If you’ve been to an Oregon restaurant that serves Pacific Northwest cuisine, your waiter likely suggested you pair your meal with one of the many local craft brews or Oregon wines. Do you recall the wonderful flavors abound in the pairing, but can’t quite replicate it at home? Use this helpful 1859 guide to Northwest food and libation pairing made easy:

Eola Hills, 2010 Reserve “Lodi” Old Vine Zinfandel + Roasted Tomato & Buffalo Burger

This deep red, jammy, peppery, spicy wine varietal stands up to hardy dishes. Try this wine with a juicy Oregon-raised buffalo burger for a light, lean and flavorful Oregon twist on the American classic.

serves four

Tomatoes:

8 organic heirloom or Roma tomatoes, halved lengthwise

4 T. extra virgin olive oil

2 T. minced organic garlic

1 ½ t. sugar

1 t. kosher salt

½ t. black pepper

Preheat oven to 450°F. Arrange tomatoes (cut side up) on baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil over tomatoes. Spread garlic on tomatoes. Mix dry ingredients together. Sprinkle dry ingredients over tomatoes. Bake for twenty-five minutes or until caramelization begins.

Burger Patties:

1 ½ lb. ground organic, free range buffalo

½ lb. ground organic, free range chuck (optional, if omitted add an extra ½ pound buffalo)

½ c. onion, diced

1 T. tomato paste

1 T. Worcestershire sauce

1 ½ t. kosher salt

1 t. black pepper

8 T. cheese (gorgonzola, feta, bleu, chevre, etc)

Heat grill. Lightly mix together first five ingredients in bowl, taking care not to squeeze too hard and lose the delicious juices. Form into four equal balls. Add a pinch of salt and pepper mixture to each and gently flatten into patties, approximately 1 ½ inches thick. Grill to taste. Top with two tablespoons cheese crumbles five minutes before completion, if desired.

Final Product:

4 Artisan Buns

4 T. Mayo or Miso Mayo

1 c. Arugula

Warm buns on grill for 2-5 minutes. Per bun: spread one tablespoon of mayo between each half of bun, add a burger patty, roasted tomato pieces, and arugula. Dig in.

Wine by Joe, 2010 Pinot Gris + Dungeness Crab Tacos

A favorite shellfish of Oregonians, Dungeness crab is particularly sweet and has a delicate texture that melts in your mouth. Pair a delicious crab taco beside Pinot gris; With its crisp apple, pear, and lime notes and a creamy finish, your mouth will thank you for bringing the two together.

makes eight tacos

Crab Mixture:

8 ounces shelled Dungeness crab

½ jalapeño

½ c. onion

1 t. extra virgin olive oil

Sauté jalapeño and onion on medium heat in skillet for five minutes, until soft. Add crab and cook for just two to three more minutes. Remove from heat and place in bowl.

Fish Sauce:

(yields one cup)

¾ c. plain yogurt

½ c. mayo or miso mayo

½ lime (up to a whole lime, to taste)

½ t. cumin

½ t. ground coriander

½ t. chili powder (ground chipotle is best)

2 T. diced pineapple

1-2 T. capers (to taste)

In mixing bowl, whisk first three ingredients. Add spices. Whisk. Add capers and pineapple, stir.

Final Product:

2 c. chopped cabbage

2 avocados, sliced

½ c. chopped cilantro

8 corn tortillas

Warm tortillas on skillet used for crab. Load tortilla with cabbage, then crab mix, then fish sauce and top with avocado slices and cilantro. Enjoy.

Domain Drouhin 2009 Pinot Noir + Wild Salmon & Morel Mushroom Salad

Pinot noir is often too full for white fish and too dainty for red meat, but salmon and mushrooms perfectly straddle the line. If at all possible, track down the coveted Oregon morels to bring this meal over the top. This robust salad incorporates most of your essential food pyramid items. Each bite is an earthy and flavorful burst. Each sip is powerful, yet balanced.

serves four

Oregon Berry Vinaigrette:

½ c. blueberries

½ c. blackberries

¾ c. white wine vinegar

2 T. sugar

1 T. honey

½ t. spicy mustard

2 T. extra virgin olive oil

Pinch of salt and pepper

In a saucepan, add berries and mash. Turn heat on. Add vinegar and sugar. Stir until boiling. Cover. Reduced heat and simmer for ten minutes. Strain liquid through sieve and discard solids. Whisk together blueberry vinegar liquid with honey, mustard, salt, pepper and olive oil.

Salad Mix:

6 oz morel mushrooms (fresh or dried)

2 T. butter

2 c. baby spinach

4 c. mixed spring greens

2 c. arugula

6 oz. package wild smoked salmon (or house-smoked)

½ cup blueberries

½ c. crumbled chevre cheese

Sauté morels (if you purchased dehydrated mushrooms, follow rehydration instructions on packaging) in butter over medium heat for five minutes, stirring occasionally. Mix together lettuces. Add vinaigrette and mix again. Tear smoked salmon into small pieces. Toss salmon, morels, blueberries and cheese into salad. Savor.

Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar Ale + Bacon & Hazelnut Potato Soup

Food and drink for the chilly Oregon days. Rich and nutty brown ale holds its own alongside the rich and creamy soup. The malty beer adds a touch of the sweet side of a hazelnut to compliment the savory side in the soup.

serves six

1 lb Russet potatoes (or red, if you prefer)

1 c. ground hazelnuts

3 T. butter

2 T. brown ale

½ sweet onion, diced

1 medium leek, chopped

1 T flour

1 q. vegetable stock

1 c. half-and-half

5 pieces organic bacon

Salt and pepper, to taste

1/8 cup chopped hazelnuts, roasted

Boil potatoes until fork tender. While potatoes are cooking roast the ground hazelnuts for five to seven minutes in a very large nonstick pan. Add the butter, onion, leek and beer, and cook them together for about ten more minutes. Dust with flour and incorporate. Add the stock and simmer for twenty minutes. Transfer hazelnut mixture to blender. Pour in half-and-half. Purée the soup. Cook bacon, keeping grease. Chop potatoes and bacon to desired size. Return all ingredients to pan, season with salt and pepper and reduce to the desired consistency. Relish.

Boneyard, “Girl Beer” Oregon Cherry Wheat Ale + Oregon Berry Crisp

Choose any combination of your favorite Oregon berries (we like Marion berry, raspberry and blueberry) and bake this wonderful apple crisp. Sit down with a warm slice and pint of Boneyard’s smooth fruit-infused wheat ale to enjoy all that fruit has to offer.

serves 8

1 ½ c. fresh Marion berries

1 ½ c. fresh raspberries

1 ½ c. fresh blueberries

2 T. fine ground sugar in the raw

2 T. agave nectar

2 c. all-purpose flour

2 c. rolled oats

1 1/2 c. packed brown sugar

1 ½ t. ground cinnamon

1 t. ground nutmeg

1 1/2 c. sweet cream butter

Grease a 9×13 glass baking dish. Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, delicately mix first five ingredients. In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients. Cut butter into dry ingredient bowl. Layer wet ingredients, then dry/butter ingredients into glass dish. Bake for forty minutes or until fruit bubbles and crust is golden. Indulge.

Terminal Gravity IPA + 1859 Home Grown Chef Chicken Wings

Vigorously hoppy and (in Terminal Gravity’s case) made with spring water from snow melt in the Eagle Cap Wilderness, the big, vitalizing flavor of a good IPA will wash down all the messy, sweet-n-spicy deliciousness of these juicy wings.

See: 1859oregonmagazine.com/super-bowl-teriyaki-chicken-wings

Domaine Meriwether, 2000 Captain Clark Vintage Cuvee + Elk Kebabs

If you haven’t already heard, champagne is no longer strictly an “a.m.” drink. Aged, dry champagnes can pair with anything from strawberries to red meat. So why not get adventurous? The high Pinot noir content of this sparkling wine will stand up to the elk. A light yogurt citrus sauce dip bridges the pairing seamlessly.

serves 4 

Skewers:

2 c. plain whole-milk yogurt

1 ½ c. water

2 lb. elk venison steak, cubed

1½ t. pure chili powder, such as ancho

1 t. turmeric

2 garlic cloves, minced

½ t. cayenne pepper

Pinch Kosher salt

8 strips of lemon peel (2 inches long each)

3 T. unsalted butter, melted

2 T. fresh lemon juice

Dipping Sauce:

1 c. plain whole-milk yogurt

2 t. extra virgin olive oil

2 T. water

1 t. finely grated fresh lime zest

1 T fresh squeezed lime juice

½ t. finely grated fresh orange zest

1 t. fresh squeezed orange juice

Pinch salt

¼ t. agave nectar

Night before:

Whisk together one cup of yogurt and water. Add elk cubes, toss, and marinate in refrigerator overnight.

Day of:

Drain and pat dry meat. In one large bowl, whisk one cup of yogurt with the chili powder, turmeric, garlic, cayenne and salt. Add elk and cauliflower, toss to coat and let stand for twenty minutes. In second bowl, mix dipping sauce ingredients. Cover and store in fridge until ready to eat.

Skewers:

On metal skewers, add one piece of elk, cauliflower and lemon peel. Repeat until all pieces are used. Lightly salt skewers. Place skewers on grill. Combine melted butter and lemon juice in a bowl and use to baste skewers every minute until cooked to desired temperature. Total grill time is approximately eight minutes for medium; but watch closely, as all grills cook differently. Feast.

Deschutes Brewery Obsidian Stout + Chocolate Stout Mousse

Decadence should find its way into your life on occasion. Impress loved ones on a special night at home with this surprisingly easy recipe. As you whip the mousse, go ahead and sip a little leftover stout, but be sure to leave some to drink between spoonful’s of chocolaty delight. The deep richness of the stout, with just a touch of hop bite, will combine with the chocolate to send you into obsidian oblivion.

serves 6 

8 oz dark chocolate chips (see our artisan chocolate article for local suggestions here: 1859oregonmagazine.com/artisan-chocolate)

1 stick unsalted butter, cut into

1 inch pieces

½ c. chocolate stout beer

1 t. vanilla extract

¼ t. sea salt

4 large eggs, separated

1/3 c. finely ground sugar in the raw

1 c. heavy whipping cream

Melt chocolate and butter in a double boiler over low heat, stirring frequently until melted. Remove from heat and stir in stout, vanilla and salt. Whisk in egg yolks one at a time, until thoroughly combined. Cool for five minutes. While cooling, whip egg whites on high speed in an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment until soft peaks form. With mixer running at medium speed, slowly add sugar until mixture is thick and shiny. Slowly fold 1/3 of egg whites into chocolate mixture, and then fold in remainder of egg whites until barely incorporated. Too much mixing will cause mousse to lose volume. In an electric mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whip cream on high speed into stiff peaks. Slowly fold into chocolate mixture until completely incorporated. Pour portions into ramekins; cover and refrigerate for at least two hours. Lick bowl clean.