Wine Cooking Tips and Suggestions
- Wine added to a dish should be cooked uncovered and brought to a low boil, which removes the alcohol, and then reduced to a simmer.
- For a lighter flavor, add the wine near the end of the cooking process, bring it to a quick boil, and remove from the heat.
- Marinate tough cuts of meat in wine or wine based marinade overnight. The acid will tenderize the meat.
- Reducing wines will concentrate the flavors and the sugars.
- Do not use cooking wines. They're usually over-salted which acts as a preservative, and the wine is usually of poor quality.
- Do not cook with aluminum or cast iron pots when cooking with wine. Non-reactive cookware is best.
- Wines for cooking should complement or contrast the main ingredients, not over power them.
- To avoid a bitter flavor when deglazing add the wine over a low heat.
- If a wine becomes to acidic in the reduction process add fresh or dried fruit to compensate.
- Using a good quality wine means using less of it because it will have more concentrated flavors.
- Save leftover drinking wines for cooking. Cork and refrigerate for up to two weeks.
- Leftover wine can also be frozen in ice cube trays for future use.
- Use a fairly acidic wine for a beurre blanc sauce. (Preferably a French Muscadet or Sauvignon Blanc).
- Integral sauces would call for a little less acidity in the wine (Preferably a California Sauvignon Blanc or California Chardonnay).
- Lightly colored fruity wines should not be used for sauce making. Cooking will destroy the delicate fruitiness and will make for a highly acidic tasting sauce.
- Select red wines that are deep in color and low in acid. Especially for pasta sauces.
- Red wines take on a different complexity when cooked with meats. The acids and the tannins will react differently with meats than they will with just vegetables, onions or mushrooms.
- Wine added to a dish should be cooked uncovered and brought to a low boil, which removes the alcohol, and then reduced to a simmer.
- For a lighter flavor, add the wine near the end of the cooking process, bring it to a quick boil, and remove from the heat.
- Marinate tough cuts of meat in wine or wine based marinade overnight. The acid will tenderize the meat.
- Reducing wines will concentrate the flavors and the sugars.
- Do not use cooking wines. They're usually over-salted which acts as a preservative, and the wine is usually of poor quality.
- Do not cook with aluminum or cast iron pots when cooking with wine. Non-reactive cookware is best.
- Wines for cooking should complement or contrast the main ingredients, not over power them.
- To avoid a bitter flavor when deglazing add the wine over a low heat.
- If a wine becomes to acidic in the reduction process add fresh or dried fruit to compensate.
- Using a good quality wine means using less of it because it will have more concentrated flavors.
- Save leftover drinking wines for cooking. Cork and refrigerate for up to two weeks.
- Leftover wine can also be frozen in ice cube trays for future use.
- Use a fairly acidic wine for a beurre blanc sauce. (Preferably a French Muscadet or Sauvignon Blanc).
- Integral sauces would call for a little less acidity in the wine (Preferably a California Sauvignon Blanc or California Chardonnay).
- Lightly colored fruity wines should not be used for sauce making. Cooking will destroy the delicate fruitiness and will make for a highly acidic tasting sauce.
- Select red wines that are deep in color and low in acid. Especially for pasta sauces.
- Red wines take on a different complexity when cooked with meats. The acids and the tannins will react differently with meats than they will with just vegetables, onions or mushrooms.
Jules Silver
“Where sauce is the art and the essence of fine cooking.”
888-560-3562 or 303-337-4445
These tips may be reprinted, posted or included only in its entirety on any website or newsletter without first receiving express or written permission as long as the above author and the www.clubsauce.com website is included in the article.
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