Dare To Pair: Food & Wine Pairings For Game Day

 When it comes to game day food, are you bored by brats and beer? If you’re looking to step up your game and serve daring game day fare, why not try something new with a creative food and wine pairing?

“When I have the guys over for a game, I try to use my love of great flavors and the skills I have in the kitchen to create something beyond the typical tailgate fare,” says popular TV personality Adam Richman. “And instead of the typical beer or soda, I’ll pair it with a glass of high-quality versatile red wine like Alamos Malbec.”

Richman recommends his Malbec Burger for game day grub because it’s more unique than a typical burger, but can still please any crowd. To up the daring factor, Richman recommends adding a splash of wine to the recipe to enhance the flavor. “People think of Malbec with beef in fine dining, but what about in a burger? By putting the Malbec right into the ground beef it makes the flavors of both the burger and the wine really sing.”

Being willing to experiment with food and wine pairings often leads to success, Richman says. Play with recipe ideas and then invite friends over to test them out, he suggests. To get you started, Richman created five “Daring Pairing” recipes designed to pair with the high-quality Argentine wines from Alamos.

“Malbec is one of my favorite varietals and is a great wine to experiment with,” Richman says. “Alamos Malbec is truly versatile enough to complement just about any food from fun snacking to fine dining.”

The versatility comes from the growing conditions in Argentina’s Andes Mountains, which result in Malbec grapes with bold layers of flavor and excellent natural acidity for a wine that you really can dare to pair with just about any meal.

Get started on the mild side by trying Richman’s recipe for Malbec Burgers with Creole Mustard Tomato Jam for your next game day crowd.

Malbec Burgers with Creole Mustard Tomato Jam

Burger ingredients:

1/2 pound ground lamb

1/2 pound ground pork

1/2 pound ground beef (85 percent lean)

1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs

1/2 cup roasted tomatoes, finely chopped (approximately three to four plum tomatoes roasted with a drizzle of olive oil until soft)

1/3 cup flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

1/4 cup roasted garlic, finely chopped (approximately a head of garlic roasted with a drizzle of olive oil until soft, then squeezed out of skin)

3 tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped

3 tablespoons roasted red peppers, finely chopped

2 tablespoons fire-roasted poblano chilies (packed in olive oil), finely chopped

1 egg

1/2 cup Alamos Malbec

2 teaspoons brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons paprika

1 1/4 teaspoons red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

5 Kaiser rolls for entree size burgers or 10 small potato rolls for sliders, split, toasted and lightly buttered

Olive oil

Watercress and sliced tomato for topping burgers

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.  In a large bowl, mix all burger ingredients, except rolls and olive oil, using your hands until evenly incorporated. Make into five large (entree size) or 10 small (slider size) patties and set aside.

Over high heat, heat an oven safe pan until drops of water skitter across its surface. Pour in enough olive oil to coat bottom of pan by 1/4 inch. Heat oil for 30 seconds. Place patties in pan, working in batches if necessary. Cook patties until browned on bottom and then flip and brown the other side. Remove burgers to baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Repeat until all burgers are browned.

Place burgers in preheated oven for roughly 5 to 7 minutes for medium doneness. Place on grilled buns and top with watercress, sliced plum tomato and Creole Mustard Tomato Jam. Serve hot.

Creole Mustard Tomato Jam

Ingredients:

1/3 cup Alamos Red Blend

1/3 cup crushed grape tomatoes

2 1/2 tablespoons blackberry or raspberry jam (with seeds)

1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/3 cup stone ground or Creole mustard

Directions:

Cook down all ingredients except mustard in a small saucepan, stirring constantly until thick and relatively uniform in consistency. Mash all bits of tomato into sauce.  Remove from heat and place in a nonreactive bowl to cool. When just above room temperature, stir in mustard.