Burger Buddies

Here at PAVC, we’re fired up for summer and the main reason for the season – outdoor grilling, baby. Though we certainly dusted off the old girl before Memorial Day, the first “official” weekend of summer typically marks the time – at least here in the Northeast – when grilling becomes a regular part of the weekly rotation. As such, when Jessica from Philly CowShare reached out to see if we wanted to collaborate on a piece, I jumped at the chance to throw some local beef over an open flame in my backyard.

For those unfamiliar, Philly CowShare is a local organization that sells grass-fed beef from whole cows in “shares”, typically 1/8 cow per person, all butchered up and packaged for storage and consumption. (Save money by organizing a group of 8!) Their cows are completely sourced from PA and neighboring states, and are all pastured on grass (instead of grain), resulting in leaner, more balanced meat that’s still loaded with flavor.

Being that the centerpiece of any true Memorial Day feast is the good old American hamburger, Jessica supplied us with some freshly ground beef from one of her cows, as well as some bacon ends to add some porky goodness. As grass-fed beef can be much leaner than supermarket beef, one needs to be aware that it cooks far faster. (In a vintage case of “do as I say, not as I do,” I overcooked our burgers, but the, ahem, char they got was tasty, and the beefy, bacony flavor still shone through.)

In order to determine the best burger & wine pairings, I asked several friends to bring some bottles over and we tasted through a few while eating.

I figured current Chairman’s Selection Deep Sea Red 2008 ($13.99), a Rhone-style blend that’s mostly Syrah, would use its warm California Central Coast climate to bring a bold, sensuous foil to our beef. Though the wine was velvety and smooth, I tend to prefer something with brighter acidity to wash down a burger and its complex flavors of smoke, beef, (in this case) bacon, cheese and bread.

Another current Chairman’s Selection from Cali’s Central Coast that’ll stand tall next to a nicely charred patty is the Bernardus Marinus 2008, a Bordeaux-style blend that’s lighter in style for a Cali Cab blend, though certainly no wimp. The assertive finish reeks of smoked paprika, which obviously is a wonderful companion to any meat recently pulled off a grill.

Our pals brought a bottle of Rosenblum Vintner’s Cuvee Zinfandel ($12.99), a classic pairing featuring California’s signature grape. It doesn’t get more American than this! Though Zin can sometimes be overripe, this particular one was well-balanced, featuring nice acidity that cut through the rich meat. Though the Rosenblum is widely available in PA, also look for Zins from Sonoma’s cooler climate to be balanced burger buddies.

Always looking for the curveball, I also served Les Vignerons de Tavel Chant du Soleil 2011, a dry rose that features surprisingly firm tannins and bright acidity. Yeah, I know: red meat, red wine. But come summertime, especially this time of year when it’s moderate enough to dine al fresco, Rose kills it with just about anything off the grill, especially simple but hearty fare like burgers.

In fact, if you take only one thing from this piece (other than checking out Philly CowShare), it should be to try a dry rose the next time you serve burgers at home. Just avoid the white zin.