Review: Big House Wine Cardinal Zin
By: Melissa Lawler
KidsAreGrown.blogspot.com
“I like wine. I like to drink it but I don’t know anything about it. I am not a snobby sommelier type of girl. I just know if it tastes good to me or not. Do you know what I love about wine? I LOVE to cook with it!”
I had the opportunity to taste Big House Cardinal Zin. Big House Wine is ‘a mere ankle iron’s toss from the Soledad State Correctional Facility a.k.a “The Big House“‘. They offer a selection of wines including the Cardinal Zin. The Warden says, “We are zealous believers in the decadent and forbidden flavors of this sinfully delicious Zinfandel”. Well, I am a believer too. I enjoyed the wine by itself. I enjoyed it with chocolate and I definitely enjoyed it in the two dishes that I prepared with it.
First up is a marinated steak. This steak is so full of flavor you will want to make more!
In a zipper bag pour 1 Cup of Cardinal Zin, 2 TBSP gluten free soy sauce (I use San-J), 1 TBSP granulated garlic, 1 TBSP dried onions, 1 tsp pepper and a dash of salt. Add meat to bag (I used a western cut steak but any cut will do.) Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or even over night. The longer you marinate the stronger the flavor. Remove steak from marinade and cook. I seared it in a frying pan but you can also grill it. Whatever you prefer. You will LOVE this!
Next up was a marinara sauce for baked ziti. I used this recipe from AllRecipes.com. The recipes call for bottled sauce but I prefer to make my own. I used gluten free penne as well.
In a large sauce pan pour 1/2 C Cardinal Zin, 1 large can whole tomatoes, drained and broken up, 1 small can tomato paste, 1 large can crushed tomatoes, 2 cloves garlic, crushed, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp dried basil, 1/2 C grated Parmesan. simmer for 10 minutes.
I hope you will give Big House Wine’s Cardinal Zin and these recipes a try!
