What to pair with cupreata? In our ongoing series of what to pair with mezcal, Tess Rose suggests a savory winter pairing, plus a tried-and-true bone broth recipe
Cooler weather is upon us in the northern hemisphere and here on the east coast temperatures are starting to drop, urging us to cozy up with rich, warming flavors. It may be basic and trendy, but I love a cup of hot bone broth in the morning or evening to take the chill off and warm me up from the inside. When paired with mezcal, another inherently warming drink, the combination feels like a nourishing hug–while leaving me satisfied but not heavy.
For this pairing I immediately thought of Michoacan mezcal, with characteristic umami and herbal flavors that echo the tone of meaty bone broth. Opting for something clean, with a lot of character, but not overly cheesy (if you know you know), I landed on a favorite of mine: Don Mateo Cupreata. Simply put, this bottling is a classic Michoacan mezcal made by a classic maestro mezcalero and family. It makes sense that a relatively cooler climate mezcal would work for this warming pairing.
Of all the dishes and flavors that get scooped up by the capitalist machine (looking at you pumpkin spice…), there is one that I can really get behind, and that is bone broth, despite it being yet another insufferable example of rebranding a timeless classic as a new hipster discovery. Of course this “discovery,” is actually one of the most ancient and primordial forms of nutrition and warming comfort. It’s also a great way to stretch every last bit of value from ingredients. Most interestingly, for our purposes here, it also happens to pair well with mezcal.
Pairing cupreata with bone broth
The thick savory flavors and unctuous consistency of bone broth provide a counterpoint to bright and zesty mezcal. The herbaceousness of the cupreata acts as a seasoning, like a sprinkling of fresh herbs, while the alcohol cuts through the texture–acting much like a squeeze of lemon. The mezcal highlights the meatiness of the broth and the broth provides a backdrop for the unique flavors of the agave to come forward. I like to sip mine side by side, but I’ve also combined them to make something like a savory hot toddy–both ways are good.
Bone Broth
Like most of my recipes, this one leans on measuring with your heart, and using what you have on hand. No two batches of bone broth are the same at my house, because I have a rotating selection of available herbs and spices as well as bones. I save my bones, as well as vegetable scraps, in a freezer bag to add to this recipe, sometimes using only the scraps for a smaller batch. You can typically buy a bag of soup bones from a butcher. In my household beef bones are the standard, usually with a few lamb bones thrown in as well; chicken feet and bones are also common additions or substitutions if you don’t eat red meat.
I use a pressure cooker to speed up the process, but you can use a crockpot, or a regular stove top pot and get good results. I like to let the broth sit overnight in the fridge (or outside if it is cold enough) so that the fat separates from the gelatinous broth and hardens on top. I take the fat off and use it as my cooking fat instead of oil- which makes this recipe a two in one; some people like to leave all or some of the fat in the broth too.
Ingredients:
- 1-3 pounds bones
- 1 onion
- 1 head of garlic
- 2 carrots
- 2-4 stalks of celery
- Spices (example: roughly 1 tablespoon each of coriander seed, black peppercorns, smoked paprika)
- Fresh or dried herbs (example: 1-3 sprigs of fresh or about a tablespoon each of dried thyme, rosemary, oregano, basil, bay leaves)
- water & salt
Method
Start by roasting your bones in the oven on 350 for about an hour; you can skip this step and it will still be good, but it does help to develop some richer flavors as well as render off some of the fat. Bigger bones may need more time to roast. Add the roasted bones to your pot along with all other ingredients, cover with water and add a good bit of salt. If using a pressure cooker, cook under pressure for 3 hours with a natural release; strain off the broth and repeat again with fresh water until the bones are brittle and all the collagen has dissolved- usually 2-3 times. If using a crockpot or slow cooker, cook on high for up to 24 hours or until the bones are brittle, then strain off your broth. If using a stove top pot, bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer, cook mostly covered and stir occasionally, removing any foam from the top, about 8 hours or until the bones are brittle, then straining off your broth. If you want to separate the fat, let it cool overnight and remove the hard fat cap. Season the broth to taste with additional salt when serving. Enjoy on its own or with a sprinkling of fresh herbs, finely chopped raw onion, and a squeeze of lemon or lime alongside a copita of mezcal.
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