Sake Kasu & Sauvignon Blanc
CHALLENGE: Pair a wine varietal with an umami-enhanced pork dish.
THE FOOD: Sake Kasu-Marinated Grilled Pork Chops, Grilled Corn and Red Pepper Salad
THE WINE: Vavasour Sauvignon Blanc, Awatere Valley, Marlborough New Zealand, 2021
Food: One of the best things we eat at this household is a secret recipe of my house husband: grilled pork chops that have been marinated for one or two days in sake kasu (sake lees). Sake kasu is pressed sake lees, a byproduct of sake production. It is sold as a refrigerated pasty block in Japanese groceries. Sake contains alcohol and it amplifies the umami of fish, pork, or vegetables like few other things.
Although this pork chop recipe is secret you will find recipes online like this one. Choosing pork chops with enough fat, particularly in the marbling will give you best results. Some cooks might use pork belly. Or try this with fish or vegetables. The basic marinade template involves mashing some kasu paste with a little brown miso, mirin (Japanese rice wine), and salt and sugar to make the marinade. I will confide that you will gain success by poking the pork chops a hundred times with a fork so that the marinade can penetrate and spread the pasty marinade on both sides of the meat. If you can refrigerate the marinated chops for two days, all the better. But overnight is fine.
Careful grilling and temperature measurement. Beautifully cooked pork chops should be opaque and pink in the center and measure about 145 F.
I served this with a Sauvignon Blanc-friendly grilled corn and red pepper salad, adding some citrus, olive oil, fresh basil, and fresh lemon thyme.
Wine: Looking for a traditional wine varietal to pair with this umami experience, I opted for the bright Vavasour New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. Regarding the corn and red pepper salad, think of Sauvignon Blanc as a wine to pop into your produce cart along with the peppers, tomatoes, herbs, and olives. It pairs well with so many types of food, almost the wine version of an umami-enhancer.
The guava and gooseberry aromas came roaring out the bottle when opened. On the palate was lime peel and mango. With all its brightness, the wine was a subdued partner with the pork chops and salad. The grassy and cilantro flavors developed with the food.
This was a good pairing but I’m curious to look at some red varietal options in future. Counoise, a strong Pinot Noir? And I’d pair it with a different side salad, perhaps including shiitake mushrooms for extra umami enjoyment.