Acompaniments for smoked meat

[Stone]

What's best wine to drink with smoked meat?

[Jaymes]

pico de gallo.

Is pico de gallo the same as salsa, or a specific type of salsa.

Well - if you use "salsa" to mean "sauce," then pico de gallo (gah-yo) is a kind of "sauce," I guess.

But really, it's more of a relish or garnish.

Like - would you call pickle relish a sauce?

Pico is usually not cooked. It's raw vegetables chopped up. It's crunchy. It sometimes has no additional seasoning. Most people - when they first start out making pico - they're disappointed. They want it to be a salsa and be good on chips. Often what they make isn't much good on chips, but it's still great as a garnish/relish on tacos, hamburgers, that kind of thing, where you'd want to put some chopped up fresh onions, tomatoes, peppers.

Salsa is often (okay, usually) cooked - with a runnier base.

When you get the grilled southwestern meats to which I referred, it's wonderful to pull off some meat, put it in a tortilla, add some crunchy "Mexican relish" (pico). To this, you might well add some salsa also.

The taste (and especially) texture of pico are usually different from salsa, and it's quite common to combine the two at the table.

I've posted my recipe for pico de gallo somewhere here on eGullet (I think it's in the carnitas thread).

Edited March 26, 2003 by Jaymes (log)

[Stone]

Sounds like when I've seen pico, it was being used interchangeably with salsa. My guess is that some want-to-be-different restaurant just called their salsa pico.

[CathyL]

What's best wine to drink with smoked meat?

Something with lots of fruit and soft tannins. Australian Shiraz/Cabernets are great; Pinot Noir are nice too. Lately I've been leaning toward Tempranillos and Portuguese Daos. Zins are good if they're not too huge. On the other hand, I once served a Coturri Zin with brisket. It was fabulous, but everyone was flattened the next day.

I had a Weinert Carrascal recently with lightly smoked leg of lamb. Nice match.

[NewYorkTexan]

What's best wine to drink with smoked meat?

I guess that really depends on the type of smoked meat.

I think Syrah and Zin are the classic pairings for brisket. I know folks who swear by champagne, although I have never tried that combination.

You might want to look at the Blue Smoke wine list for other ideas. Danny Myer was quoted that he put a lot of thought into crafting a wine list that paired well with the menu.

Blue smoke menu/wine list

[Stone]

I was kind of joking about the wine.

However, at my last smoked meat festival, I served Ballantrae Shiraz, 2000, Australia, which the wine folks loved.

[CathyL]

I'd rather drink beer with pulled pork but I have some misguided friends who insist on wine.

[fifi]

I just got on and was about to post the Jiffy recipe. I see Jaymes beat me. I have done that for years. You can add all kinds of stuff to it and it still works. I like green chiles and plenty of cheese.

Jiffy corn pudding, coleslaw, thinly sliced red onion with lime juice s&p (sometimes combined with julienne of jicama), jalapenos, tortillas. A friend of mine makes the coleslaw with onion and the dressing is one half mayonaise and one half Wishbone Italian dressing. Delish.

[elyse]

What's "half and half?", asked the dumb Brit.

Or some people refer to it as "light cream."

Light cream and half & half are different products.

[bigbear]

German potato salad.

[Jaymes]

What's "half and half?", asked the dumb Brit.

Or some people refer to it as "light cream."

Light cream and half & half are different products.

Yep. But if Wilfrid has never heard of Half & Half, thought perhaps the term "light cream" might be more descriptive. And, at the time, remembered that he is a Brit, but forgot that he lives in the States. So the thought had crossed my mind that perhaps Half & Half is an American product that he can't get over there.

And, if he is making something that calls for Half & Half, figured light cream would probably work.

[col klink]

Big, heavy red wines. Preferably of the Cotes du Rhone variety.

Veggie sides: roasted asparagus, german tater salad and Zantac 75.

Often I like a reduction sauce from the marinade and bolstered either with cream or butter. But mustard based 'que sauces are a favorite too.

My favorite sides for brisket however are pickles, onions and cheap white bread with a little hot sauce and a pepper bbq sauce. Just like they do in Texas.

[elyse]

Good points Jaymes. My apologies!

[southern girl]

Drink: Ice Cold Beer

Side: Sweet Potatoes (either mashed or cubed and roasted in butter and brown sugar)

[KatieLoeb]

I'd rather drink beer with pulled pork but I have some misguided friends who insist on wine.

All the wine suggestions so far are excellent. Go for "spicy" reds (Cotes du Rhone, Zinfandels [cautiously], Tempranillo or Rioja, even a serious Beaujolais like a Morgon would be great) with softer tannins and you can't go wrong.

Another delicious option for the non-beer drinkers would be a good dry hard cider. I really love that with BBQ and smoked meat.

[Varmint]

Of course, you can serve it with "sweet tea," which is the only drink that truly goes with NC barbecue.

[col klink]

Of course, you can serve it with "sweet tea," which is the only drink that truly goes with NC barbecue. 

What, no bourbon?

[Ron Johnson]

I like St. Joseph, Crozes Hermitage, or bottle-aged Cornas with smoked meats. On the side I like some pickled veggies like peppers, cornichons, etc. I also like some good dark bread and a good mustard.

If its Memphis style smoke shoulder then I like cole slaw and white bread.

[Stone]

Of course, you can serve it with "sweet tea," which is the only drink that truly goes with NC barbecue. 

A scroll on CNN this morning said that the Georgia House is considering a bill to require sweet tea to be served at any restaurant serving regular tea.

What the hell is sweet tea?

[CathyL]

Brewed Lipton's on ice with a LOT of sugar (or simple syrup) added. Among most of my Suthrun pals, 'sweet tea' is redundant; they wouldn't drink the stuff any other way.

[Ron Johnson]

What the hell is sweet tea?

In the South "sweet tea" means tea that was made with the sugar so that it totally dissolves into the mix while its hot. Southerners don't like to add sugar to iced tea at the table because it will not dissolve into the cold solution and simply falls to the bottom.

[juuceman]

In the South "sweet tea" means tea that was made with the sugar so that it totally dissolves into the mix while its hot. Southerners don't like to add sugar to iced tea at the table because it will not dissolve into the cold solution and simply falls to the bottom

hence the explosion in availability of sugar water/simple syrup in coffee shops all over nyc.. so nice to simply add some to your iced coffee and not have a sludge of sugar crystals on the bottom.. or so i'm told..

Edited March 26, 2003 by juuceman (log)

[Ron Johnson]

hence the explosion in availability of sugar water/simple syrup in coffee shops all over nyc.. so nice to simply add some to your iced coffee and not have a sludge of sugar crystals on the bottom.. or so i'm told..

We are expecting this recent development in beverage sweetening technology to hit down in these parts in about 2025. I'll let you know how it goes over.

[elyse]

I kind of like clinketty clinking the sugar around the bottom of the glass.

[JAZ]

I'd rather drink beer with pulled pork but I have some misguided friends who insist on wine.

All the wine suggestions so far are excellent. Go for "spicy" reds (Cotes du Rhone, Zinfandels [cautiously], Tempranillo or Rioja, even a serious Beaujolais like a Morgon would be great) with softer tannins and you can't go wrong.

Another delicious option for the non-beer drinkers would be a good dry hard cider. I really love that with BBQ and smoked meat.

I know this will sound strange (I was skeptical until I tried it) but cold sake goes really well with barbecue. Dry cider is good too.