The season of hearty dishes begins; this recipe for Pork Stew with Mushrooms is one of the most successful pairings with Amarone della Valpolicella Mai Dire Mai 2016 Pasqua Vigneti e Vini.
The sweetness of the pork, the savoriness of the mushrooms, and the earthy notes create an aromatic bridge with the power and balsamic undertones of the wine, creating an enveloping balance.
Ingredients for 4 persons:
800 g pork shoulder or pork neck (cut into 3-4 cm cubes); 400 g fresh seasonal mushrooms (porcini, otherwise mixed: champignons, chanterelles, chanterelles);1 carrot; 1 onion; 1 celery stalk; 2 cloves of garlic; 1 sprig of rosemary; 2 bay leaves; 1 glass of Valpolicella wine for marinating (not Amarone); 2 tablespoons tomato paste; 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; Salt and pepper to taste.b.; Meat stock (about 500 ml); Chopped fresh parsley for finishing
Directions:
The stew: In a saucepan, heat oil with garlic, rosemary and bay leaf. Add the pork pieces and brown them well on all sides. Add finely chopped carrot, onion, and celery and allow to season. Deglaze with red wine and allow to evaporate.
Add tomato paste, stir well, then cover with ladleful of hot broth and close with lid. Cook covered over low heat for about 1 hour, adding broth if necessary.
Mushrooms: In another pan saute sliced mushrooms with a little oil, garlic and parsley. They should release their water and remain meaty.
Halfway through cooking the stew (after about 30 minutes), incorporate the mushrooms and continue cooking together so that the flavors blend. When cooked, the meat should be tender and the sauce well bound. Adjust the salt and pepper and sprinkle with fresh parsley.
Wine pairing:
(Edited by Stefania Vinciguerra)
Amarone della Valpolicella Mai dire Mai 2016 Pasqua Vigneti e Cantine
Intense ruby. Nose with spicy notes of cinnamon and pepper, greener undertones of medicinal herbs. Palate always vegetal, fresh, with dense tannins. Interesting, opulent but not heavy.
Production area: The Montevegro vineyard: the 23 hectares of vines are located on a hilltop at 350 meters above sea level between the Val d’Illasi and Val di Mezzane, whose clay and limestone soil guarantees excellent sapidity.
Grape varieties: 65% Corvina, 15% Corvinone, 10% Rondinella, 10% Oseleta.
Harvest: manual harvesting of grapes. The 2016 vintage was characterized by heavy rains and a non-exuberant production, with grapes reaching the average of recent years in terms of sugar and acidity, but with excellent quality characteristics.
Production processes: Carefully selected grapes are placed to dry in crates for 4 months to obtain a higher sugar concentration. After crushing, a cold pre-fermentative maceration is carried out, while malolactic fermentation takes place in steel at a controlled temperature of 22-25°C for 40 days. Maturation in French oak barrels (70% 225-liter barriques and 30% 500-liter tonneaux, new wood only) lasts 24 months.
Alcohol content: 16.9% vol.
Serving temperature: 18°C.
