Comparison is the thief of joy, no? I like Richard’s approach:
Pop and pour a little taste (less than an ounce each) of the Petrus as an aperitif with e.g. popovers and leave the rest in a decanter; supply generous quantities of Champagne alongside (the kind doesn’t matter much but I would personally pick a crisp young BdB)
Wait a bit and serve a simple salad, or perhaps fresh tomato slices with basil leaf and burrata (garnish with flakes of sea salt)
If there are large appetites at the table, follow with baked escargots (should be easy to get these already prepped on a tray and you pop them in the oven) with some kind of still white wine (maybe a dry Bordeaux white even). By now people should have had plenty to drink and a bit of a buzz going on
Get into the main steak course, paired with the Petrus. I like to reverse sear (on a rack in a 200F oven to an internal temperature of 120F) and then char them on a charcoal grill. Sauteed mushrooms sound like a great idea, just deglaze with sacrificial Bordeaux and the juices from the reverse sear (catch them in aluminum foil and pour into the mushrooms) and reduce. If there’s more than 4-5 people, make sure they hang on to their second glass and fill with the rest of the Champagne or still white
Let the Petrus linger, skip dessert, pour Sauternes alongside (ideally '80s or older, something mellow) and let people transition to it as they may
I think it’s important to serve food you can easily prep beforehand and keep warm/cool as needed, so you have time to enjoy yourself (and the Petrus). All of the above can be made ahead of time except for the final char on the steak, which should only take 2-3m per side.
Thanks. That’s what I was looking for. Not that I will follow exactly, but definitely food for thought. If the weather is right, we will eat outside and the grill for the final sear will be less than 10 steps away. I like the idea of burrata with tomatoes and basil, especially because to make up for past failures, the basil on the back deck is growing like weeds this year so we are talking another 10 steps to the other side of the deck from pinching off the plant to putting on the table. Shitake and oyster mushrooms if I can get them at Restaurant Depot ($10 for a 3 pound box as fresh as can be from that day’s delivery) sound just right.
If your friend is in poor health and you don’t think he’ll be around in a couple of years, make the bottle of Petrus about your friend. Open the damn thing when he gets there, chuck it in a decanter while you cook the steaks, and have a delicious and simple meal focused on getting to talk with your friend. The wine shouldn’t be the focus…your friend is the focus, right? Sure it’s a big hitter, but he gave it to you so you sharing is a nice nod to your friendship. If you want a proposed menu, let us know. If you need instructions on how to cook a steak, let us know. If you want to drink a glass of sauternes while you’re drinking your Petrus, save the Petrus for another night so you can actually find out what it tastes like.
Not in my book. Setting it in context adds an(other) intellectual layer to drinking wine. In this intellectual layer gives me tons of joy not at least because of the educational effect (and the more you know and understand wine the more joy you will derive from it). In our wine circle, we stopped traditional BYO events, these days one person brings all reds and we have interesting topics (I derive more joy from one guy bringing 3 1990s Pauillac vs the same 3 1989 Pauillacs, allowing for comparisons, learning about the wineries and vintage differences than just having 6 random 1990s/1989 Bordeauxs). But that’s just me.
Btw, my “set it in context to some other 1997s” comment’s goal was mainly to elevate the Petrus experience, which on its own might not be that satisfiying. Serve it after two more mediocre 1997s and you suddendly might see some magic.
What does the term “roasted” mean in this particular context?
The words “roast”, “roasting”, “roasted” & cetera seem to have about a bazillion different meanings in various dialects & sub-dialects of the English language.
As an example, do you cook a “pot roast” in the same fashion as you would “roast” peanuts or almonds?
You are correct. My language was sloppy and I have been intending to change it. I should have said that he is a confirmed carnivore who is very happy with steak, smoked brisket and slow roasted pulled pork, all of which I have either served to him at my house or he has ordered at NY steakhouses when we have eaten business dinners together.
Jay I hope among those choices you go with steak over brisket or pork. I really cannot see the latter two with a lovely bottle of Petrus in a vintage like 1997. And keep the spices to a minimum on the steak, I would probably go with a ribeye or fillet with sea salt and pepper.
We had a friend over last week, and grilled a massive tomahawk steak from StewLeonard. Great show piece and the steak was really good, so good in fact, our friend was gnawing the bone. A perfect combination of quality, simplicity and showmanship.
I was giving Jay a healthier option, Jorge. He’s no longer a young strapping buck like you, though I will note, he posts longer rides on Strava than you do. He’d probably smoke you in a time trial.
