Pinnacle Ridge shares Chili Cook-off recipes

The latest edition of Pinnacle Ridge's e-newsletter is out and it contains the recipes for the two chilis that owners Brad and Christy made and served to visitors as part of their Chili Cook-off. Here are the details (and the recipes!):

Last month's Chambourcin weekend was a blast. Our customers had a great time voting for their favorite chili. As many guessed, husband and winemaker Brad provided the meat chili recipe. Wife Christy made the  vegetarian chili. The results: Meat won on Saturday, Veggie on Sunday! Meat numbers were slightly higher overall: 180 votes to 167. Not a bad showing for either!
 
Special thanks to our daughter’s best friend, Cait Rodriquez, sous chef, for chopping all the onions, garlic and other veggies that went into two great chilis!

  NOT YOUR MOMMA’S CHILLI
  Serves 6-8

  1 ½ pounds boneless beef chuck cubed
  1 pound pork shoulder cubed
  ½ pound onions, chopped
  1 red pepper, chopped
  1 ½ cans whole plum tomatoes with juice (28 oz. cans)
  ½ cup of Pinnacle Ridge Chambourcin red wine
  1 cup of beef stock
  ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  1 tablespoon cumin
  ¼ cup of chili powder
  Salt
  Black pepper
  1 can black beans (19 ounce can)

Brown cubed meat in small batches in a tall stockpot in vegetable or olive oil. Avoid putting too much meat into the pan at one time; the goal is to quickly brown the meat on all sides. Remove meat and saute onion and red peppers until just slightly soft. Add garlic and chili pepper and sauté until you can smell the garlic being careful not to burn the garlic. Add tomatoes, wine, pork, beef, and beef stock; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and add cumin, chili powder, salt, black pepper, and cayenne.  Simmer the chili for at least three hours or until meat falls apart.  Add the black beans and simmer another 20 minutes.  Enjoy with a glass of 2008 Chambourcin Reserve!

  VEGETARIAN CHILI
  Serves 6-8

  1/3 cup olive oil
  2 cups finely chopped onions
  ¾ cup chopped celery
  1 cup chopped green peppers
  1 cup chopped carrots
  1 tablespoon minced garlic
  2 cups chopped mushrooms
  (we used a mix of button and oyster mushrooms)
  ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  1 tablespoon ground cumin
  ¾ teaspoon dried basil
  3 tablespoons chili powder
  ¾ teaspoon dried oregano
  2 teaspoons salt
  ½ teaspoon pepper
  2 cups tomato juice
  ¾ cup bulgur wheat
  2 cups chopped tomatoes
  2 cups (1 20-ounce can) drained kidney beans
  1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  ¼ cup Pinnacle Ridge Chambourcin red wine
  2 tablespoons chopped canned green chilies (or to
  taste)

Have all the ingredients chopped and ready. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet.  Over high heat, add the onions and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the celery, green peppers, carrots, garlic, mushrooms, spices, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring for 1-2 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients.  Bring to a boil, stirring.  Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes uncovered.  Serve with a bit of shredded jack cheese on top.  Enjoy with a glass of 2008 Chambourcin!

We like to cook with wine, and sometimes we even put some in the food!

We might be excellent wine makers but we're also lovers of good food. After all, what does better with one of our vintages than a homemade meal?

So we've started a series called Cooking with Wine on our Facebook fan page featuring recipes from our member wineries. There are desserts, appetizers, entrees and even drinks.

If you're a Facebook member and aren't already a fan of our page, then we invite you to become one today. Once on our fan page, click on the Notes tab toward the top of the page to see the recipes we've collected so far. Why not print a few out to try at home this weekend? Then post a reply comment here and a photo to our fan page and let us know how what you made turned out.

And if you like these recipes, be sure to pick up a copy of our Lehigh Valley Wine Trail Cookbook at the next Lehigh Valley winery you visit! 

Here's a sample recipe from Mary Sorrenti, owner of Sorrenti Cherry Valley Vineyards in Saylorsburg, to get you started:

Rosemary Garlic Cream Wine Sauce over Cheese Ravioli
Put 2 cups white wine (Cayuga or Chardonnay), 3 or 4 springs fresh rosemary finely chopped and reduce (about 20 min.). Should be around 1/2 cup when finished.

Saute 5 cloves of fresh garlic finely chopped in 1/4 cup good olive oil until very light brown. At the end of saute add hot peppers to liking (we use a Peruvian pepper).

Combine wine, garlic saute and one pint heavy cream, simmer on very low for about 15 minutes.

Serve over cheese ravioli, put good Parmesan on ravioli before topping with the sauce. Sprinkle more cheese and serve with Chardonnay or Cayuga.