Holland House Cooking Wine + Grilling Prize Pack Giveaway {Over $100 ARV}

We love to grill, so I was excited when Holland House sent us this grilling package with their cooking wine and other accessories to try. Holland House cooking wine is specially selected for its rich robust flavor, which means it stands up to cooking temperatures that cause the flavor of delicate table wines to cook away. Their cooking wine is great for marinades, glazes, and sautés. This is the selection that we were sent.

Holland House Marinade & Grilling Tips

· Marinate your meat. Marinating is a great way to add flavor and save money by tenderizing tougher, cheaper cuts of meat. A well-prepared marinade can help an amateur on the grill prepare food that tastes like it was prepared by an experienced grill master!

· Select your marinade elements. Marinades vary from recipe to recipe, but they all generally contain three basic components – oils, acids and seasonings. Oils lock in the natural flavor and prevent vegetables from drying out, while acids allow flavors to be absorbed. Seasonings provide the unique flavor. Garlic, ginger and herbs are the most common marinade seasonings.

· Keep an eye on the time. As a general rule, the longer food is left to marinate, the more flavorsome it will become. Small or tender cuts, such as lamb and beef fillets, chicken breasts and seafood, require shorter marinating times (usually two to four hours). Larger or tougher cuts such as leg, rump or shoulder will need longer (usually four to six hours). Never marinate in aluminum, cast iron or copper, as these metals will react with the acids and salts, resulting in off flavor.

· Use the right tools. When grilling, always use tongs to turn the meat. A fork should never be used as it will punch holes in the meat and allow the natural juices to escape, causing the meat to lose flavor and become chewy.

· Don’t rush it. Meat will tell you when it’s ready to flip. If the meat is still hanging onto the grill, it’s not ready to flip. Once a good sear is established, it will release on its own.

Holland House has so many amazing looking recipes on their site. This one looks especially appetizing and perfect for grilling season.

Grilled Chipotle Skirt Steak

MARINADE TIME: 8-24 hours

COOK TIME: 8-15 hours

SERVINGS: 6

Ingredients-
· 1 cup HOLLAND HOUSE Sherry Cooking Wine
· 1 cup canned tomato puree or crushed tomatoes
· 3-4 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce (canned)
· 4 large cloves of garlic
· 1/2 small yellow onion
· 1 Tbsp. brown sugar
· 1 Tbsp. vegetable or olive oil
· 2 tsp. ground cumin
· 1/2 tsp. salt
· 1 lbs. skirt or flank steak

Directions
In a blender container, combine sherry cooking wine and remaining ingredients except meat. Cover and run on high until smooth.

Trim steak of any visible fat. Place steak in a non-metallic baking dish or sealable plastic bag. Add marinade; turn meat to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight, turning meat one or more times while marinating.

Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Drain meat and discard marinade. Grill skirt steak about 6 minutes over direct heat with cover closed. Turn meat; grill with cover closed 2 minutes more or until cooked as desired. Flank steak will take longer to cook.

Slice steak into thin strips across the grain. Serve with warm corn tortillas, if desired.

Notes
· Use unseasoned tomato puree or crushed tomatoes, not tomato sauce. Tomato sauce is usually seasoned and high in sodium.
· Flank steak is thicker than skirt steak, so score flank steak with a sharp knife so meat absorbs more marinade. Flank steak also has less fat than skirt steak.

Nutrition
Per serving: 220 calories (calories from fat 90), 30g protein, 3g carb, 10g fat (4g sat. fat), 60mg chol, 230mg sodium, 0g fiber

Their cooking wines can be used for so many different types of recipes. Visit Holland House to learn more and to view their fantastic selection of recipes, tips, and meal planning. I used the cooking wines in my favorite Chicken Marsala Recipe and it turned out great!