Ok we are back, sorry for the delay, had to let the food settle
Main Course: "Kobe" Beef Striploin with Braised Short Ribs, Veal Loin, & Oxtail Jus
Pan Roasted Foie Gras & Peach Tart, Peach Cider Reduction.
Trefethen Estate Grown Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa 2001
We will begin with the Kobe Beef. For whatever reason, we unfortunately did not get a close-up picture of this
Kobe beef is a high grade of beef raised in Japan. The cattle are massaged with Sake daily and fed a steady diet including large amounts of beer. The meat produced using this process is more tender and flavorful.
If you can see on the full plate shot, the slices of beef actually have a marbled appearance. This is indicitive of Kobe beef.
The preparation of the Kobe beef was excellent. The sauce was very rich. The beef itself was tender, and while very good, we didn't feel it was so outstanding that we had to have it instead of "regular" beef. The overall impression of the dish was made better by the sauces, not by the meat itself.
While sophisticated in it's presentation, this was a fairly simple dish, packed with flavor and texture. The braised short ribs were pulled from the bone and then nestled inside a hollowed pan fried potato ring. This was then positioned on a small bed of pureed potato, garnished with white, yellow, and orange baby carrots. The short ribs were smoky sweet, very tender, and melted in your mouth. Had there been a rib bone still on the plate, the meat would have fallen off with the touch of a fork. The potato was very creamy and light. The best "mashed potatoes" I've ever had the pleasure of eating!
The veal loin was tender, as one would expect. There was only a hint of flavor to the meat, most of the flavor of the dish coming from the sauce. The sweetbreads, on top of the veal, were delicately flavored and provided a subtle contrast in texture to the veal.
For those that do not know what foie gras is, it is goose liver. I am not fond of liver, as the texture is too grainy and chalky for me. DW, however, could eat liver everyday and be pleased as punch. I did try the foie gras, and enjoyed the flavor, but was unable to eat more than a bite, due to the texture.
Katharine loved it. She enjoys the texture, and found it remarkable in this dish. It wasn't dry, like liver too often is, and the peach cider reduction made for a stunning combination of sweet and tart. The foie gras was on top of a peach tart, and it was soft and fluffy and a creative addition to the dish.
It was a very rich dish, so the serving size was perfect.
