Best Red Wine for Cooking Beef: Our Best Cooking Wine Guide

Best Cooking Wines for Beef Buying Guide

What to Look for in a Cooking Wine for Beef

If you are a newbie when it comes to cooking wine with beef, you’ve come to the right place for wine-buying tips.

If you’re a wine connoisseur who wants to branch out for the wines you already use, you have also come to the right place!Our top tip is to go for the wines you enjoy. There is no point cooking with a red wine that you find utterly disgusting when you drink it alone.

Of course, the wine won’t be a standout ingredient in a beef meal as wine is designed to enhance flavors, but it might be the difference between a meal you sort of enjoy and a meal you love. As people are more likely to accompany their meal with a glass of wine (legally, of course), you should probably drink the wine you enjoy rather than one that sounds better than it tastes, right? Another tip we have is to use high-quality wine. Not all high-quality wines are super expensive, so don’t assume that higher-priced wines will be better! Of course, if your taste buds naturally prefer low-quality wines, this is fine.

However, if you’re looking to enhance your beef meals to mimic restaurant-quality food, high-quality wines are the best option. If you’re looking for a wine specifically for cooking beef, we recommend going for young wines. These wines will not have been aged for long and are only a few years old.

Also read: Whats a good red wine for cooking beef stew?

They will offer a moderate amount of tannins and lovely fruity flavors, which is great for complimenting beef.

Types of Red Wine

There are a multitude of red wines available, but here are the most popular ones for cooking with beef:

• Cabernet Sauvignon – This is considered one of the most “serious” wines by wine lovers. Cabernet Sauvignon is dry, savory, and high in acidity. This is the best wine for cooking a variety of red meat dishes.
• Malbec – Malbec is right in the middle between dry and fruity wines. It is somewhat an all-rounder in the red wine world and is generally liked by everyone. Not only is it tasty alone, but it goes wonderfully with red meat meals such as bolognese.
• Merlot – Merlot, in the simplest of terms, is a fruitier version of a Malbec. For this reason, this wine is less popular for red meat meals that go better with savory wines.
• Pinot Noir – Pinot Noir is notorious for being difficult to make. This wine offers a lovely balance between dry and fruity, and also comes with hints of herbal and earthy flavors. Depending on what it ages in, the wine might have an essence of oak or tobacco. Burgundy wine is made with Pinot Noir grapes and is more of a dry red wine.

Wine Terminology

For wine beginners, it can be difficult to understand the terminology without rushing to Google to look for translations.

You might not want to come across as “naïve” when it comes to asking questions – you just want to know what tastes good and what doesn’t. Fortunately for you, nobody is going to judge you for looking up wine terminology. Whether you’re looking for terminology explanations, or you want to impress your friends at your next dinner party – here’s wine terminology (for dummies).

• Varietal – Varietal wines are made from one type of grape variety. Some varietal wines include Pinot Noir, Merlot, Chardonnay, and some Cabernet Sauvignons.
• Wine Blends – These are wines that are made from more than one grape variety. This includes Red Bordeaux, Port, and Meritage.
• Color – You’re probably thinking “isn’t it just a matter of white or red wine?”. To some extent, you are right. However, the color of a wine can determine the types of flavors or aromas that the wine might have. Experts will swivel this around a glass to inspect the different colors in a wine. For example, some red wines will show hints of pink, brown, or purple hues.
• Aroma / Nose – This refers to, you guessed it, what the wine smells like. Beginners may struggle with this as most red wines mostly smell alike, however, experts can determine the type of wine and the taste of wine by its scent alone. Like with the color of wine, this will all come with practice!
• Tannins – Tannins come from the grapes and fruits that are squeezed to make wine. Young wines will have the lowest tannin count, as they haven’t been pressed as long as older wines. The tannins can provide different textures depending on the wine. Wines such as Cabernet Sauvignon are high in tannins (also called tannic), which is why it is characteristically dry and can be aged well.

Why to Cook Beef With Wine

Wine is an awesome key ingredient in beef dinners. The alcohol content in wines helps to bring out flavor molecules in beef and other foods that are accompanied with the beef – such as garlic or onions. It also helps to break down and dissolve fats, which is great for those wanting to eat beef whilst on a diet.The alcohol must be cooked off when you add wine to a sauce to prevent the alcoholic taste. Remember – wine is meant to enhance the flavors of the food, not overpower them!We love to slow-cook red wine in a beef stew to allow sufficient time for the alcohol to burn off – plus it helps to break up cheap beef so it’s less chewy.The rule of thumb for cooking wine with beef is to pair flavors together. Rich meats should go with rich wines, and sweet meat-based meals should go with sweet wines.

Also read: The 5 Best Cooking Wines For Beef In 2022

Bolognese and other tomato-based meals, for example, benefit most from fruit wines as they complement tomatoes the best. Grilled beef should be paired with rich wines that are high in tannins such as Shiraz.Wine actually offers an array of health benefits. The occasional glass of red wine provides antioxidants that can protect the heart against inflammation and disease. Whilst some may have heard this about white wine, red wine holds more antioxidants. Red wine is also said to be a preventative against some cancers and has anti-aging properties. Great excuse to drink it – and the same goes for eating food that includes wine!

FAQ’s

Is Merlot or Shiraz better for cooking?

Shiraz is better for cooking with red meat, whilst Merlot can be used with any food. This is because Shiraz has a higher tannin count than Merlot and is darker in color, which is generally more ideal for cooking red meat.

Merlot is softer and more ideal for sauces, other meats such as pork, and cooking with fish.

What can I substitute for red wine in beef stew?

If you choose to not include red wine in your food, or perhaps you don’t have a bottle available, there are some substitutes for red wine in a beef stew.

Also read: What Is A Good Dry Red Wine For Cooking Beef?

Broth is the best substitute for a beef stew and it works to enhance the flavors of the red meat. Beef broth is designed specifically for beef, so it only makes sense to use more broth instead of red wine.Red grape juice is great for those who prefer a sweet kick in a beef stew. Tomatoes and tomato paste can offer more acidity and richer color. If those don’t appeal to you, you can always use non-alcoholic red wine! Just make sure you get 100% alcohol-free wine, as some bottles can include a small amount of alcohol.

Can kids eat food cooked with wine?

As long as the alcohol has been reduced during the cooking time, kids can eat food cooked with wine. This alcohol burns off whilst it cooks, so little to no alcoholic content remains.

Even if the food does have an alcohol content, it won’t be enough to make a child drunk in any way. Cooking wine is all about enhancing the flavor of food.

How long does it take for wine to reduce?

It usually takes between 15 and 30 minutes for the wine to reduce whilst cooking. This should be on a simmer because turning up the heat on a stove can over-reduce the wine and even make the food taste bitter.

Don’t count out marsala or another fortified wine. A dry white wine can be great to cook with particularly if you need pan sauce for your savory dish. White cooking wine is very useful for a cream sauce. I’ve always enjoyed a good Riesling.