Pan-Seared Ribeye Steaks with Goat Cheese and Sun-Dried Tomatoes is an elegant meal without all of the work. These steaks come together in under 20 minutes and are filled with rich flavors that pair nicely with the tender ribeye. This is perfect for your special someone on Valentine’s Day. 

PAN-SEARED RIBEYE STEAKS WITH GOAT CHEESE AND SUN-DRIED TOMATOES

Do you have plans for Valentine’s Day? 

If you are looking for something to make the special someone in your life, the Ohio Beef Council and I are teaming up to help.

These Pan-Seared Ribeye Steaks With Goat Cheese and Sun-Dried Tomatoes are sure to impress your loved ones without the work and time of a fancy meal. 

These tender ribeye steaks are pan-seared in a skillet, making them quick to cook and also helps to ensure a nice crust on the outside of the ribeye.

They are cooked in melted butter and fresh thyme and then topped with creamy goat cheese and sun-dried tomatoes.

These flavors make the perfect accompaniment to the tender beef. I don’t know about you but I love a good steak, like this Top Sirloin Steak, Filet Mignon or this Skillet Garlic Butter Steak and Potatoes. 

WHY SHOULD I MAKE BEEF?

• Beef is the centerpiece of a romantic Valentine’s Day dinner. Premium roasts, such as Ribeye, Rib and Tenderloin are very popular. However, more economical roast choices – Round Tip, Top Sirloin and Eye Round – are also delicious options.
• The best gift you can give those you love is a healthy diet. A 3-oz serving of beef provides 25 grams of protein and 10 essential nutrients, wrapped up in one tasty package.
• Big things often come in small packages. Aside from being a great source of protein, beef provides essential nutrients in a smaller package than some other proteins. For example, you would have to eat 8 ounces of chicken breast to get the same amount of iron as 3 ounces of beef.

WHAT WINE DO I PAIR WITH BEEF?

Which wine variety overall is most “beef flexible”?

Cabernet Sauvignon. Among the most powerful and concentrated red variety, cabernet sauvignon can also be elegant at the same time. For its part, beef has a flavor that’s bold and yet refined at the same time.

In this way, cabernet “mirrors” beef, creating a whole that’s greater than the sum of the parts. Cabernet sauvignon also possesses a considerable amount of tannin, which gives it the structure and intensity to pair well with beef.

 

Does the cut of beef matter when choosing wine?

Certain cuts of beef like flank steak and chuck are often very flavorful. Simple but fruity merlots and zinfandels work well, as do most inexpensive reds from Australia—which are super-fruity and usually soft as velvet. 

“Middle meat” cuts from the rib and loin—like tenderloin, strip steak and prime rib—are at their best with more sophisticated, complex (expensive) wine.

A simple pot roast doesn’t require a super expensive Bordeaux. In fact, the two can feel wrong together.

For example, you can pair humble, flavorful, no-fuss cuts of beef, like ribs, with humble, flavorful, no-fuss wines—juicy, inexpensive reds from Argentina, Spain or the south of France.

When a fine New York strip or prime rib is being served, a more complex, expensive wine (such as a top-flight Bordeaux or a great American Cabernet) is definitely in order.

How do seasonings and spices influence wine choice?

Seasonings and spices often act as a bridge to wines.

• • Sprinkling beef with some cracked black pepper helps the dish marry well with Syrah/Shiraz, which has a black pepper–like flavor.
  • Herbs in a beef dish can underscore the hint of herbal flavor in many Cabernet Sauvignons and Bordeaux.
  • The seasonings to be careful with are hot chilies, which can make a wine taste hollow. Chiles need a cushion of sweetness to land on, so fiery-hot beef dishes often do best with a white wine that has a bit of residual sugar.
  • Wines with a lot of oak flavor often need a bridge to connect them to beef. Toasted nuts, brown butter and sesame oil are all excellent bridges to oaky chardonnay.

Should cooking method, too, influence wine choice?

Yes! One of the best American wine and food marriages is grilled steak and a big, oak-aged Cabernet Sauvignon.

The flame-seared flavors and crusty texture imparted by grilling are echoed by the toasty oak of the wine.

Similarly, soft, braised beef dishes taste best with wines that feel soft and seamless on the palate. That’s the principle behind beef stew and red burgundy (Pinot Noir).

How does marbling affect wine?

Since fat is a carrier of flavor, marbling gives beef richness.

The more marbling the beef has, the more dense and concentrated the wine should be.

A well-marbled piece of beef should not be served with a light-bodied wine, since the wine will taste frail next to all that beefy flavor. Instead, opt for a wine that’s muscular enough to balance the richness.

What’s the biggest “no-no” in beef and wine pairing?

The biggest mistake in pairing beef and wine is adding blue cheese to the dish.

Blue cheese is one of the most powerfully pungent, salty, and microbial foods. It makes most wines—red and white—taste dull and insipid. Save the blue cheese for dessert and serve it with a sweet fortified wine such as port!

BEST SIDE DISHES TO SERVE WITH STEAK 

MEDITERRANEAN ROASTED VEGETABLES

TURMERIC ROASTED CAULIFLOWER

MEDITERRANEAN BEAN SALAD 

CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE OF THE BEST SIDES TO PAIR WITH STEAK 

Today’s post is sponsored by the Ohio Beef Council. As always, all opinions are my own. Thanks for supporting the brands that make A Cedar Spoon possible.