Beef and beer: Budget-friendly pairing at fancy steakhouse
In pairing food with alcoholic beverages, a diner will typically think of the basic rule that says red meat goes with red wine and white meat with white wine. But, as chef Ed Bugia observes, “People are breaking the rules already.” He then gives an example: “If you’re serving a fatty dish, like a rib-eye, serve it with a crisp wine like maybe a Chardonnay. That will go against the fattiness of the dish.”
Bugia tells Lifestyle that a chef generally gets asked by diners if they can pair their food with their drink of choice, for instance, tequila. His reply: “Usually you have to turn a blind eye toward what’s in it, but more on what it tastes like. If you have a crispier drink or beverage, you pair it with a lighter food offering, like fish or chicken.”
He also notes that beer makes a good pairing with Filipino food. That’s why he felt inspired teaming up with chef Chris Oronce of Wolfgang Steakhouse by Wolfgang Zweiner to create a Filipino menu for “What’s Your Beef? A Four-Hands Happy Hour Special,” in partnership with San Miguel Beer (SMB). They came up with seven courses using the American steakhouse’s signature USDA Prime Black Angus beef to go along with SMB’s premium line: All-Malt, Super Dry, Cerveza Negra and Cerveza Blanca.
The menu starts off with Smash Burger, as Bugia is known for having his own take of the classic bun-and-filling dish. It is served with duck fat truffle fries, smoked onion rings and dill pickles. Then comes Sinuglaw, a hanger steak served with tuna, followed by Pinoy BBQ Skewers and Manila Pares, which is short ribs served with garlic rice. Also on the menu are Bistek-Style Tataki, Bitterballen (with mechado-style sauce) and Burger Steak (served with fried rice and egg).
Four dishes
Aside from the Smash Burger, which is available all week, the rest of the courses are split into two, says Bugia. So that’s four dishes for Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and another set of four platters for Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Each set menu, he adds, comes with a dessert course and three cocktails, all for the price of P2,000.
“The portion is just right,” Bugia points out, adding that in his opinion, Filipinos are not that price sensitive than normally perceived. It’s more about value for money, or being “sulit,” that ultimately provides happiness when dining out. “If you want to go to Wolfgang and you don’t want to commit to a whole steak, you can sit by the bar. We have the Happy Hour menu.” It’s available from Monday to Saturday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., at Wolfgang’s branches at The Podium in Ortigas Center, at One Bonifacio High Street in Bonifacio Global City, and at the Newport Mall in Newport World Resorts.
SMB’s brewmaster Alan Sienes explains to us that each beer has its own characteristics. Cerveza Blanca, for one, is a full-flavored wheat beer and is usually referred to as the white beer. It has that unique complex aroma that can be described as spicy and smoky with some fruity notes. In contrast, Cerveza Negra is a dark beer with roasted barley malt as the main ingredient, so it has its own flavors.
During the fermentation process, Sienes says, all ingredients in the beer are converted into alcohol, while some nutrients and antioxidants come out. “The alcohol levels are very low compared to the other alcoholic beverages. We’re talking about 5 percent. The rest of that is basically water. That raw material gives its character.”
Still, he recommends moderate consumption. “If you lead a healthy lifestyle, one to two bottles of beer a day is fine.”
