When, wandering along the Marche coastline, I stopped at Fattoria Le Terrazze and bought a bottle of Sassi Neri Conero Riserva 2008, I had no idea when the right moment to open it would be. Its high alcohol content and robust body made me think of a cold winter evening by a lit fireplace, but the moment came much sooner.
The moment to uncork it came when my wife decided to surprise me by preparing a beautiful lomo saltado for dinner, one of the signature dishes of the renowned cucina peruviana. It is an extremely complex dish in which the richness of the beef and the sweet tendency of the potatoes blend with the heat of the aji, the aromatics of coriander and onion, and the acidity of tomatoes and vinegar.
Lomo Saltado is a dish with deep roots in Peru, where it appears to have been coined about a hundred years ago by a "chifa" (Chinese-Peruvian) tavern; today this dish is perhaps the most well-known in Peruvian cuisine!
As soon as I saw that delicious dish on the table, I thought of that versatile wine, bought almost by chance on a midsummer evening.
Now for the recipe!
Ingredients for 6 people:
- 500 grams of lomo (beef tenderloin)
- 250 grams of onion
- 3 yellow-flesh potatoes
- 3 tomatoes
- 1 fresh ají (Peruvian chili pepper)
- 3 teaspoons of wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon of aji powder
- cumin to taste
- oregano
- salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
Cut the meat into strips and place in a bowl or on a plate, season with salt, pepper, a drizzle of olive oil, lime juice, and garlic cut into small cubes.
Leave to marinate for at least 20 minutes.
Cook the meat over high heat for a few minutes until it is no longer pink.
Lower the temperature to medium and add the onion cut into thin strips.
Cook for about 1 minute, stirring occasionally.
Add the tomatoes and red pepper cut into strips.
Continue cooking until the onions soften.
Meanwhile, separately fry the potatoes cut into strips and add them to the other ingredients.
Add the red wine and cilantro.
Remove from heat after a couple of minutes.
The wine and its structure are the ideal partner for the flavorful Lomo!
The impenetrable ruby red color of the Sassi Neri and its consistency anticipate the imposing body that will prove to be the defining element of this wine.
On the nose it is intense, refined, and absolutely complex, with aromas of small fruits and dried flowers blending with notes of spice, licorice, and varnish that the barrel has gifted to this wine.
On the palate, the Sassi Neri displays all the powerful musculature of Montepulciano, bolstered by its alcoholic component.
Balanced, tannic, and savory.
Intensity and persistence are certainly not lacking in this wine, which can now be considered ready and harmonious, deserving a score close to 85 points.
What do you think?
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