PAIRING

NOTES

Sip, Cook, Repeat

DRINKING ON THE LINE IS PART OF THE JOB AT UNDERBELLY IN HOUSTON,
WHERE COOKS AND SOMMS COLLABORATE TO CREATE SPOT-ON PAIRINGS.
BY RAY ISLE FOOD PHOTOGRAPHS BY CON POULOS ADDITIONAL PHOTOGRAPHS BY JODY HORTON

Underbelly s
wine
director, Matthew -

FOOD STYLIST: SIMON ANDREWS; PROP STYLIST: KAITLYN DU ROSS WALKER

Pridgen, pours
wine for the
kitchen crew and
chef Chris
Shepherd (far
right).

THE NEXT TIME you sit down at a restaurant
and order your bottle of Chianti or Cabernet,
consider this: The chefs cooking your meal, in
all likelihood, have never tasted it. Ever.
Strange situation, right? The front-of- house
folks-the servers, the managers, of course the sommeliers-taste
wine all the time. They have to, otherwise what are they supposed
to say when someone asks, So this Italian white by the glass-
whats it like? They taste the dishes on the menu for the same
reason. But the people cooking the food that will actually go with
that wine, like the grill-station guy? Or the prep cook whos been
chiffonading basil for six hours straight? What are the odds that
theyve tried that gorgeous 2012 Brunello di Montalcino that went
on the list the other day at $24 a glass?
If you guessed zero, youre probably right-except, that is, at
Houstons Underbelly. Last year, wine director Matthew Pridgen
and chef-owner Chris Shepherd (a 2013 F&W Best New
Chef)started an unprecedented weekly blind wine-tasting for the
kitchen staff. They dubbed it Wine on the Line. After service ends
and the restaurant locks its doors, Pridgen sets out glasses on the
pass between the kitchen and the dining room, and everyone
starts tasting and brainstorming pairings.
Its the whole line, from pastry chefs to the grill station, every
Wednesday, he says. The cooks are very dialed in to the food,
thinking about whats in season, whats going to come across
flavor-wise in a dish. So they taste from that standpoint-they look
at saltiness, savoriness, acidity, balance.
Part of the point is to give the kitchen staff a chance to sample
wines on the restaurants list (finally!). But more importantly, the
exercise helps them to look at the food theyre cooking in a new
way, and to draw inspiration from the experience. One week, for
instance, Pridgen poured the cooks a Moric Blaufrankisch-a

AP R IL 2017 20 FOLLOW US @FOOD AND WINE

cherry-scented, exotic Austrian red. None of them had ever had Blaufrankisch before, he recalls. I dont know that theyd even
had an Austrian wine of any

AP R IL 2017 21 FOLLOW US @FOOD AND WINE

 lAfatch what unfolds atjlohr.com/YouKnowJLoh

I-1.01 III

Riverstone Chardonnay
 Pairing Notes * Underbelly

kind. But they loved its earthiness and spiciness, and a week later Whole Roast Snapper 4 small heads of baby bok
choy (1V2 lbs.),
they came back with a seared gochujang flank steak to go with it. with Sichuan Butter
trimmed and cut into 2-
The dish appeared on the menu paired with chef Shepherds Active 30 min; Total 1
inch pieces
peppery Korean pasta salad (p. 28). Pridgen adds, I think the hr Serves 4
V cup Chinkiang vinegar
tastings have really elevated the level of their cooking-plus the 6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, at
(Chinese black vinegar)
room temperature
knowledge is something that will stick with them throughout 1 tsp. hot chile oil 1 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil
their careers. Shepherd himself might be the model for this entire 1 tsp. finely ground Sichuan 1. Preheat the oven to
exercise: Early in his career, he took a break from cooking to work peppercorns
Kosher salt and pepper 375. In a small skillet,
as a sommelier, specifically to understand the intricacies of how
cook 3 tablespoons of
wine and food interact. 1 Tbsp. canola oil, plus
more for greasing the butter over
Learning about wine doesnt preclude the risk of getting moderately high heat,
One 2V2-lb. whole red
pranked by your head sommelier, though. Pridgen says, One snapper, cleaned stirring, until the milk
night I snuck into the kitchen and decanted one of our cooking 1 leek, white and light green solids are golden, 3 to
wines, then served it to everyone blind. When he revealed what parts only, halved 5 min- utes. Transfer to
the glasses had in them, I got called a few unprintable names, but lengthwise, thinly sliced a small bowl; let cool
crosswise
everyone did finally admit it was a useful lesson. The stunt brings completely. Using a
1 large garlic clove, minced
up a key restaurant question, though: Is it really wise to mess with fork, mix in the chile
oil, peppercorns and
the cooks?
remaining 3
The answer is, almost certainly not. Oh, yeah, Pridgen
tablespoons of butter.
admits. Theyre definitely going to get me back at some point. Im
Season the Sichuan
just waiting to see how. butter with salt and
refrigerate until
spreadable, 10
minutes.
2. Grease a rimmed
baking sheet with
canola oil. Using a
knife, make 4 shallow
slashes on each side
of the fish. Season

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 Pairing Notes * Underbelly

AP R IL 2017 4 FOLLOW US @FOOD AND WINE

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T SOIL, THE
SUNLIGHT,
AND THE
NEXT GENERATION
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with salt and pepper and transfer
to the baking sheet. Roast for 15
minutes, then spread the Sichuan Pile the bok choy around the fish
butter on top of the fish. Roast for and drizzle with the sesame oil.
about 20 minutes longer, basting Serve right away.
occasionally, until the thickest part
of the flesh flakes with a fork.
3. Meanwhile, in a large
skillet, heat the 1
tablespoon of canola
oil. Add the leek and
garlic and cook over
moderately high heat,
stirring, until just soft-
ened, 3 minutes. Add
the bok choy and a
pinch of salt. Stir-fry
until the bok choy is
just wilted, 3 to 5
minutes. Remove from
the heat and stir in the
vinegar. Season with
salt and pepper.
4. Using a large, thin
spatula, transfer the
fish to a platter and
AP R IL 2017
Pairing Notes * Underbelly
spoon any pan juices Vietnamese Steak au
on top.
Poivre
Total 1 hr 15 min; Serves 4
Try this fish sauce-spiked steak
with a peppery Crozes-Hermit-
age from France's Rhone Valley,
like the 2013 Emmanuel Darnaud
Les Trois Chenes.
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
One 1V2-inch cinnamon
stick
1 star anise
2 Tbsp. Asian fish sauce
1 Tbsp. light brown sugar
2 cups beef stock or low-
sodium broth
V2 cup heavy cream
2 tsp. black peppercorns,
crushed
Kosher salt and pepper
24
For this rich steak au
poivre, the cooks at
Underbelly were
inspired by smoky,
spicy Rhone reds.
1V2 lbs. small heads of
broccoli, cauliflower and/or
Romanesco
3 Tbsp. canola oil
1 cup mayonnaise
V cup yellow mustard
V cup apple cider vinegar
V tsp. hot sauce, preferably
Tabasco
V2 medium red onion, thinly
sliced (1 cup)
2 Tbsp. roasted unsalted
sunflower seeds
Four 6-oz. center-cut beef
tenderloin steaks
1. In a medium
saucepan, melt the
butter. Add the onion
and garlic and cook
over moderate heat,
stirring occasionally,
until softened, about 8
minutes. Add the
cinnamon stick and
star anise and cook,
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 Pairing Notes * Underbelly

stirring, until fragrant, Stir in the fish sauce and sugar discard the solids. Return the Working in batches,
about 1 minute. and cook for 1 minute. Add the sauce to the sauce- pan and stir cook over moderately
stock and simmer over moder- in the crushed peppercorns. high heat, turning
ately high heat until reduced to 1 Season with salt and keep warm. occasionally, until
cup, about 15 minutes. Add the 2. Heat a large cast-iron lightly charred all over
cream and simmer until the sauce skillet. In a large bowl, and crisp- tender,
is thickened and reduced by half, toss the broccoli, about 15 minutes.
about 10 minutes longer. Strain cauliflower and Roma- Transfer to a work
the sauce through a fine-mesh nesco with 1 surface and let cool.
sieve set over a medium bowl; tablespoon of the oil. Cut into bite-size

AP R IL 2017 25 FOLLOW US @FOOD AND WINE

 2C/6
i
MKMD
fMMM
(/i'/)s6 /t/ta i/

BRINGING OUR FAMILY

TRADITION TO YOUR
TABLE

v* .
 fEPMDi cnenno
no ca ferrari-carano.com Ferrari-Carano is a Certified California
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 pieces and wipe out the bowl. In the bowl,
whisk the mayonnaise with the mustard,
vinegar and hot sauce until smooth.
ADVERTISEME
NT Fold in the charred vegetables, the red
Pairing Notes Underbellyjalapeno, shallot, V cup of the
onion and sunflower seeds and season
the salad with salt. Wipe out the skillet.
3. In the skillet, heat the remaining
2 tablespoons of oil. Season the
steaks with salt and pepper and
cook over moderate heat,
turning once, until an instant-
read thermometer inserted in the
thickest part registers 125 for
medium-rare, 6 minutes per
side. Transfer to a work surface
and let rest for 5 minutes. Serve
with the peppercorn sauce and
the charred-vegetable salad.
Crispy Chicken Thighs
with Green Papaya Salad
PRESENTSTHE Active 1 hr; Total 4
hr Serves 4 to 6
MAP YOUR Pridgen suggests serving this dish with a
rose from Bandol. Tm a huge propo- nent
MOMENT of roseit's such a great food wine, he
says. Plus it can handle spice. If your
unripe papaya is firm but no longer green, it minutes, until golden brown and cooked
SWEEPSTAKES
will still work nicely here.
TRAVEL + LEISURE WILL 1V2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro, plus more
for garnish
SEND ONE WINNER AND 5 scallions, chopped, plus more thinly
sliced for garnish
AGUEST ON A WORLD'S 6 garlic cloves
BEST TRIP 1 jalapeno, stemmed and chopped 1
shallot, chopped 1 cup Asian fish sauce
V2 cup plus 2 Tbsp. light brown sugar
1 tsp. kosher salt
ENTER NOW FOR A 8 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs
CHANCE TO WIN A 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 Tbsp. canola oil
THREE-NIGHT
3 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
STAY* 1 Thai chile, stemmed and thinly sliced
AT A WORLDS BEST U.S. One 2V2-lb. unripe papaya peeled,
seeded and julienned (8 cups)
DESTINATION
1 large carrot, julienned 1 cup
TRAVELANDLEISURE.COM/ cherry tomatoes, halved
MAPYOURMOMENT Chopped roasted salted peanuts,
A IR FAR E + AC C OM M OD ATIONS INC LUD E D .
for garnish
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY.
Purchasing does not improve your chances of winning.
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Solutions Inc., 225 Liberty St., New York, NY 10281.
8 FOLLOW US @FOOD ANDWINE
1. In a blender, puree the 11/2
tablespoons of cilantro, the
chopped scallions, garlic,
fish sauce and V cup of the
sugar until smooth. Season with
the salt. Put the chicken in a
large resealable plastic bag and
pour in the marinade. Seal and
refrigerate for at least 2 hours or
up to 6 hours. Bring to room
temperature 30 minutes before
cooking.
2. Preheat the oven to 400 and
line
a large rimmed baking sheet with foil. In a
large skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter
in 1 tablespoon of the oil. Add half of the
chicken, skin side down, and cook over
moderately high heat until the skin is brown
and crispy, about 3 minutes. Reduce the
heat to moderate if the chicken starts to
brown too quickly. Transfer the chicken to
the prepared baking sheet skin side up and
repeat with the remaining butter, oil and
chicken. Transfer the baking sheet to the
oven and roast the chicken for about 25
through. Let rest for 5 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a large bowl,
whisk the lime juice with the Thai
chile and the remaining V cup of
fish sauce and
2 tablespoons of sugar. Add the papaya,
carrot and tomatoes and toss to coat.
4. Transfer the papaya salad to a
large platter or plates and top
with the roast chicken thighs.
Garnish with chopped cilantro,
sliced scallions and peanuts;
serve immediately.
Ham-Brined Pork Chops
Active 50 min; Total 1 hr 10 min plus
overnight brining; Serves 4
For incredibly juicy pork chops,
Shepherd soaks them overnight in a clas-
sic ham brine with honey and mustard
seeds. Pridgen likes to serve them with a
2013 Onward Hawkeye Ranch Pinot Noir
from California: The chops have a sweet-
salty flavor that is really exciting with the
Pinot's bright acidity.
4 cups warm
water V2
cup honey
V3 cup kosher salt, plus more for
seasoning
V2 Tbsp. black peppercorns V2 Tbsp.
yellow mustard seeds
Four 12-oz. bone-in pork rib chops
(1 inch thick)
1 pint cherry tomatoes 4 medium
shallots, halved 3 Tbsp. extra-
virgin olive oil
RAINCOATS
VIDEO Wm
FAST FOOu

2016 Capital One

 Pepper
2 Tbsp. sherry vinegar 2Vz Tbsp. canola
Active 50 min; Total 3 hr; Serves 4
oil V2 lb. sugar snap peas, trimmed V2
Pairing Notes Underbelly
Shepherd says that after the Korean War,
medium red onion, thinly sliced 1
/3 cup
chopped parsley
2 Tbsp. minced chives
1. In a large bowl, whisk the warm
water with the honey, V3 cup of
salt, the peppercorns and
mustard seeds until the honey
and salt are dissolved; let cool
completely. Add the pork chops
to the brine, cover and
refrigerate over- night. Bring to
room temperature in the brine
30 minutes before cooking.
2. Preheat the oven to 400. On a
large rimmed baking sheet, toss
the tomatoes with the shallots
and 1 tablespoon
of the olive oil and season with salt and
pepper. Roast for about 15 minutes, until
the tomatoes start to wrinkle and the
shallots are tender and lightly browned. Let
cool completely. Increase the oven
temperature to 425.
3. In a large bowl, whisk the
vinegar with 2 tablespoons of
the canola oil and the remaining
2 tablespoons of olive oil. Sea-
son the vinaigrette with salt and
pepper. Prepare an ice bath. In
a medium sauce- pan of salted
boiling water, cook the snap
peas until crisp-tender, about 1
minute. Drain and transfer to the
ice bath. Once the snap peas
are cool, drain well, pat dry and
transfer to the bowl with the vin-
aigrette. Gently fold in the
tomatoes, shallots, onion,
parsley and chives and season
with salt.
4. Remove the pork chops from the
brine and thoroughly pat dry with
paper towels; discard the brine.
Heat a large cast-iron skillet,
then add the remaining V
tablespoon of canola oil. Cook 2
pork chops over moderate heat,
turning once, until browned,
about 6 minutes. Transfer to a
plate and repeat with the
remaining 2 pork chops. Drain
off any excess fat from the
skillet. Return the pork chops to
the skillet and roast in the oven
for 8 to 10 minutes, until an
instant-read ther- mometer
inserted in the thickest part
registers 135. Transfer the pork
_ chops
PRESIDENT to a work surface and let rest for 5 minutes.
Serve with the snap pea salad.
LIFE WELL PAIRED 9 FOLLOW US @FOOD ANDWINE
Gochujang Flank Steak
and Korean Pasta Salad
pasta salad became part of Korea's
culinary repertoire. He serves his version
with a flank steak that his cooks came up
with after trying an earthy, fruity 2014 Moric
Blaufrankisch.
STEAK
6 Tbsp. gochujang (Korean
red pepper paste)
3 Tbsp. mirin
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 tsp. toasted sesame oil
4 garlic cloves
1 Tbsp. chopped peeled fresh ginger
One 2-lb. flank steak 1 Tbsp. canola oil
PASTA SALAD 1 lb. fusilli 1 cup
mayonnaise
3 Tbsp. gochujang
3 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise
1 medium yellow squash, halved
lengthwise
One 8-inch-long slice of pineapple
(from 1 peeled, quartered and cored
whole pineapple)
1 Tbsp. canola oil 1 cup
thawed frozen peas 3
scallions, thinly sliced
Kosher salt
1. Make the steak In a blender,
puree the gochujang with the
mirin, soy sauce, sesame oil,
garlic and ginger until smooth.
Put the flank steak in a large
resealable plastic bag and pour
in the marinade. Seal the bag
and refrigerate for at least 2
hours or up to 6 hours. Bring to
room temperature 30 minutes
before cooking.
2. Meanwhile, make the pasta salad
In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook
the fusilli until al dente. Drain and rinse
under cold water until cool; drain well. In a
large bowl, whisk the mayon- naise with the
gochujang and lime juice until smooth. Fold
in the fusilli.
YOUR
CREATIVI
TY.
U s e F r a n c e s f a v o r i t e b u t t e r
to add an authentic
E u r o p e a n t a s t e t o yo u r n e x t
b a t c h of m a d e l e i n e s .
It was such an Oh,
yeah moment when
the cooks tasted
Blaufrankisch and
then came back with
this spicy-sweet
flank steak, says
Pridgen. You could
see them putting two
and two together.

3. Heat a to a
large work
cast-iron surface
skillet. and let
Lightly cool. Cut
brush the
the vegetabl
zucchini, es and
squash fruit into
and %-inch

PRESI DENT
pineappl pieces
e with 1 and add
tablespo to the
on of the pasta.
oil and Fold in
cook the peas
over and
moderat scallions
e heat, and
turning season
once, with salt.
until Wipe out
charred the
and skillet.
tender,
about 8
minutes.
Transfer
4. Heat the into the
skillet, thickest
then add part
1 registers
tablespo 125 for
on of oil. medium-
Remove rare, 5 to
the 6
steak minutes
from the per side.
mari- 5. Transfer
nade, the
letting steak to
the a work
excess surface
drip off, and let
andcook rest for 5
over minutes.
moderat Thinly
e heat, slice and
turning serve
once, with the
until an pasta
instant- salad.
read
MAKE AHEAD The
thermom
pasta salad can be
eter
refrigerated
inserted
overnight.