When I recently heard that Red Tractor had launched a campaign calling for us all to ‘Save Sunday Lunch’, I knew we were in trouble. Such marketing initiatives are always in response to falling sales, no matter what the sector.
I am of an age to remember when as a family we would all sit down to a Sunday roast. In our case it was usually chicken, unless it was a special occasion, because money was always tight. It was the one time in the week, long before Sunday became just like any other day of the week, that we would all gather round the table together; with the promise of a post-prandial snooze in front of the fire for the adults, while we were assigned to washing up duties.
Nowadays, people are much more likely, if they have Sunday lunch at all, to troop down to the pub. No slaving over a hot stove, or piles of washing up to get to grips with; but, no cold leftovers for Monday either!
In this fast paced 24/7 society, we all lead quite different lives now. The latest news, that a good old British Sunday roast no longer even makes it to the top five of our favourite dishes, has been like a call to action for me. With a bit of planning and careful shopping, a Sunday roast does not necessarily have to be time consuming or expensive.
So, this month, I feel honour bound to make an effort to support our local meat industry and enjoy once more a roast with all the trimmings.
To encourage others to follow suit, here are my suggestions for matching wine styles; compensation for all of that hard work in preparing a feast fit to remember.
When we think of a Sunday roast, beef is probably the meat that comes most readily to mind, if for no other reason than that it provides the perfect excuse to enjoy a proper Yorkshire pudding. Go easy on the horseradish though, as it will kill any wine.
Beef doesn’t need a big, heavy hitting wine to ‘beef it up’. Many of the popular New World wines produced from single grapes varieties can be full of alcohol, and ‘full on’ in terms of flavour but I prefer something little more subtle. You can’t go wrong with a full-bodied, dry red wine, such as a straight forward Bordeaux Claret. Where Bordeaux is concerned, it is the blend of grape varieties used (Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Malbec) that give the wine more interest and the presences of tannins works well with a succulent joint of beef.
Alternatives such as a Rhône red, an Argentinian Malbec, or a Spanish Rioja with some age will also work well. One plea from me; if you like your meat cremated then choose something other than beef, it is a crime to cook it to death.
Although it is not my favourite meat, any time someone mentions pork to me, my first thoughts leap towards the lovely crunch of a bit of crackling; it is something I can never resist, despite having broken three teeth on it in recent years. Where pork is concerned, there is always the constant argument as to whether or not it counts as a red or white meat. Pork is very versatile, lending itself to all kinds of preparation so the choice of wine is very much an individual one, according to how the animal was reared, the cut you are eating and how you choose to prepare it. Whilst pork tenderloin can be bit dry, other cuts will respond well to a wine that can cut through the fat. For a traditional roast joint, a light red such as Beaujolais or Pinot Noir with its earthy character, will not disappoint. If opting for a white wine, and with a lovely roast gammon joint in mind, I would stay away from an oaked wine; an uncomplicated Chardonnay will do the job nicely, but my personal favourite is a dry Gewurtraminer. For those of us who like a bit of apple sauce on the side, a local cider would be the perfect match.
Chicken is often the cheap and cheerful option for a Sunday roast, especially if you have a crowd to please and are on a budget. Do be mindful though that, unless you opt for a supermarket vacuumed-packed bird on special offer, a really good free-range chicken can set you back around £15 but the difference in taste is remarkable. A roast chicken to me means a crispy crackly skin, the parson’s nose, which we all used to fight over as children, and my favourite bit, the wings. Full-bodied whites are the way to go here, and for something a bit different, I find Viognier or a white Rhône are a good match. If, however, you choose to opt for a tried and trusted Chardonnay which, due to is versatility, seems to have an affinity with many foods, it is worth looking at some of the wines now emerging from Chile and Argentina.
Last but not least, my favourite meat of all, lamb. I confess that I find the ubiquitous lamb shank a bit of a bore, if for no other reason than that I prefer my meat rare. Give me a rack of pink salt marsh lamb or a leg of lamb cooked over a spit with lashings of garlic and rosemary and I am transported to heaven. Lamb can be expensive but a pot roast shoulder can be delicious, and a good old-fashioned lamb neck stew is just the job for a cold winter’s day (saves on the washing up too!). Roast lamb can stand up to a rich, full bodied red and goes brilliantly with a spicy, peppery Shiraz. For a real treat, splash out on a fine bottle of red Rioja Reserva, a premium Californian red Zinfandel or a grand cru St-Emilion from Bordeaux. Watch out for the mint sauce, which can alter the taste of any wine.
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