2001 Tobin James French Camp

[Innkeeper]

2001 Tobin James, French Camp, Paso Robles, Zinfandel ($38 retail). Alcohol 16%; down a little). Very similar to previous vintages. Tons of red berries on the nose and upfront. More jammy fruit with pepper and spice added to the complexity crossing the palate with chewy tannin. Three alarm finish.

Matched very nicely with an Indonesian Dinner. We had marinated beef cubes on skewers, rice pilaff sprinkled with cilantro, and SEA doctored spinach.

SATE DAGING
(Grilled Beef on Skewers)

12 oz Boneless sirloin in 1” cubes
½ C Coconut milk (made with unsweetened coconut)*
¼ C Soy sauce
1 T Brown sugar
6 Kemiri nuts ground (or Macadamias)
½ tsp Shrimp paste
1 tsp Ground turmeric
1 tsp Ground coriander
½ tsp Ground caraway seed
½ tsp Ground ginger
¼ tsp Ground cloves
1 Onion minced finely

Whisk all ingredients after beef together. Toss the beef cubes in marinade. Marinate overnight in refrigerator. Thread onto soaked bamboo skewers, and broil or grill till cooked to your desire; basting with marinade throughout. Serve with peanut sauce, mixed with leftover marinade including that which you might scrape off your broiler, for dipping.

PEANUT SAUCE:

2 T Conimex Gado-Gado Mix (or 2 T crunchy peanut butter and ¼ tsp crushed red pepper)
2 T Water

Mix together over heat.

*COCONUT MILK:

3/8 C. (6 oz) Milk
¼ C Unsweetened coconut

Bring to boil in saucepan. Cool and strain. Should be ½ C. Coconut can be spread out in a greased pan and baked at 300 degrees F until brown. Serve as a condiment.