITH GRUYERE CHEESE AND SCALLIONS

3 large yellow onions, halved and sliced (pole to pole)
3 red onions, halved and sliced
6 shallots, halved and sliced
3 leeks (white parts only), halved lengthwise and sliced crosswise
3 cups scallions (greens reserved for croutons), sliced
1 large garlic clove, minced
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 750 ml bottle red wine (that's a little over 3 cups, I think)
1 small bunch thyme (12 sprigs) cut into 4-inch lengths
6 quarts beef stock, homemade or low-sodium canned
1 baguette, sliced into 1/2-inch coins
1 cup Gruyere cheese, grated

In a 12-quart stockpot, sauté the onions, shallots, leeks, scallion whites, garlic and a heavy pinch of salt in 2 tablespoons oil until the onions begin to caramelize. Deglaze with red wine. Add the thyme and stock to the pot. Bring the soup to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer for at least 1 hour. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.

While the soup is simmering, preheat the oven to broil. Toss the bread coins with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and place flat on a sheet pan. Toss the scallion greens with the Gruyere, and top each coin with the mixture. Bake on a rack in the middle of the oven for 3 minutes and then transfer to the broiler to lightly brown the tops. The cheese should be bubbly. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with croutons. Makes 6 - 8 servings.

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I made a diabetic friendly pasta dish yesterday that had white wine in it.

http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Sausage-and-Pumpkin-Pasta

Turkey Sausage and Pumpkin Pasta

Ingredients

• 2 cups uncooked multigrain bow tie pasta
• 1/2 pound Italian turkey sausage links, casings removed
• 1/2 pound sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 1/2 cup white wine or additional reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
•  

Directions

• Cook pasta according to package directions.
• Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, cook the sausage, mushrooms and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the broth, pumpkin, wine, sage, salt, garlic powder and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5-6 minutes or until slightly thickened.
• Drain pasta; add to the skillet and heat through. Just before serving, sprinkle with cheese and parsley.  Yield: 4 servings.

Nutritional Facts 1-3/4 cups equals 348 calories, 9 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 38 mg cholesterol, 733 mg sodium, 42 g carbohydrate, 7 g fiber, 23 g protein.

Diabetic Exchanges: 2-1/2 starch, 2 lean meat, 1 vegetable, 1/2 fat.

Oh my , you guys are the greatest. Thanks for all the info. I am going to be trying some of these reciipes. Just one question though. One of these recipes calls for Au Jus packets. What is that and where do I buy it. Remember I am from the deep south where we cook collards and fry cornbread.:lol3:

blueyedgirl5946 said:

One of these recipes calls for Au Jus packets. What is that and where do I buy it.

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Gravy mix.

Something like this:

http://www.mccormick.com/Products/Seasoning-Mixes/Gravies-and-Sauces/Au-Jus-Gravy-Mix.aspx

It's normally around the gravies or spices.