California Pinot Noir was, as I expected, a fantastic week. All three wines were delicious (see the reviews here, here, and here), with the Babcock and Sean Minor wines making particularly great showings. I had to pick one, however, and (perhaps not 
surprisingly) Babcock won out.
When deciding what to cook for the 2008 Babcock Rita’s Earth Pinot Noir, I knew I wanted to play upon the savory “bacon” flavor in the wine without, as one might say, completely porking out. So, instead of a straight pork dish, I decided to instead make a beef roulade* filled with speck (smoked prosciutto), burrata cheese and basil. The thinly sliced pork gives just enough salty kick to bring home the bacon in the wine, while the cheese and basil provide a summer fresh twist and the tender beef gives the entire dish the depth and balance it needed to fully compliment the wine.
Ideally, you want the meat you use for a roulade to be as thin as possible. I had planned on pounding down my flank steak with a meat tenderizer, but J and I spent last weekend on my parents’ boat on Catalina Island, and the meat tenderizer I was convinced would be there was, unfortunately, not. As such, my roulade didn’t quite roll the way I intended, and the too-thick slice of beef slightly overwhelmed the flavors of the pork, cheese and basil. With that in mind, the following is how you should make a roulade to pair with the 2008 Babcock Rita’s Earth Pinot Noir.
Beef Roulade Stuffed with Speck, Burrata and Basil
Serves 2
Ingredients
- 1 lb. skirt or flank steak
- 6-8 slices thinly sliced speck or prosciutto
- About 4-6 ounces burrata cheese, excess water squeezed out
- A handful of fresh basil leaves
- 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
- Freshly ground pepper
- Sea salt
Preparation
Preheat your grill to high. Pound out the steak with a meat tenderizer so that it is about 1/2 inch thick. Pat the steak dry with a paper towel and then season well with salt and pepper. Quickly sear both sides of the steak and then remove to a cutting board. Spread the cheese onto one side of the steak, followed by the speck/prosciutto, the garlic and then the basil leaves. Very carefully roll the steak tightly around the filling, being sure to roll perpendicular to the grain of the steak, as you want to eventually cut the roulade across (rather than with) the grain. Seal the roulade with toothpicks, skewers or cooking twine.
Turn the heat on the grill down to medium. Place the roulade back on the grill and close the lid. Allow the roulade to finish cooking, turning occasionally so that each part gets cooked evenly. Because the beef has been pounded thin and has already been seared, this whole process shouldn’t take more than about 5-7 minutes. Remove the roulade to a cutting board and allow to rest at least another 7-10 minutes. With a very sharp knife, cut 1- to 1 1/2-inch slices. Serve with crusty grilled bread and a simple green salad.
3.5 forks
and 3.5 corked forks!
Cheers!
* A roulade is a slice of meat (often beef) rolled around a filling (often cheese, vegetables, or other meat).
This week’s third wine, the 2006 Roco Pinot Noir Willamette Valley, would ordinarily not have made it into the 
