May 5th

[Innkeeper]

Well we celebrated with an appropriate meal last night. When it was over, mother said, do we have to wait another year to do this again? We had Carne Santa Fe, our Mexican rice covered with shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese, and guacamole salad. Washed it all down with our last bottle of 1998 Bayliss & Forture Vineyard, Mendocino County, Zinfandel. See: http://www.wines.com/ubb2/Forum16/HTML/000134.html The huge (15% alcohol) zin conquered all the strong, divergent flavors. Thought it might be the elusive Seven Zinners, but it was only made by three zinners, including Australian David O'Leary. Alas, it was a one time shot, so the meal can never be duplicated, at least with the same wine. Got plenty more zin bombs in the cellar though.

CARNE SANTA FE:

1 1/4 - 1 1/2 lb Round Steak ("thick cut" if possible)
Salt
Pepper mill
1 C Flour
2 tbl Lard
1 14.5 oz can Muir Glen organic fire roasted crushed tomatoes
1 4 oz can Green (mild) chilies
1 Medium red onion peeled and cut into hunks
1 tsp Dry mint leaves
1 tsp Ground fennel (or whirl 1 tsp seeds in coffee or spice mill)
1 tsp Brown sugar or pkt Stevia
1 187 ml bottle Red Wine
Water
Chopped fresh or crumbled dry cilantro
10" Heavy skillet, saute pan, or Dutch oven with cover

Season meat with salt and pepper on both sides. With a tenderizing mallet or the side of a heavy saucer, pound as much of the cup of flour into both sides of meat as possible. Don't worry if you can't get all the flour into the steak. It will be messy. Put vegetables and seasonings into blender or food processor and blend well. Put wine into two cup measure and add water to the 12 oz (1 1/2 C) level. Add to blender, and blend some more. Melt lard in pan over medium high heat. Brown meat on both sides and edges too. While meat is browning, clean up board and counter. Remove meat to clean board. Pour browning fat out of pan. Add half the sauce to pan and deglaze it. Place the meat on sauce in pan, and cover with other half of sauce. Bring to boil, cover, lower heat to a simmer, and cook for 1 1/2 hours (Opt: brown meat in morning, put it and sauce into a crock pot, and cook 8 hours on low). Remove meat to board, and slice thinly. Transfer to warm serving platter. Stir sauce well and cover meat with several ladles of it. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve. You will have about of pint of leftover sauce for other uses.