Good Saturday Evening Everone! Busy day behind me (2 basketball games & a birthday party), and soooo good to have tonight to enjoy and nice dinner and wine pairing.
Tonight's recipe was pretty easy. It's one I used to do more often, and I don't remember where it originally came from, and I've made my own variation to it, anyway. Here goes... Pounded out some pork chops (since I didn't buy the thin cut ones), seasoned with freshely ground salt & pepper and put in a pan with hot EVOO. Cooked a few minutes on each side. Take them out to a plate and cover with foil. In the pan, I poured in a can of diced tomatoes (with juices), a teaspoon of herbes de provence and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Simmer and let that thicken about 12-15 minutes (keeping an eye that it doesn't burn), then put the pork chops back in with the juices from the plate to get some of the sauce on it. Place the pork chops on a serving plate and top with the tomato sauce. I don't know why I don't make this more often. It's really easy. I just served it over egg noodles tonight.
And onto the wine. I told Matt to pick something off the rack, and make it Italian. So, he came up with the 2009 Ocone Piedirosso. This is a grape I hadn't heard of before, but it's Italian ~ how bad could it be. I'm not sure I've met an Italian wine I haven't liked, yet. We're not entirely sure where it came from, but we think this was a gift from a customer of Matt's (this is what happens when there's too much stuff on the rack, we forget where some of it came from). Piedirosso is planted primarily in the Campania region, and is considered a specialty of that region, often used for blending.
The color is a gorgeous deep red, not quite purple. On the nose, very cherry with a little smoke. At first taste, slight acidity that quickly dissipates. Again, nice cherry with a little spice. Super light tannins, which is nice, it doesn't need much time to open up. When I asked Matt if he liked it, he said absolutely, 'I'd buy it". So, I just looked it up to check prices, and what came up? Amanti Vino came up first on Bing. $16.99. Perfect. (Makes me wonder if we got it from there? Or, maybe his customer did?). Who knows.
It won't be the last time we have this, now that I know where to easily get it! That's it for tonight! There's a fire roaring, and we're getting ready to watch A Good Year with Russell Crowe.
In Vino Veritas!
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