Final entry on Drink on $30 -- Eat on $30.
The food part of this wasn't a lot of fun. Though I enjoyed the challenge, I often didn't take the prep time, or the right strategy to really make this truly enjoyable. Friday night's dinner was a prime example.
-Side Strip / End / Butt / Round- Tough A@*! Steak with Brussels sprouts, Mushrooms, Peppers and Celery. Paired with "Wrongo Dongo". Yep, something called "WRONGO DONGO"
Though I could have bought some much better cuts of meat, this untanned hide was the cheapest thing on the shelf- Coming in somewhere under $3.75 lb.
FUD:
This meal was pretty self explanatory-
1/2 Lb of tough love (beef)
1lb of Brussel Sprouts
1 Orange Pepper
1/2 Container Mushrooms (left over from previous meal)
Remnants of Celery
Garlic, Herbs, S&P
Brown Rice.
(Total Cost-- $6.00 w/ 2 meals from it)
The Brussels sprouts actually turned out great. Tossed in oil, salt and pep, a little garlic, and thrown in a 450F oven for about half an hour. The peppers, mushrooms and celery just quickly stir fried, and then the beef. My issue with the meat was that I should have really cooked this slow, let it break down and attempt tenderness. Short on time, I dropped it in a pan, cooked it just under medium rare, and it was tough as a turtle's leg and have the flavor of an old Birkenstock.
Wine:
2006 Bodegas Juan Gil "Wrongo Dongo"
(Spain, Murcia, Jumilla) Monastrell variety. $7.99 at Ansley Wine Merchants or elsewhere in the US via Snooth. Jorge Ordoñez Selections
Cherry red with medium depth. Aromas of mixed berry, some smoked meat, and a little dusty. Medium+ bodied, with some pretty jammy/stewy fruit (is there such thing as plum pie?), nice acidity,, medium tannins, and a decent finish.
For under $8, this is a solid red. It has some depth, is not totally in your face, and is very food friendly. Another interesting bottle that I'd be happy to have as inexpensive BBQ / Burger / Pizza juice.
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Looking back on the week's wines-- The most expensive was the South African Rose at $9.99 and the two Protocolo's were $5.99 each. Not that I'm always loadin' and unloadin'' off with bottles of Krug, but the sub- $10 price point is relatively uncharted water for me.
ALL of the wines were very drinkable, and I thank Amber at Ansley Wine Merchants for putting these bottles together for me!
When I think about these bottles and what separates them from what I usually pay up for (even in the value category)-- a sense of something artisanal. (As much as I hate to use that word.) Though they had character, it was often on the surface, or just below. BUT- for $6 you can find a bottle of wine that is the price of a six pack and use it to enhance your meal and the time you spend with friends.
Though I'll be happy to shift gears a little more up-market next week, the wine part of this was an enjoyable, and much needed exercise.
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Totals-
Wine: $30*on the nose
Food: $44* (this included some cheating. $6 at Willy's, $12 at Chat Patti, $3.50 at Octane Coffee)
For $30, I consumed 4 bottles. Which is 1-2 more than I open in a week.
Food was tough. I got really tired of leftovers, and needed a little variety and to get out of the house. Though difficult, it made me spend more time looking at what I bought. What was on sale, what was on special, what did I have coupons for, and that what was leftover had to be eaten.
