HALL Cabernet Sauvignon Pairing Recipes
We're delighted to share with you two of the top recipes from 2010's Cabernet Cook-Off event. These culinary creations were deemed among the best by attendees of last year's celebration and we invite you to pair them with the HALL Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon in your own home. Order the wine, then try these wonderful recipes created specifically with the HALL Cabernet Sauvignon in mind.

>Seared Duck w/ Port Reduction
>Chipotle Chocolate Short Rib Tamales with Red Wine Sauce

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Seared Duck w/ Port Reduction
By Pali’s Dinner by Design (owned by HALL Wine Club Member Matt Palaferri)
Second Place Winner, Pro Division

Sauce:
1 cup port wine
1 medium shallot
1 sprig thyme
Juice of two oranges
1 tablespoon orange rind
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 cups bing cherries in juice
¼ cup HALL Cabernet Sauvignon
Salt and pepper to taste
 
Add all ingredients to a large saucepan and cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture is reduced by one-third. Set aside and warm prior to serving.

Duck:
4 boneless duck breasts
Salt and pepper to taste
¼ cup butter
 
Score the duck breast skin, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat a cast iron skillet to medium high heat and add the butter. Place duck in the pan skin-side-down and cook until browned, turning once. Remove from heat, rest for five to 10 minutes, and slice at an angle. Move duck to plates or a serving platter, then top with the cherry port sauce.

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Chipotle Chocolate Short Rib Tamales with Red Wine Sauce
By Nancy Irving, Team “It’s a Family Affair”
First Place Winner, Amateur Division
Makes 20 tamales

3.5 lbs short ribs, cut and bone in
1 750 ml bottle red wine
½ lb chopped yellow onion
¼ lb carrots, peeled and chopped
¼ lb celery, chopped
6 sprigs fresh thyme
1 tablespoons black peppercorns, toasted and cracked
2 quarts beef or veal stock
Salt and pepper
2 chipotles in adobo
1 teaspoon adobo sauce
1 teaspoon unsweetened chocolate
2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chile powder
Masa
Dried corn husks, soaked in warm water for at least 2 hours to soften.

In a large container, mix the wine, onion, carrots, celery, peppercorns,and thyme. Soak the short ribs in the mixture overnight.

The next day, remove the ribs from the mixture and pat dry. Reserve the soaking liquid.

Heat a large braising pan with a little olive oil on medium heat. Salt and pepper the short ribs on all sides. Sear the ribs in the pan on all sides. Remove the ribs from the pan and set aside. Deglaze the pan with the reserved soaking liquid. Reduce by a third and add the stock. Reintroduce the ribs into the mix and bring to a boil. Cover tightly with foil and put in to a 300 degree preheated oven. Cook slowly for 3-4 hours. The meat should be pulling away from the bone easily. When done, remove from the oven, remove the ribs and strain the sauce discarding the vegetables.

Place the liquid in a pot and reduce by 2/3. The sauce consistency should be be thick enough to lightly coat the back of a metal spoon.

Pull the meat from the bones and shred. Season the meat with some of the cooking liquid as well as the chipotles, adobo sauce, cumin, chili powder and chocolate. Reserve.

Make masa according to package instructions.

To make tamales, lay out one corn husk, pointed edge pointing up, spread prepared masa making sure that it goes to the right edge and leave a space on the left. Put the prepared filling in the middle. Roll the right edge to the middle, bring the left edge over the middle, fold up the bottom and fold down the top.
Steam for 45 minutes. To serve, remove from husk, drizzle with sauce.